Milford chronicle., 1885-09-11

and faint. lie had never put ~ IA
the agreement about sickness, over
flows, and bad crops, as he had just
said; neither had he "put it, that
Mary, in her young blooming matron-
hood DAYS, should die-his first bornF /
How could he bear it2 and it was all |
the harder because of the cruel words
he had uttered while she lay dead
at home. Did he say he would
never forgive her-did he really
really say that? Fanny had tried to
stop him, and brought it to his mind
that he was a church member" and
Christian. AS if father ought to be
merely a Christian to his own child.
Why hadn't he given her the money!
Might have done so five times over
and never missed it. And the old
man groaned remorsefully, as with
these thoughts in his heart, his gaze
wandered over the great fields where
the cotton would soon be simmer
ing, feecy sea, bringing new treasures
to his boarded gains. and making no
hearts happy save his own.
Those few, poor, stunted acres OF
Johns and Mary's! Swamped by the
overflow last spring, stock drowned
and John, wading waist deep, fighting
with the waters, laid up with the
rheumatics.
Suppose he had given 'em thou
sands dollars
Oh, the sting of remembering evil
when it is too late to turn evil into
good. And then there was that I'M
kind letter. Did his child read those
cruel words with the dying light in her
ewes, OF would it be left for the striek-
en- husband to be treated to the short,
stern homily!
He went back to the kitchen, where
Fanny sat crying over the telegram
"Lock up the house." he said in a hur-
ried way, for fear Of his voice would
falter; "we'H go at once. I'll hitch W
while ye get ready" And when they
had started on their long journey he
quite broke down in talking over the
past and telling Fanny little things
here and there that no one would have
supposed he had remembered.
"Mary was allus dutiful da'arter'
. he said, putting into broken sentences
the grief and remOrse that overwhelm
ed him; latter her ma died, and sh
6 wasn't k1lee-high to a duck, she wa
like a second parent to the little uns
nussed 'em through the measles, AM
when they was we'll, took it herself
and laid as quiet on the bed for fear
giving trouble as if she warn't
child" -,
i He didn't tell her Of how, when tn
u second Mrs. Brown was installed a
u mistress, Mary became the drudge an
: maid of work, and was nurse to
half-dozen more little Browns, WHIT
h like their mother, ruled her with 70
of iron. Nor of Mary's marriage wit
= a sturdy, young fellow, who, for tn
~ lack of a little timely help, and I'll
pressure Of large family, was KEEP
with his nose to the perpetual grinC
10 stone. He did not tell how MAJ
pinched and worked, and sat up tt
late hours, and struggled to help ht
family, until in consequence Of do
. >. tors bills and babies, and poor crop
:, John was forced to give mortgaG
on his house, when her (the father
q might have lifted them out Of the
q poverty. He might even have give
them better house; the Oldest inha
- liant could not remember when Il
ugly, ramshackle affair had been bui
y Some ancient ancestors had put up
= couple of rooms, then added on a fe
- more, until, what with patching ar
propping up, Johns inheritance W
:, an offence to the eye. Mr.. Brow
:" thought bitterly of all this throui
- the long journey. Too late, too Ia
~ seemed written in words of fire
- every tree and shrub. At last t
house was in sight; poor, miserat
IN place enough, but now, in the mon
OIL of June, sweet with climbing rOs
le- and honeysuckle that the mistres
es- hand had trained to the porch.
al "Who-o-o, Dandy" The childr
ne were in the yard; with shout tn
Use ran to the gate, and as the old hoI
ed stopped, somebody rushed down t
m steps, and with cry, "Why faith
lea why Fanny" Mary in her famo
II clean calico and apron, and chez
De- likes roses, with the pleasure and
icn element of the visit, was in her fai
'ed er's arms-her father, who held her
10 he had never done before, and kiss
Is her with the tears running down
i'l face
1sI "My child" he said presently, y
full were dead, and are alive aga
op- Thank Godl"
ose "Why, father?" questioned Nj
ev- again, what on earth is the matter
ing And she looked with frightend gaze
of her sister, vaguely wondering if
IS father were stricken with some 81
ags den insanity. For answer, Far
the drew out the telegram from her pc
an ct, and gave it to Mary.
hat .Ics all a wonderful mistake"
IF H.. ,,.,,,,,, ,,lonoiro,