Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-10-23

SAID IN "a nu' fleu way, IOI lcdI VI
his voice would falter; 'we'll go at
once. III hitch mp 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 re-
membered.
MARY was allus dutiful
da'arter,' he said, putting into
broken sentences the grief and re-
morse tliat overwhelmed him;
'after her ma died, and she wasn't
knee.high to a duck, she was like a
second parent to the little uns;
nussed 'em through the measles,
and when they was well, took it
herself, and laid as quiet on the
bed for fear o giving trouble as II
she warn't a child
He didn't tell her of how, when
the second Mrs. Brown was install
ed as mistress, Mary became the
drudge and maid.of.all-work, and
was nurse to half.dOZen more
little Browns, who, like their
mother, ruled her with a rod of
iron. Nor of Mary's marriage with
a sturdy, young fellow, who, for
the lack of little timely help, and
the pressure OF a large family, was
kept with his nose to the perpetual
grindstone. He did not tell how
Mary pinched and worked, and sat
up till late hours, and struggled to
help her family, until in ccnse-
ouence of doctors bills and babies,
and poor crops, John was forced
to give a mortgage on his house,
when her (the father might have
lifted them out Of their poverty.
He might even have given them a
better house; the oldest inhabltant
could not remember when the ugly,
ramshackle affair had been built.
Some ancient ancestors had put up
a couple of rooms, then added on
a few more, until, what with patch
ing and propping up, Johns in
heritance was an offence to the
eye. Mr.. Brown thought bitterly
of all this through the long jour
ney. Too late, too late seemed
written in words of fire on every
tree and shrub. At last the house
was in sight; a poor, miserable
place enough, but now, in the
month of June, sweet with climb
ing roses and honeysuckle that the
mistress's hand had trained to the
porch.
'Who.o 0, Dandy The chill
dren were in the yard with a
shout they ran to the gate, and as
the old horse stopped, somebody
rushed down the steps, and with a
cry, why father, why Fanny
Mary in her famous clean calico
and apron, and cheeks like roses,
with the pleasure and excitement
of the visit, was in her fathers
arms-her father, who held her as
he had never done before, and kiss
ed her with the tears running
down his face.
my child he said presently,
'yOu were dead, and are alive again.
Thank God ?
'Why, father ? questioned Mary
again, what on earth is the matterY
And she looked with frightened
gaze at her sister, vaguely wonder
ing if her father were stricken with
some sudden insanity. For answer,
Fanny drew out the telegram from
her pocket, and gave it to Mary.
, CIrs all a wonderful mistake
) exclaimed the elder woman, glanc-
ing it over, and hugging father and
sister excitedly again. 'We have a
! neighbor, Mrs. Mary Harris, who
, died last evening; she has a bro
, ther living somewhere near you,
/ and by the way his name is Brown
Richard BrOwn-yOur name father.
They carried you the telegram in
/ stead of him. What a pity he won't
hear OF it, so as to get there to the
! burying.'
8 And so, between hysterical sobs
. and smiles, and everybody talking
! at once, and asking questions that
, no one dreamed of answering, they
, went in under the bower of roses
s and honeysuckle, and presently
Z! John hobbled from the field on
D crutches, and the story was told
] all over again.
| And when Mary slipped out into
: the kitchen to get an early supper,
! old Mr.. Brown followed here and
1 there, and she was folded tight in
s her fathers arms again, while the
j. tears streamed downed both their
, faces. 1t was as if she had been
n raised from the dead.
r my child whispered the old
, man, 'I hain't been the best OF
/. fathers to ye; l ha' shut my eyes
= and my heart when | ought to ha'
5 been the one to help ye; never ye
G mind bout that money; don't ye
d say one word bout 1t, and well
!. knock this old rattletrap down TO-
s morrow, and III show ye how to
o build a bOusep
And so be did, and a very com.
q Portable house 1t was, where John