The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-04

down the road that leads from the manse
into the village, when woman came run
9Hoh. sir, come quick to the Gray Cot
tage. The sisters has had stroke, an
!. they're bath lynn helpless in their beds
Hech, SRI it's an awsome sightF
"oh, when did this happeng when did
this happena $50
NJ dinna ken, sir. Igaed in this morn
iorthere was nae reek fro the chimney
an I thought II strange, an / found them
there, bath stricken In single night,
Hech, sir. Poor Grizzle has lost her mind,
an lies talkin' o the cornfeids fifty years
lsyne, an singing auld sanga as gin she
were lass again. But Joan does ma
They hurried to the cottage, and found
lie even as Elsie had said. The moment
/. they entered Joan called the minister. He
ssend Elsie away she said, speaking
with difficulty but distinctly y wad
Mr.. Maclesie dismissed the old woman,
and then returned to Joan's side. He sat
down by the narrow bed and listened to
what she had to say.
II hse though" she said, still speaking
with difficulty, but yet clearly, THAT the
y ministers were right when they said that
\ the Laird's decree provided for the pray
erS o. the righteous, He foreknowin' the
same fro o. eternity, an I've heard We
\ preach that same doctrine, ye ken weel,
Mr.. Maclesie."
II ken ma ither way to reconcile the de:
crees o the Laird wi our ain free will, y
he answered thoughtfully.
"Now, gin the Laird has made provi-
sion for We to pray for puir Grizzle that
she"-the hardvoice shook for moment,
put she went onl'tmay come to hersel'
an let me lorgie her ere she gaes AVA
Laird's hard task-master, an He'll be
sair displeased wi ye, Mr.. Maclesie.n
The old man looked at her with keen,
sad eyes el'll pray for Grizzle, Joan,
i but"
She broke in eagerly. Ye might forget
Mr.. Maclesie. Ye're gettin' an aud mon,
We ken. Mibbies ye cud pray here, an
now, an then suld know that a had
been done that cud. It's fearsome
thing, sir, to think O me bein' inside the
gate a singin' an a:barpin' an a-dancin'
for Joy an my puir Grizzle, that was sic q
bonny lass whan she was young, skreelin'
outside in the dark an cold. She was a
afeard O. the dark, Grizzle, an she was
sic bonny young thing an guide TO me.
Hech, sir II seems as il 1t were only last
week when MCPHERSON was drouned, an
she cam TO me an sent awa'.a' the auld
women an tuik me in her young arms
an cried Ger me, an said she'd serve me
a. her lie. AM she was guide TO me.
Ave. guide for mony Q weary year an
laug. Mr.. Maclesie, think We that she'll
no ken onything again before she gaes
awa'?" et4 -t..Fa.'iFA
81 Gamma tell, JOAN" u
"Hech, sirl It's sair 10 bide here an
she not ken. It's mony year MIGHT
hae tailed to her an did na, an moo the
Laird has ta'en ava the poo'er. o Mr..
AIaclesie pray! pray VII a yer MIGHT! /
maun hear her speyk till me onet an say,
Joan, good nightn" The voice oil the
speaker had risen almost to a scream,
and suddenly it pierced the dull ears Of
the form that lay gibbering and laughing
on the other bed.
"Joan, puir Joan!n it said. II maun
send the ithers a. ava an comfort Joan,
for she has name but me noo.". F4
Then the voice died away in q sigh.
Mr.. Maclesie went over to the other
bed, and half lifting, half dragging,
brought it across the little room, across
that dividing line, and set it close to
Joan's. AS Grizzlies bed touched hers,
Joan burst into tears. The old man lifted
the poor helpless hand and laid 1t on her
sisters. "1forgivo thee, Grizzle, as II hope
to be forgiven he said solemnly, and
Joan repeated the words after him. Then
he knelt and prayed.
Oh, what a scene was thatl Without, a
leafless rose bush was tapping against the
narrow. little window in the wild March
wind. Within, those two poor beds stood
side by side and both inside the line that
had divided them so long, and on the
beds those stricken forms lay notionless
as death. "babbling O. green fields" and
one. with face OF agony and wild, beseech-
ing eyes, lifted to the old ministers face
as he lifted It to heaven and prayed.
"Father, forgive them, for they knew
not what they dbl" he said, and Joan
sobbed "Amenp $3.50.
They've been stumblin' alang owre the
reuch stanes side by side, hut lar apart,
lhurtin' one another sair ilka day an a
day lang. Oh, tax them hame to Thee
an hap them up in one another's Arms
It'll they haze learned Thy name'is love.
AM Thine be the poo'er an the glory.
| Amen 30 , itiGt fibiit d.
AS be rose from his knees and looked
down at Joan, the tears were running
down her lace, but itihad lost itslook Of
hopeless, helpless agony. He laid one
hand on the head OF either sister as he
said: I'D 81
1.-THE Laird maxi His face to shine upo'
thee. The Laird lift up the light Of His
countenance upo' thee an gle peace"
Then he went away.
But at midnight there was a knockand
a cry at the manse door. Come to the
Gray Cottage, Sir, sune's We can l"
Theminister dressed himself hurriedly
and went down. There was knot Of
neighbors OF the door, but they made way
for him to pass. And there, with the
doorupon them, and the freight on the
old divided hearth flashing and dancing
and throwing its kindly. flames high as
though 1t would fain see them more clear
~, and the pickering Of the dying candle
that the old woman who had been watch
ing held above her bead, casting the faces
now in light and now in shadow, lay the
two. sisters dead inone apothers arms.
u had Iga'en asleep, sir said the old
woman, "in the chimney neuk, when Of a
sudden there cam screech fit to wax
the aeid. jumped up an luiked an
there were Joan an Grizzle Mapped in one
anither's Arms, sittin, up straightin bed.
But before cud get there they had fa'ep
back as they are now, an bath were
gane.n
. Two days aiterward the sisters were
buried in the old kirk yard. And over
the grave the old minister puta simple
stone with the woFdsI