The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-25

vs. NO ~ setout on his long ride over
sclei - $50 trail. not on the old s0rrzi.
loI al given out entirely, but on a
F-.-- -,--rh Cana Ian pony. de had
li-s me ten miles when the long
20. n snow set in; fine small fakes
De- the darkening air, beat IN his face,
n-..5l-.-sd thickly on his shaggy broTs
ga.-.biIied him TO he heart; he went
however, trusting to his pony E
O-.,-i-v some ten mics further, when II
sl=-,af 10 him from the thick pushes
- crowded trees through which the
SO beast scrambled that Il mad lost
- --sil. He dism1uated 10 brush
the snow and see II any track
ia BE- discovered. stepped on slip
- s-oue and irving 10 recover his
z.-,, sIipped agsin for the rocks were
-o.-.z-si with ice, fell head long aud lost
a. consciousness entirely. When II
-s---nei he was lying alone in the DARK
s--s.- the snow ghirl.ng and whispering
si- the all about him with the omin-
- his, aud rustic OF a heavy storm MS
-c,v gone and night coming on. Liam
tT-..-l- was q man Of courage MS
Lg.-t did not fan. ne was strong III
----tfru-5Ju. aud USED 20 the shifts OF q
---qfsmau's life enough 70 feel no dread
~ l-5nr lost. OUT when he tried TO rise
T., nd, IL he could not; his night leg
-r5sn despair set in: never before had
Ia raz1 helpless; and here ne was IN
49,. f9-e-t. with broken leg, neither
Tod ire nor shelter % be -ad' and no
--a..eet help, al hand while Ms
is-rss Of which he had never before
bz4. conscious, al last reoe.led. Il
sasuzi 20 h'm that through the uarA
-5-l v.s.as. for all the whIrling storm
= -sv his home FIRE, the clean bare
E.-cheu. the low flicker OF the dying
Lf.-- AID before it-lOt Sary Ann "a
-. At thai m0ment. busy IN cook
.zvr-v supper Of cream toast and
T--7 1ses with grayy-Out Ne;ty. her
b- -Ht lace hidden IN her hands anu
-as-s dropping down and glIitering
AGAINST the flashes Of ire.
5.-,i,.eutlv the hgure haunted him;
.----G "a. he l6ugeG TO be in his own bed
--r-- 10 be fed and tended by his wife's
reiignt hands, hungry as he was, cold,
$50 and almost des crate, he could
,,S+ 5st mat sOrrOWful little figure from
L;s lhourhts: and the wind signing
bitterly in the pine bOUgns. the kissing
L~.b 6f that relentless snow, the steal
mo and increasing gloom about him
c-i-- intensified his anguish, which
bsyan 10 be pain OF mind as well as
b1dv He must die there IN the storm;
+ba-s Eas no doubt of that; would any
b7Ev ever find him They would not
ever know where he died, there at home.
There would be no funeral; pleasing
and solemn prospect as funeral always
Is 90 The genuine New Englander-he
mast fOregO il. With the curious
peryersity Of that manageable and way
ward cOmrade We call the soul, be
figured 10 himself how il al should
have be=n; the decent coffin, and this
Cd body instead OF living a shTivelled
wreck for the Wild creatures 10 pray on,
and the stormy wind 10 rob OF all Its
proper covering. dressed in his Sunday
suit-a shocking waste OF good clothes
90 be sure, but then Abner wouldn't
wear them and the women Couldn't
neig1 bCrs foCking in from far Of home
steais. tip-tOeng into the cold parlOr
and 5yeiug the corpse with that ghOulish
delight characteristic Of country funeral
g0ers. He knew how Granny Grisgs
would peer at him and say to Mis-
Mather Looks very material, don I
he2 aud how Priest Dyer would make
8 long prayer including the heather and
the isles Of the sea; then how they
would sing China-tha was what the
wind was waillng nOw-rising and fall
ing N funeral shrleks and sObs frozen
into 8 despairing calm by harmony
OF parts and rythm of verse; then
friends viii view the remains" and
thGn-he started for the dream had
been too real He was s'o-e in the
forest, and the storm singing his fun
erai hymn while still be could hear IL.
And Netty2 she would lift I'D her head
wHEn q #HTnrn"H hnr-ra ~
crying, What had he ever done 10
make her CRY for him? Educated her?
Wei that was what he must do, and be
had looked 70 making IL pay; he meant
70 have her take herself out OF his care.
and he had ever looked forward 10 re
payment OF her school expenses. And
Sary Ann? What on earth could she
cry tOrt She never had her own way.
OF what she wanted. now she would
nave Il all. be meant 70 make q will
SUD leave something handsome To
rOrelgn Missions, and Blank College: il
would sound vel: but be hadn't done
u Sary ann and the children would
nave II all, ana the New York Deserrsr
never would print sn obituary notice of
An saying how much he had left 10
deserving institutions and what q good
man le vas; and how he was now reap
--S Inc reward Ollie started again
gong 70 die; and when after that? II
vas the very blackness Of darkness.
that outlook. Nobody 20 mourn nm
mere, was there anybody to welcome
nm there What could he DO where
'here was no farm, no Numbering tracts.
no BANK 20 keep his gold in, no gold TO
Seep? Another OF those plaguing texts
mat ne hal heard in the meeting house
S. Il ne heard them not. and lad mn in
TIE dark chambers Of his brain ali mn
knowing, rung now in his ear
Lay up 10 yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and rust do NOT
corrupt" NO'
de had not; no, he had not even
shared his money with good works ON
earth, nor even BY viii; how sbonId he
snow his face in that glorious cou1t-v
were loving snd giving are the brestb
u lie perhaps this was not MS con
ac-o-s thought; IL was rather an in
ss-.-et o. unhtneSs that made him shrink
ION the transierence 10 a nobrer
s-e-e; but another word pierced bis
~. aszln and made him cover in Sni-it
under a lash.
Snend, how c1mest thou bi-bar
n -- ---,lng wedding garment2r
N-s- grave calm voice having IN II
a. a .,l authority spoke thus 70 him.