Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-01

joiced to call, in religious parlance.
.'clear views of truth.
She thought it no wrong to read open
letters, unperceived; to feign sleep or
illness or bodily infirmity, if thereby
she could have her own way without
blame or responsibility. Objectionable
newspapers disappeared from the Ii
brary after the manner of the strange
disappearance of modern commercial
! travellers. Novels, which upon inspec-
ton proved to be of dangerous tend
encies, frequently furnished cheerful
glow to her room from the open fire on
her hearth. and anticipated in their
condemned ashes the scpulchral meth
DDS of the modern crematory. To find
out the secrets of others, and never in
turn to be found out; to hinder the
coming and to speed the parting guest,
to hunt most zealOusly for balancing
Providences" in the lives of others
whereby the average happiness of hui
mainly might be reduced to her own
low level-were the indications of Aunt
Amelia improved condition of health
which made her friends and compan-
ions submissive to Providence when
ever she was compelled to remain for
weeks in bed.
II never can stand it, John; I never
can" sobbed Maria, as she returned
with the pitcher of scalded milk in her
hand for the invalid upstairs. Il can
not make it out. just as was begin
ming to be reconciled to all this loneli-
ness, in the fact that we had come back
to the old home, there comes this aw-
full visitation, this dark, black cloud on
my life, but which some of those mis-
cradle lawyers invented for their own
ease and satisfaction. Oh, John, John!
who will rid me of my mothers lega-
cy?"
Maria Templeton burst into flood
of tears as she threw herself into her
husbands arms and sobbed her soul
out with tears which were hotter, and
scalded more effectively, than the
scalded milk in her hands.
There, there. my darling! do your
daily duty replied her husband. ERE
member that old motto which was on
the fireplace of the Lutterwork rectory
of John Wycliffe: DO the next thynge.'
Do your duty, and be brave about it,
and blessing will come to you yet out
of your mothers legacy"
Maria ran up stairs with the scalded
milk, and found that Aunt Amelia was
rapidly developing ''spell'' upon her.
The excitement of the change was tell
ing upon her system. She missed her
spine bag. A heavy cold had fixed
itself upon her digestive organs and
started up the innumerable layers of
malaria which had settled down upon
her liver, nerves and spleen. For
weeks Maria watched her legacy.
Weeks grew into months, and months
grew into the second year. Aunt
Amelia had not energy enough to live,
and yet she had too much vitality to
die. To get q little rest, Mr.. Temple
ton took his wife to Atlantic City one
March, and the brave and honest little
woman soon rallied.
II want to 20 back again, john"
she said, after the second week at the
shore. 81 am stronger now. l am
rested. | miss my work and care for
poor Aunt Amelia, and want to get
back to her again, for her sake, and
for my mothers sake, and for my own
sake"
Mr.. Templeton was silent for few
moments, and then said: ''Pinkie, my
dear, | have just received telegram
from Sister Eiiza-the Charity sister.
whom you left in charge of the house
while we were away. Aunt Amelia
died last nigh
After the poor snarled and twisted
remains of Aunt Amelia had been laid
by the side of her lifelong friend and
care-taker, Maria S mother, as Maria
Templeton rode back from the grave
in the closed carriage, she nestled in
her husbands arms and said, in a sup
pressed tone: John, l think now
know what my mother meant by the
legacy of Aunt Amelia. did not I'M
derstand it then, but think do now.
But who suggested the idea to moth
er?'
John was quiet for few moments,
and then replied: ..Well, to tell the
truth, Pinkie dear, the advice came
from that doctor whom you never met
at Los Angeles. l mean the one DR..
Mcpherson, of Edinburgh, sent you to
see.'
Maria started, and then added: "Why,
how did she know any thing about me?'
''Well. to be strictly honest" replied
her husband, '.that is the singular part
of it all. You see, DR.. Mcpherson saw
that what you wanted was to haye
some mission in life, and to stop think
ing about your own ailments. So
when | told him about my cousin
Rebecca. who lived at Los Angeles,
and who had been cured of being an
invalid by taking care of the five boys
of her widowed sister who died five
or six years ago. he said the best thing
to do was to take you to see woman
who had been cured of all her troubles
by having a mission in life. l told
your mother all about it month be-
fore we started, and she got DR.. Nc
Phersons prescription put into her
But it don't make any difference
now" added John TempletOn, as he
printed q kiss upon his wife S forehead.
Il know my wife has learned great
lesson in life, and will never be without
q mission after this"
..TS that fhn histpr,- ~ my