The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-08-07
A VILLAGE TRAGEDY.

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In thatched, hip-ended cottage that
stood end on to the road, directly opposite
the village church, two women sat sewing,
the house door open. The cottage was
picturesque without and comfortable with
in. 1t had Gothic-headed windows with
diamond loaded panes, and shutters to
match The wall outside and in was ochre-
washed, the woodwork tarred black, yet
there was no sense of incongruity or harsh
ness. Perhaps it was the flowers forest
of them, nodding proudly, almost on the
same level, to rarer kinds inside, pressing
against the glass.
The sections wife stood up from her
sewing and saw an old man TREMENDOUSLY
lifting the latch of the hand-gate.
"Lisamon," murmnred she to her town
sister on a visit, "this is an old bachelor ;
he's had one housekeeper fifty years, and
she was brought up by the old folk
"Why didn't he marry her p
"What a question to ask should
think he never thought of such a thing,
1t is so. If two are brought up together
they never do. But I should think that
she's done SO well by him, he's never mar
ried anybody else because there would have
been the telling her to go, and that he
wouldn't like doing"
"Hush !" warned Lisamon, "he's at the
door"
"Come in, Amos" shouted the sexton S
wife, The cordiality in her voice was al
most too patent. Had she declared that
they had not been discussing him, her
voice, by its tone alone, would have inclined
him to discredit her. "Nay, now, don't
stop pottering about to wipe your feet.
I'm sure we're not SO point vice" (partic-
ular.)
The old man entered slowly, hat in hand.
His hair was thin upon his head, but there
was no sign of badness Many man is
as gray at forty But age revealed itself
in the pinched and puckered face, in the
sunken eyes and fallen mouth, in the bowed
figure and stiffened limbs. He stood si-
lent, his eyes downcast. 1t seemed pro-
tracted time before he spoke, but at last a
sigh escaped him, and he looked up with
trouble in his eyes and quiver at his lips.
"She's gone!'' he CALCULATED disconso-
lately.
"Gone!" echoed the sections wife
"who's gomez"
Her sisters spectacles flashed question
ingly.
ashes dead r corrected he, with an ex-
cess of sadness-''my housekeeper, my
faithful friend of fifty years or more. 'Tis
sixty-six years, come time, since first my
eyes rested on her face"
''Dear, dear, Amos, and 1 didn't know
she was ailing. I'm sure I'd have come
up if I'd known"
There was no reason to doubt the wo-
man, the sympathy and concern in her
voice were only to manifest,
''It has been swift. Last Sabbath for
aught saw she was in her usual health" -
he paused moment, then his voice rose
slightly, fervid and aute-lik-"but the
hand of the Lord was upon her.. | re.
member the first day I saw her. / could
not have been more than ten years old.
She came to us waif, father dead, mother
worse than dead We were poor, and it
was hard struggle to keep body and soul
together. Il was war time, and there was
almost famine; now it seems incredible
how folk lived. There was question
whether we should keep her, whether ii
could be expected of us to keep her. My
father wasn't harsh man, but he consid-
cred there was the house. My mother
wept. The child came to me, and child
like she put her hand in mine. l was a
shy, awkward lad, | was shame-faced, ]
didn't know what to do with it, I let it
drop. But my father had seen the action
and it decided him. She had claimed me
as brother and protector. My parents
never had reason to regret their compas-
sion. | left home and she became theil
stay. I was away some few years; ]
toiled and was frugal, and laid by few
pounds. Then came to me message from
her. My father was past work the strain
had been too much for him his mind wai
going; the land was being neglected. ]
seemed to have prospect before me, but
could not see that | could support them
unless | returned home.
Together Hannah and l toiled, no day
too long for either of us. We had need tc
work the soil was poor and unremunera
tive, but we were resolved to pay our way
and sickness in house is costly. When
my parents were dead, each one handful
in turn, for some time / did not know how
it would be. As now, the seasons were
against us, and the outlook gloomy. But
when everything was paid, we breathed
freer. The years passed on, until it struck
me that Hannah was overworked. / in
sisted upon girl. For long time she
resisted, but at last gave in to me, only she
thought it unjust that she should have helI
and / should still labor single-handed. Al
last found that you may burn candle
at both ends, and court illness. All, she
has been my other self"
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