Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-01
MATTIE'S GOOD WORK.

1.-THE doctor says he can not live
more than few days longer"
Matte Colwell has been inQuiring
how it Jared with Simon Hartright,
the rich man of Upham, who was
wasting with a fatal illness. Not a
young man, yet one who carried 81
years as erect as 80, and who had
borne promise Of long life before the
fatal disease came suddenly to end his
hope. In the "auld lang syne, (Which
every man and woman past their first
youth carry in their hearts, Simon
Hartright had wooed pretty Matte
Colwell and won her owe. Before
their betr0thal was six months old,
when the lovers were driving out to-
gether, the horse had taken fright, run
away and Matte was thrown out and
crippled for life. When this was ali
established fact the girl had hidden
her lover farewell, and, refusing all
his warm5entreaties, had taken up the
burden of her life alone. AS years
rolled by her infrmities increased,
until at so she WAS a feeble woman
beside the strong, stalwart lover of her
youth.
It had been one of the rare cases
where love mellowed into lifelong
friendship, though Simon had married
and lost his wife, and had one son
living, estranged from his father,
son upon whom Matte had poured out
all the mother-love that ever woman
hides IN her heart.
But while sorrow, pain and loneli>
ness had never hardened Mattie's
heart, but left it at so as tender, pure
and true as it was at IL. Simon Hart
right had grown hard and stern, de-
voted to money-making, and full Of
worldly wisdom. When his old love
had timidly tried to heal the breach
between himself and Edward, his
first born, he had repulsed her good
offices so sternly that she had never
dared repeat them and only comforted
her heart by correspondents with the
boy she loved so we'll.
But the fat had gone forth that
Overcame all womanly tirnidity, and
Matte, when her question was an
swered, went slowly to her own room,
down her withered cheeks. Once
there, she knelt and prayed long and
fervently. She rose from her knees
very pale, but with steady light in
ker soft, brown eyes, and putting on
her demure, Quaker-like bonnet and
cape, went out into the chill, winter
air. All about her the Snowfakes
Whirled in the bitter wind, but she
kept forward till she stood at the door
of the great white house Simon Hart
wright had built for his home The
housekeeper, who opened the door,
knew Miss Matte well, for the crippl-
ed old maid was beloved by every
man, woman and child in Ueham
for her gentle charities and noble,
self~sacrifcing life.
'.Im glad you've come to see Mr..
cartwright" said the housekeeper,
''for he is very bad today. He can't
lie down at all now without suffocat-
ing spells, VIII you go up2"
Up to lofty room, luxuriously fur
nished, where the sick man sat in a
great arm chair, far away from the
ruddy CRATE fire that tortured his
lungs.
With a smile that but few people
ever saw upon his hard face, Simon
cartwright stretched out his hand to
Matte Colwell.
''I felt sure you would come when
they told you low bad | was,n he said,
folding her little white hand IN his
own, almost as white now. ''You
have not been my friend of late, Mat
tie9n
Always your friend, Simen,' was
the answer, ''but thinking you wrong
III one act of your life, it is for that I
ana here"
She threw aside her hat and cape as
she spoke, and took chair beside the
invalid. Upon his face had gathered
hard frowr. His lips were firmly
folded, and his eyes cruel as death.
Undaunted, Matte said:
'sYou will forgive Ned, Simon?"
s.Never! He disobeyed me wnere
had most set my heart"
HE married Lucy Wheaton loving
her,"
"a girl whose father was a common
drunkard, who died of deliarium ire
mems and was buried by charity"