St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-02-13

other neighbors, cared for the dead;
but she would not listen. So long as
anything remained to be done for her
loved ones she would help do it. She
could not leave them even to the care
OF those who had known and respected
them while living, and, despite all they
could say, rode back alone, while the
ncighbor went to secure other assist
ance, and his son prepared to make an
attempt to reach some point from which
to NAL the letters.
When she reached the cottage on her
return she put Der horse in the stable,
unsaudled him and fed both him and
his mate. and then went into the house.
A few moments later several ne: ghbofS,
both men and women. came and re-
NAMED until the next day, when the
bol;e Of her husband and child were
placed in vehicles in which they were
to be conveyed to the little burylng
ground on the other side of the mount
ain.
The gray-ha;red minister who had
married Lucy and Erastus two
years before, agaia came to the
cottage to say few words over
the bodies of the dead, trying to
find language which would convey
little comfort to the one lone mourner
who was so dear to them while living:
but she scarcely heard his words, amt
did not at all comprehend what he was
saving She had no thought but that
her dear ones were better OH. Her
husband, she knew, had been an upright
man, and had followed Christ teach
ings in that he always preferred to sui
fer rather than do wrong to another;
and JOHNNY surely could have done no
grlevous wrong.
No, she was not fearful of their con-
dition liz the life upon which they had
entered. but now that the hour was APP
preaching in which she could do no
more, even for their dead bodies, she
felt her strength giving way. and when
they had been laid side by side in their
one grave, and the words "dust to
dust and ashes to ashes " had been
spoken and the few neighbors present
turned away. they saw her falling to
the earth unconscious and kindly and
lovingly they carried her in their arms
to the nearest house.
Before reaching there she had re-
vived, and insisted on being carried
| back to the cottage whence her beloved
ones had been taken, and only the late
ness of the hour, and the dangerous
! condition of the roads after night-fall,
induced her to relinquish her design.
Even this would not have deferred her
had they not made her feel that she
would risk other lives than her own,
since they would not permit her to 60
alone if nothing could induce her to re-
main. Thus urged, she consented to
remain until morning, but nothing that
could be said could induce her to stay
longer. No offer of any one to make
their house her home until she heard
from Erastus and Lucy would she ac-
cept
Erast'ls would come as soon as they
got her letter, she knew, and she would
wait for him at the old place on the
mountain side. So they took her there,
and two of the neighbors remained
through the first day and night, and
when they went away, they sent an
elderly woman of the neighborhood.
noted for her kindness in sickness and
in death, to remain with her until
Erastus should come. This, she told
them, was unnecessary; she did not feal
being alone, and was quite able to dc
what little there was to be done in TAX
ing care of the stock and poultry.
But they would not listen to it, ano
so the woman staid. and every day 9th
ers came to see if there was anything
that the two needed, but there was sell
dom anything that they could do.
Mrs. Parsons had learned from other;
the full extent of the misfortune regard
ing the mortgage, and knew that the
place must 90, but this did not worry
her. If she still possessed it, Erastu:
and Lucy could have come and livet
with her, but since she did not, sh'
would go to them, that was all the diff
ference. And if they were forced t.
leave their own ranch, why, they woul'
find shelter somewhere else; it did no
greatly matter where. A part had gon
on ahead to the country beyond tn
grave, and the rest would follow befor
very long. All her thoughts were cen
tered there now, and it mattered it'll
what became of earthly interests.
1t was full week before Erastu
came. The letter had been delayed fey
DAYS on account of the flood, and the
had remained another day uncalle
for in the office, for while the dead wer
being laid away upon the mountai
side, new life was being ushered in a
the Slough.
The same day on which the lette
was received saw Erastus start; Luc
, and the baby, both of whom were dom
well, being left in the care of Mrs. Johr
. son and another neighboring woman
= He reached Phippsburg by the mornin
, boat and had no difficulty in tindin
! means Of getting out to the cottage, fe