Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-19

of us have made a record of it as part
of the account against those whose
greed sent fellow mortal on that jour.
ney up the mountain through the worst
storm known for years, with his brain
turned by the knowledge of his loss, and
all the blood in his body congesting
about his heart And if the angels do
keep such an account, there must be
added to it the sufferings of Martha Par
sons, as she watches by the cot of their
child grown dangerously i'll since
morning-watches and waits, and lis
tens in vain for some sound that shall
Ateli her that. through the storm and the
darkness, her husband is safe at home
at last.
Johnny, as his mother had written
Lucy, had been growing weaker for
some months. and had finally appeared
so bad that his parents had taken alarm
and called physician: but as the lad
seemed to rally under the prescription
left him, they had ceased to fear any
serious results. But now that the effect
of the medicine had spent itself the pa
tent again began to sink rapidly.
in the excitement of making and
signing the deed the day before, for
which purpose Justice of the Peace
had come to the cottage in person, and
in the departure of Mr.. Parsons with the
deed in his pocket with the intention of
consummating the sale of the place, the
change in Johnny's condition, if any.
had not been observed; and the lad
made no complaint, having come to ac-
cept his crippled and weakly condition
as something which could not be
changed. Her husband had not been
sons noticed that Johnny had a slight
self for not having observed it sooner
and asked John to have the doctor come
out, or at least send another prescrip
ton. 1t was now too late to do this,
and she must do the best she could
alone; perhaps after all the fever would
soon pass off.
| simple household remedy, sponged his
| person with tepid water, and sought to
amuse him by talking of the coming
| Journey to the Slough, where Lucy and
Erastus were, and the pleasant time
they would have when they got there.
But the fever did not go down; on the
contrary it became higher as the hours
passed, until finally Mrs Parsons be-
came greatly frightened.
She prepared note to DIR. Brenton,
asking him to come at once. Upon the
envelope she wrote a request that any
one going to town would deliver it into
his hand She then fastened the letter
to stick, one end of which she sharp
ened with butcher knife, and telling
Johnny she was going into the yard
and would be back in few moments,
ran down to the big road and stuck the
stick. with the letter attached, into the
ground where any one passing would be
almost certain of seeing it. This done
she returned to the house as quickly as
she had gone, and waited and watched
the one point of the road which was
visible from the window, hoping to see
pass team or horseman. as an assur-
ance that the message had found car
rier. One team she saw going In the
opposite direction. but if the driver OF
it saw the letter he made no effort to
forward it to its destination, fancying,
perhaps, that some one going to town
would soon pass and take it.
| As the afternoon came on, a new
cause for alarm to the watcher by the
cot of the sick boy appeared. The
clouds were gathering in way thai
betokened a long-continued and heavy
rainfall What if John should be de
tanned until late by the business OF
which he had gone; would he be able
to return at night in the midst of the
storm which was approaching? Ii not
how should she get through the nigh
all alone with the sick childP Or. VIVA
if John should attempt to come througl
the darkness and rain and should NEE
: with an accident? She felt certain tina
he would make the attempt to reacl
home that night, no matter what tn
. weather might be; but would he be abb
to get through? Would not the ravine
fill with water and make the road dan
< gerous, if not absolutely impossible
r She could not tell. she could only wal
and hope for the best; but every mo
a ment seemed an hour. for hours befor
she had any reason to expect her hus
bands return. even II he was not dc
n layed by the storm.
d 1t was but little after three o'cloc
e when it began to rain; but s
Il thick were the clouds that
S seemed as if night were alread
It at hand Johnny had dropped off int
: light sleep, and she sat by the windo'
l. that commanded a view OF the garden
n the level ground with the ravine below
s and the hills stretching away TOWARD
Phippsburg and the river. The raj
e. came down in torrents, and she notice
e how quickly little rills formed and IA
e down between the rows and vegeta blt
IS in the garden. and lost themselves in tt
3. stubble field beyond. The turkeys al
d chickens. deceived by the unusual darI
ness. had all sought their roosts, e
'e cept here and there one who had bee
N LATE about getting in and now stoC
y with dropping tail feathers and a gel
* erallv demoralized look beneath tt
re thick leaves of some shrub or vine.
: Then it occurred to her to save f
IN washing purposes some of the wat
IN that was falling, soft water being a lu
II ury during half the year on the noun
lie ain: and She threw an old shawl abo
he her head and shoulders and went o
K and set the wash-tu and boiler und
the cave spout, and saw them filled /:
q, most before she could turn back in
W the kitchen.
y, ~ And now Johnny had wakened a
~ was calling her. She went to him Al
=, felt her heart give great throb as S
q noticed that his fever was higher tn
so ever, and that his eyes had stran
= look about them. She preserved 4
calm appearance, ministered to
wants, and when he asked for
ne father. told him that he had not
, .e turned, and that they must not look
liz him vet awhile, but that he would col
-, by and by.
IN During partial lull in the storm
cd ran out to the shed and MIXED 1
tn COWS, which had come up of their Il
70. accord. and were contentedly chew