Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-08

w hat H.
'.How long has she been dead? 1t
must be long, long time, for she has
been dead TO me all my life. In what
way did she wrong you?"
:. Silence, daughter he cried. you
must not question mer'
Sc / dare not now be SILENT" she said,
firmly. elf she wronged you. have you
never. never forgiven her? 1t is awful
to think that she has been dead all these
years, and that the ashes of your anger
are still burning. Bless me, father, in
my mothers name, and say that you
forgive her!''
She knelt upon the snow, and raised
her hands in an agony of pleading.
Could he gaze upon the poor, MANNED
child, whose life he had wrecked, and
not relent? Slowly the tears came in
to his eyes, slowly the fiood-gates of
his heart We're opened. and the men,
DRY of happier times-of times when he
was better man-stole upon him with
softening influence Blurred in the
moonlight, he saw the form of his
daughter before him. and, placing his
hand upon her head, he said:
'.For your sake. my child. forgive,
In your mothers name, bless your
There was certainly something very
extraordinary the matter with little DIR.
Bax. He had been called away from
the house some time since. and having
been absent for nearly an hour. had
just returned; and when Laura, who,
struggling to forget her sorrow, was
playing forfeits with the young people,
raised her ewes, she observed him re-
ard ha Str nd
inexplicable manner. The moment
their eyes met, he turned his away; but
presently he was looking at her again,
and so strangely, that she could not
avoid asking if anything allied him.
mo, my dear" he replied, with
singular eagerness, there is nothing
the matter with me- What should be
the matter with me, you little puss,
eh?''
Il don't know" said Laura; ''but
you look as il"
Eyes. my dear. as if
LAS if you had seen ghost"
s.Ha ha," exclaimed the doctor,
laughing so loudly that all eyes were
turned upon him Immediately.
That's as good thing as I've heard
for years. 4 ghost. What do you
think Mr.. Harrild? Do look to you
as if had seen ghost?'
Il don't believe in ghosts" replied
Reuben Harrild. smiling.
''Har' said DIR. Bax. taking Laura's
hand. and patting it gently. You
don't believe in ghosts! Now. that
singular. 1 do: 1 see them often
4 beg your pardon" said Mr.. Wy
mer. staring hard at the little doctor.
Il hope there is nothing wrong here"
touching his forehead.
Not at all. say again. am a be-
| lever in ghosts l never pass church
| yard at night without seeing a hundred
of them. lodging round the tombstones.
| 1 do believe that if I went outside the
| house at this moment 1 should pop
| upon a ghost. or a ghost would pop
| upon me. to certainty. 1 am pop
sure 1 could raise one"
so many popsr' murmured Mr.
| Ramage.
May / venture to ask" said Mr..
| Wymer, with glance at his partners
| which implied, Be prepared to receive
evidence; something may come of this.
what kind of a ghost you would raise?
for there are va rieties, 1 suppose.
.'Oh, yes. said DR.. Bax. with a
| chuckle, there are varieties. The
| ghost jocular and the ghost detected;
the dolesome and the sprightly; the
| sober and the rakish."
| 4 beg Your pardon" said Mr.. Wy
| mer, somewhat scan daliZed at this lev
ity.
BEG away. my dear sir; am in the
humor to forgive anything. But to
| please YOU, will be more serious. -
He led his friends to the window. Il
am creature of impulse, my dear Mr..
Wymer; one moment l am gay, the
| next | am sad"
| Sanguineous temperament" sug-
| gested the lawyer.
| Precisely so. Therefore / will not
ask you. nor you, friend Harrild. nor
| you, my dear Laura, to excuse the
changeful vapors of my varying mood.
That sounds rather poetic, Mr.. Wy
| mer?"
Il can not say. Poetry does not
come within the legitimate scope of my
duties
You are mistaken. sir; your life
contains much poetry. But. as l was
saying, l will not ask you to excuse me
for wandering to personal experience
Ian episode in our family history.
Nv father-it is forty years since he
|
whom. wears before his death, he had
! parted in anger. and whom he never
saw again. Upon his death-bed the
thought of that brother troubled him
greatly l was not very old at the
time but / remember well his words:
If could but see Frank he muir
INJURED; we had so many happy years
together. We slept together, and went
10 school together. He loved me. am
sure. If | could but see my brother
Frank" And he turned to me, and
bid me solemnly never to nurse anger
against mortal man. Your uncle and
l Quarreled.' he said. and parted with
unforgiving words. If could see him
now, and press his hand, and exchange
a loving word. should die happy !
have never forgotten his words. and
through all my life have never let the
sun go down upon my wrath"
| Doctor Bax still held Laura's hand,
and did not appear to heed the curl
ously-inquiring look Reuben Harrild
cast upon him.
| There are mysteries and miseries
in all families" the doctor continued.
IS 1t is wonderful the suffering man in
fiicts upon himself
| - Reuben. You had a son -
| Laura held her breath.
Yes, had son." said Reuben,
gently. Go on, doctor"
:. A son whom you have not seen for
years. You parted from him in
anger. He went abroad. What if he
should be dead -?''
| No, no, Doctor Baxi" cried Laura.