Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-11-13

uust and ashes TO ashoso had been
spoken and tho few neighbors present
turned away, they saw her falling to
the earth unconscious, and kindly and
lovingly they carried her in their arms
TO the nearest house.
Before reaching there she had re-
yived. and insisted on bong carried
back to tho cottage whence her beloved
oncs had been taken, and only the late
ness of the hour, and the dangerous
condition of tho roads after night-fall,
induced her TO relinquish her design.
Even this would not have deferred her
had they not made her feel that sho
would risk other lives than her own
since they would not permit her 10 20
alone II nothing could induce her to re-
main. Thus urged, she consented to
remain until morning, but nothing that
could be said could induce her to stay
longer. No offer of any one to make
their house her homo until she heard
from Erastus and Lucy would she ac-
cept
Erastrs would come rs soon MS they
] got her letter, she knew, and she would
wait for him at the old place on the
mountain side. So they took her thorc,
and two of tho neighbors remained
through the first day and night. and
when they went away. they sent an
elderly woman of tho neighborhood.
noted for her kindness in sickness and
in death, to remain with her until
Erastus should come. This, she told
them, was unnecessary; she did not fear
being alone, and was quite able to do
what little there was to be done in taxi
| ipn of ha atNpl
But they would not listen to il, and
so the woman stnid, and every day 9th
ers came to see il there was anything
that the two needed, but there was sell
dom anything that they could do.
Mrs Parsons had learned from others
the full extent of the misfortune regard
ing the mortgage, and knew that the
place must 90, but this did not worry
her. If she still possessed it, Erastus
and Lucy could have come and lived
with her. but since she did not, she
would 20 to them, that was all the diff
ference. And if they were forced to
, leave their own ranch, why, they would
find shelter somewhere else; it did not
greatly matter where. A part had gone
on ahead to the country beyond the
grave, and the rest would follow before
very long. All her thoughts were CEN
tered there now, and it mattered little
what became of earthly interests.
1t was full week before Erastus
came The letter had been delayed few
days on account of the Hood, and then
had remained another day uncalled
for in the Office, for while the dead were
being laid away upon the mountain
side, u new life was being ushered in at
the Slough.
The same day on which the letter
was received saw Erastus start; Lucy
and the baby, both of whom were doing
well, being left in the care of Mrs. John
son and another ncighboring woman.
He reached Phippsburg by the morning
boat and had no difficulty in finding
means of getting out to the cottage, for
the calamity which had befallen the
Parsons family was in every mouth,
and there were numbers who were
ready to offer assistance to one who
came TO care for the lonely woman who
had end ured such suffering
Mrs. Parsons saw him coming up the
lane and met him in the yard in front OF
the cottage. Up to this moment she
had not shed tear and not sob had
choked her utterancc but great black
rings about the sunken eyes, and
STOPPING of the form as she went about
the house and yard, told palmer an
tears could do how heavy was the grief
at her heart. She had herself won
dcred that she could not cry. but she
could not; and when she would have
done so, Ter eyes grew hot, but no
tears ever came to quench the flames
that seemed to consume them. But
when Erastus came, and, putting his
arms about her, kissed her cheek and
brow, and smoothed her lair. in which
the gray had grown suddenly promi-
nent, she put her head upon his shoul-
der and wept as if she never would
cease.
And so, with his arm shout her. and
his own tears falling fast, he led her
gently into tie cottage, and when she
grew calm, told her of the birth of her
grandchild. Then they talked of what
1T was best to do, and rs Erastus was
determined not to yield up his place at
the Slough without first exhausting
every eilort in defense OF his rights, it
was decided to leave everything which
Mrs. Parsons did not wish to take with
her. in care of n neighbor, to be sold,
while she returned with Erastus TO the
Slough, and to Lucy and the baby.
Accordingly, the wearing apparel and
few household goods, Including the
little wheeled cot in which johnny had
lain so long, and which Mrs. Parsons
could not bear to have 90 into other
hands, was packed and loaded and the
next afternoon neighbor drove them
to the Landing, and the cottage upon
tlin IN tpi CiIn lnft Jn,.1ntn