Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-26

transient gladneSs- No natural claim
was theirs: the child to them was but
rosy accident, a gift of sorrow, whose
solace needs must prove ephemeraL
Still. to them the dimpled waif was
not unlike some magic flower, picked
up after storm in the gray winter of
! their lives. with power 10 make old
blood seem new. Their pleasure in the
child was softened, too, and touched
with something ike religions care.
since its well-loved parent-plant and
place were so mournfully wrecked and
! lost Up in the little cham Der. as whpe
and clean as lime and soap could make
it. old Nora slept beside the
child: and Jade deserving his couch
below with the first note Of the lark.
would softly ascend the stairs and peep
at the two sleepers with their silver
heads upon one common pillow and
slip chucklinr down again into the
little kitchen and set the co1iee-pot to
boil, then go CUT TO dig about his few
rich acres in the dawn. Coming back
when the sun began TO look kindly
over the hills. and the house being
scented with the cofee's fragrant
steam. he would wake the sleepers If
not Yet aSrir ana the night fast would
be broken cheerjly. Much chllG-!ike
satisfaction ton. the OLD gardener gave
himself in those soft indian-3ays Of
autumn. by carving many and most
Undesirable wooden wonders Tor the
bahbliag babe with that pTuninG-kniIe
o. MS. which for raZcT-like keenness II
rdge and general u1cpmv.ine>S O. out
line had perhaps no riyal IN that re--loI.
J Under one of the six great appie-trees
that made the orchard. he would sit and
white ~ the hour. content 70 shape
these harmless haucles. and watch the
child Al play among the scented shaw
in-s, tossing now and then lazy word
end glance TO Grandam Eric, sitting
Just inside the open doorway in that an
Cular Init easy seat. the well-Sa-Eed,
Splin;-bottomed chair. VERY ps&cidIy
would Grandam Eric smoke upon
tkeSe mellow afternoons: her caps
fri trimming her creased but pleasant
face. her handkerchief crossed upon
her breast. and leaning forward IN her
lap with life Indian summer mirrOred
IL her eyes. she looked the picture Of
conteuTed peace Something touching
this would the aged whittier murmur
n his beard by times. the slight unc-
ton Of these little rum bles being IN
deed The chief copveyer OF expression
For old Jade was chary of Inscriptions
Of praise 70 things OF either earth or
Heaven. and when most deeply stirred
by love or pride or satisfaction. a. IN
these furtive glances At old Nora. lis
words were prone 10 quit his
lips reluctantly He had 3 quiet
pleasure in her smoking, too,
which. since he affected 10 despi>e
the comforting weed. It As his habit 70
disguise, Bat few things gave him great
81 ease. in truth. or put him in more
fOThearin- hUmor with the world, than
the placid picture Of hi> dear old spouse,
as with great content she burned the
soft inrOXicant-
So the DAYS went forward dreamilT;
old Nora caring fo- the child with live
y pleasure or smoking in beniCnant
Cuietuie. and the ancient gardener
turning the fat autumnal vegetables
out OF their loamy beds. or under his
fayorice fruit-tree whiting cut wooden
toys OF divers kinds and most. unut-
terable shapes Ever and anon
These happy injolcnt hours would sui
ter an eclipse from the never-re>ting
Ab>a.oT.l. Scarce = day went Fy I'M
hallowed Of his presence. Across the
meadow, he would come upon the run,
with hi ragged lat-rim Tapping and a
tuit or two Of hair stickin = up through
the crown. and larkS ana insects flying
before him ior their ives. In a. the
unlike small ana sweating
tempest. race up and down the garden
walks and round the house and in ;t
the doorway. No human eye had ever
caught him moti0nlcsS. or seen him
lor,- ~ I..1-1
visible with other more or less COM
promising wears and rents. Al least #
such discovery had ever Vet been made
the rars phenomenon had gone some
how unrecorded. That he lay still
while sleeping was also predetermined.
Those entitled 10 most credence had
been heard TO saw indeed. that most Of
hi hours OF slum Der were occupied in
turning hand->prings in his dreams, and
fighting of imaginary bears: and that
the dawn seldom found him save with
his head against the foo1-boaTo Of his
bed. with quilts and blankets twisted IN
ropes of divers sizes across him Also
that he removed his scanty clothing 81
one rip twas said. and dressed HIM
self again when he arose with almost
equal swiftnesS and was of. That his
ebUIitions too We're dispatched with
ike CELEBRITY and haste. :he manner IF
their mini>rrations consisting alone IN
da>hing the hands together in the
water and smashing them in 4 circle
round the face. and dahbinC a towel
once thereon, leaving q rather doubtful
photograph upon the linen
Something was said. too, touching his
aptitude in appeaSing hunger with "a
pidity and Indifference and some one,
though not remembered of what sex or
cast or nationality. had also added that
AbSalom Heater contained the making
OF true American. Whether or not
this last was 10 be construed as infor-
nation. praise. aspersion or prophecy,
of course. since who the speaker was
Is not a matter Of record. could never
be determined. At all events. when
ever the kind old pair deserted the ex-
uberant AbSalom racing toward them
across the tawny meadows. il was with
a feeling little short Of terror. For
that many things about the premises
should be displaced and overturned
were catastrophes TO be expect
ed. and that they should be
compelled TO see him walk about the
svard upon his hands. hang upon the
clothes-line by his toes. and perform
sundry revolutions and contortions
about the boughS of old Jade favoTite
tearing himself in twain. were hard
ships that frequency had made in some
sense bearable But that Absalon
knew how intensely their old bones
ached from witnessing him thus rashly