Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-12-21

Mol, " pear Pears like pm N
almost gone" and the answer came huski-
,Iy from tho lips of sick man stretched in
the bottom of long emigrant wagon,
drawn by pair of patient mules, who were
driven over the trail by the woman. III
there was only parson to say bit OF a
PRAYER Nell, seems like could go mere
comfortable, fur I've been q rough man,
not like the quiet hum body was when l
left you, wife, But you see thor's nobody
but men at Camp Nogood; haint seon q
petticut in nigh two year, jest think o.
that, Nell. and you'll never know how per-
foctly lovely you an the kids looked to
me when you stepped off the train, an
now I've got ter go an leave ye," and a
sharp spasm OF pain convulsed the white
face.
"ohi father, don't talk of dying" and
the W fe turned her head away as the hot
tears trckled down her cheeks wen
soon be at the camp, and them may be,
something can be done for you"
Say, poppy, poppy, | see house away
off yender,n and little boy of eight eager
ly strained his eyes over the long stretch
of road before them TO tho spot where the
faint tutline of rude shanty was visible
in the distance,
THAT'S Tim Conway's cabin, half mile
from the camp" said the sick man, fee
bly,, ''but shan't live to git there, fur it's
Ave miles away an night comm on"
No, no. Brady, it's real light yet If
you can stand it to ride so far may be we
can make it. Don't give up, father, DON'T
nowm and CLEAN of hope mingled with
her tears at the welcome thought that n
human habitation was in sight, and better
still, that the camp, the objective point
of their journey, was almost in sight also.
"Drive on, Nell, I'll try an bear it." A
gray shadow was stealing over the sick
mans face already, but he did not know it;
he only knew that q cold hand was touch
ing at his heart, chilling him through and
through. He thought it was the wind which
blew down the trail with shivering sug-
geston of winter, but it was a stronger
breath than that of Boreas which was
freezing his life-blood and stopping its
free current through his veins.
Themules plodded along their way and
the children watched the little speck in the
distance as it came steadily nearer with
childish interest. Besides the boy of eight,
there was little girl OF five, and the baby
Nell, aged three, so wrapped in shawls
that she looked more like mummy than
living child, and the mothers tears chilled
on her cheeks as she drove the mules for
ward with the hope that succor might be
near. 1t was not an enviable situation.
The husband two years before had
started away from a comfortable home in
Illinois, imbued with the spirit of advent
ure and with longing for wealth which
the plodding farm life did not satisfy.
neighbor had come home from the mount
aims with marvellous tales of wealth to be
acquired in the mines, and after selling
4 ha fa,t md ty-iif bn nrOpapla with
his wife for her support while he was
gone, he had taken his share and gone back
with his comrade.
HIS claim had not panned out as he had
hoped, but not feeling willing to abandon
his enterprise, he had sent for his wife
and children TO come out to him, promising
TO meet them at Denver.
Quite unknown to him an insldious dis
ease had been creeping upon him for the
past year, weakening him slowly but
surely, and his wife was shocked when
she saw his drawn and altered face when
he met her ut the train, and when they
were about ten miles from the city he
ha6 been taken with an acute attack of
his disease, and the affrghted wife had
pursued the journey which had been com
menced SO hopefully, for she was cheer
full little body, and had formed many
WlIelN pans iOr tut new ulOuubulu HOHle,
which was ending with heart-sickness and
dread.
There had been quite an excitement in
the camp when the letter had come an
nouncing that the little woman and her
children were on the way.
"Yer ter quit yer swearln', Bill Nevlns,
when there's womint round" said Dick
Gowdy. "Sakes, hain't seen q womnt in
SO long most forgot how they look"
"Some o. you fellers ID better shave up q
bit err she'll be skeered at the sight of such
Hottentots." Burt Macomber was the
dandy OF the camp, and rude as tho be-
longings of tho miners were, they would
have been more SO had 1t not been for his
refining taste.
He had once ventured to carry cane,
but his comrades peremptorily drew the
line of prohibition at canes, and he was
forced to discard the obnoxious article.
A rough but kin i-hearted set of men,
they had made quite n hustle of prepara-
ton through the day on which they had
calculated the travellers woul d return.
Dan Voorhees, had scrubbed his shanty,
and Sam Collins, who kept the long, board
house which answered for hotel had
off an apartment for the tired
mother and her children with curtain of
sacking roughly sewn together, and in an
freak of taste had manufactured
an apology for a window curtain from the
remains of an old white shirt which had
,ong since been packed away in his trunk
as unnecessary rubbish.
"Wimmin like sich truck" he explained
apologetically as q comrade stared in sur
prise at the unwonted luxury hanging over
The little window.
All this time tho mules were toiling
YEARLY up the trail toward tho speck of
cabin. They had almost reached 1t when
tho little boy cried out: "Oh, mammal
Poppy looks SO queerln and the wife with
a fast-beating heart climbed over the seat
TO the rear Of the wagon, where her hus-
band lay.
The last great change for him was COM
ing fast AMI he whispered: "Pray, Nell"
as his beseeching eyes looked up into her
pale face and o cold sweat broke out on his |
forehead.
The poor woman had prayed in her Illi- |
nols home, prayed for the husband leaving |
her so utterly and unexpectedly alone, but |
she could not pray now. Still, she tried |
her best and her whole heart went out in
her despairing Invocation: "Oh, God Oh, |
God, draw nearp and then words died on |
her tongue and great sobs choked her
Good bye, Nell, tell the boys 10 be kind |
10 you an" and the futtering breath |
ceased, and the wife was widow and his |
children fatherlesa
mamma, I'll run To the shanty an tell |
Lhe man how sick poppy Is" said the little |
BOY, and climbing down over the wheel OF |
.he wagon no sped away as fast as his lit. |
.le legs would carry him