Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-27
CHAPTER XII.
AUNT DERBY BRILL.

CHAPTER XII
AUNT DEBBY BRILL
1t was nearly noon when Harry awoke.
The awakening came slowly and with pain
In all his previous experiences he had had no
hint even of such mental and bodily exhaus-
ton as now oppressed him. Every muscle
and tendon was aching bitter complaint
against the strain it had been subjected to the
day before. Dull, pulseiess pain srnoldered in
some; in Others it was the keen throb Of the
toothache Continued lying in one position
was uncomfortable; changing it, thrill of an
guish, and the new posture as intolerable as
the first. His brain CALLED and twinged as did
his body. To think was as acute pain as to
use his sinews. Yet he could not help think
ing any more than ne could help turning in
bed, though to turn was torture,
Every organ Of thought was bruised and
sore. The fearful events of the day before
would continue to thrust themselves upon his
| mind. To put them out required painful eff
tort; to recall and comprehend them was even
| worse. Rejecting upon them now, with I'M
strung nerves, made them seem hundred
fold more terrible than when they were the
spontaneous offspring of hot blood With the
reflection came the thoughts that this was but
prelude-an introduction-to an infinitely
horrible saturnalia of violence and blood
| through which he was TO be hurried until re-
leased by his own destruction. This became
nightmare that threatened to stagnate the
blood in his veins. He gasped, turned his back
% the wall with an effort that thrilled him
with pain, and opened his eyes.
Naught that he saw reminded him of the
preceding day. Sunny peace and content
nent reigned. The door stood wide OPEN
md as it faced the south the monday sun
pushed in--elear to the opposite wall-a
troad band of mellow light, wildly telling of
the glory be was shedding where roof nor
shade checked his genial glow On the
smooth, hard, ashen floor, in the center Of
this bright zone, sat a matronly cat, giving
with tongue and paw dainty finishing touches
to her morning toilet, and watching with
maternal pride a kittenish game of hide and
seek on the front step. Through the open
doorway came the self-complacent cackng
| Of hens, celebrating their latest additions to
| their nests, and the exultant call of cock to
his feathered hareln to come admire and par
take Of some especially fat worm which he
had just unearthed. Farther away speckled
Guinea chickens were clamoring their salts
faction at the improvement in the weather.
Still farther, gentle tinklings limited of peace
fully browsing sheep.
Inside the house punches of sweet smelling
medicinal herbs, hanging against the wall to
dry, made the air heavy with their odors
Aunt Debby was at work near the bright
zone of sun rays spinning yarn with "big
| Wheel She held in one hand long, slender
roll of corded wool and in the other a short
| stick with which she turned the wheel Set
| ting it to whirling with a long sweep of the
| stick against a spoke she would walk back
ward while the roll was twisted out into
| long, thin thread, and then walk forward as
| the yarn was wound upon the spindle When
she walked backward the spindle hu.umed
| sharply; when she came forward it dro,ed
| There was a stately rhythm in both, 10
| which her footsteps and graceful sway o.
| body kept time, and all blended tremendously
with the camp meeting melody she was softly
| singing:
| Jesus | my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Naked, poor, despised forsalen
Thou from hence my all shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition
| All I've sought, or hoped, or known;
Yet how rich is my condition
God and Heaven still my own.
A world of memories of joyous past, I'M
| fiecked by single one of the miseries of the
present. crowded in upon Harry on the wings
| of this well remembered tune. 1t was a
|
Sardis, and the last time he had heard it was
when he had accompanied Rachel to the
| church to attend services conducted by a
noted evangelist.
All, Rachel!-what Of herr
| He had not thought of her since a swift
recollection of her words at the parting scene
on the piazza had come to spur up his falter-
ing resolution, as the regiment advanced up
| the side of Wildcat. Now one bitter thought
Of how useless all that he had gone through
| with the day before was TO rehabilitate him
self in her good opinion was speedily chased
| from his mind by the still bitterer one of the
contempt she must feel for him, did she but
know Of his present abject prostration
After ALL might not the occurrences of yes
| terday be but the memories of a nightmareg
They seemed too unreal for probability. Per-
haps he WIS just recovering consciousness
after the delirium of fever.
The walnut sticks in the fireplace popped as
| sharply as pistols, and he tIembled from head
| to foot
Heavens, I'm bigger coward than ever"
he said bitterly, and turning himself pain
fully in bed he fixed his eyes upon the wall.
Il was led to believe he continued that
after had once ioen under fire, / would
cease to dread it. Now, it seems to me more
ulSddlui ILeli tfSA Ailltt5l llcu II 70 De.
Aunt Debby's wheel hummed and droned
still louder, but her pleasant tones rode on
the cadences like an <1olian harp in rising
wind:
Man may tro1ble and distress me,
II win but 5rire me to Thy breast;
Life with trias hard may press me;
Heaven VII bring me sweater resi-.
o, It's Auu in GRIEF to harm nse,
While Thy love is left to me.
o, t were not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee
He wondered weakly why there were no
monasteries in this land and age to serve as
harbors of refuge for those who shrank from
the fearfulness of war.
He turned over again YEARLY, and Aunt
De- by, looking toward him, encountered his
wide open eyes.
"Yer awake, air yen she said kindly.
"Hope didn't disturb you. wuz tryin' ter
make ez little noise ez possible
'No, You didn't rouse me. It's hard for me
to sleep in daylight, even when fatigued, as l
am
"Ef ye want ter git up now" she said, stop
ping the wheel by pressing stick against
spoke and laying the roll" in her hand upon
the wheel head, "I'll hev some breakfast fur
ye in jiffy. Ye kin rise an dress while
run down ter the spring arter fresh bucket
O water"
She covered her head with sslat sun bon
net, y which she took from peg in the wall,
lifted a cedar WATERFALL from shelf sup
ported by other long pegs, poured its con-
tents into large cast-iron tealEettle swinging
over the fire, and whisked out of the door,
Presently the notes of her hymn mingled in
plaintive harmony with tho sparkling but
no sweeter song Of a robin redbreast, twit-
tering his delight in the warm sunshine amid
the crimson apples of the tree that overhung
the spring
"Nin ye hev a fresh drink she asked
Harry on her return.
He took the gourdful Of clear, cool water
which she offered him and drank heartily.
@Thet hez the name o bein' the best spring
in these parts she said, pleased with his APP
probation.
SAN hits a never faihn' spring, too. We've
plenty o water the dryest times, when every
body else's goes dry"
That is delicious WATER said Harry.
@An' now I'll git ye yer breakfast in
minnit The tea kittles a-bilin', the coffee's
ground, the PONIES done, an when l fry
little ham everything viii be ready
As her culinary methods and utensils diff
fered wholly from anything Harry had ever
seen, be studied them with an interest sharp
ened not little by growing appetite for
breakfast.
The clumsy iron teakettle swung on a hook
1T the end Of d chain fastened somewhere in
the throat of the chimney On the rough
stones forming the hearth were q half dozen