Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-10-30

came. and the mountains shook with
the roar of the thunder that the steady
old horse which John Parsons rode
should be frightened into springing sud.
denly to one side, throwing his rider,
and with nostrils dstended ana head
and tail in the air dash away in the
darkness, leaving him lying stunned by
the roadside.
How long he lay there John Parsons
never knew; nobody ever will know,
unless the angels who watch over each
OF us have ma6e record of IL 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 1t the sunerings of Martha Par
sons, as she watches by the cot of their
child - grown dangerously IN since
movning-watches and waits, and lis
tens in vain for some sound that shall
tell 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 10 fear any
serious results. But now that the effect
of the medicine had spent itself the pa
tient again began to sink rapidly
I,, ~ of
signing the deed the day before, for
which purpose a Justice of the Peace
had come to the cottage in person, and
in the departure OF MIR. Parsons with the
deed in his pocket with the intention of
con,ummating the sale of theplace, 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
long goIe, however, before Mrs. Par
sons noticed that Johnny had n slight
fever, and at once began to censure her.
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
She prepared and gave the child some
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 q note to DR.. Brenton,
asking him to come at once. Upon the
envelope she wrote n request that any
one going to town would deliver it into
his hand. She then fastened the letter
to stick, one end of VIII ch she sharp.
ened with butcher knife, and telling
Johnny she was going into the yard
and would be back in a 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, new
cause for alarm to the watcher by the
cot of the sick boy appeared. The
clouds were gathering in a way that
betokened a long-continued and heavy
rainfall. What if John should be de-
tanned until late by the business ON
which he had gone; would he be able
to return at night in the midst of the
storm which was approachingP If not,
how slepuld she get through the night
all alone with the sick child? Or, what
if John should attemptto come through
the darkness and rain and should meet
with an accidentp She felt certain that
he would make the attempt to reach
home that night, no matter what the
weather might be; but would he be able
to get through? Would not the ravines
fill with water and make the road dan
gerous, if not absolutely impassableP
She could not tell, she could only wait
and hope for the best; but every no.
ment seemed an hour, for hours before
she had any reason to expect her hus-
bands return, even if he was not de.
layed by the storm.
1t was but little after three o'clock
when it began to rain; but sc
thick were the clouds that il
seemed as if night were already
at hand. Johnny had dropped off into
a light sleep, and she sat by the window
that commanded a view OF the garden,
the level ground with the ravine below.
and the hills stretching away towards
Phippsburg and the river. The rain
came down in torrents, and she noticed
how quickly little rills formed and ran
down between the rows and vegetables
in the garden. and lost themselves in the
stubble field beyond. The turkeys and
chickens. deceived by the unusual dark
ness. had all sought their roosts. ex,
cept here and there one who had beer
late about getting in and now stood
with dropping tail feathers and gen
orally demoralized look beneath the
thick leaves of some shrub or vine.
Then 1t occurred TO her to save fol
washing purposes some of the water
that was falling, soft water being lux
ury during half the year on the mount
ain; and she threw an old shawl about
her head and shoulders and went out
and set the wash tub and boiler under
the cave spout, and saw them filed nj
most before she could turn back intc
the kitchen.
And now Johnny had wakened and
was calling her. She went to him and
felt her heart give great throb as she
noticed that his fever was higher thar
ever, and that his eyes had strange
look about them. She preserved hei
calm appearance, minisiered to his
wants, and when he asked for his
father. told him that he had not re
turned, and that they must not look fol
him yet awhile, but that he would come
byland by.