Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-02-15

GREGORY, who would ClLuZ % ne i ieil
On with this surveyors clearing con-
pauy ana We joined H. That's all
Euiugt0u- II brings Us down 70 this
CAV
To this day. yes, but have you not
something 10 tel Of thats-'
James WildIng nodded. This after
noon. when l -yas az work at the lower
clearing, busy enough. and thinking OF
nothing but my duties. / heard q soft
voice close TO NE. Pipa,'' 1t said,
papa" II was the voice OF my child,
II ] ever heard il. / heard it as clearly
and distinctly as you hear mine now.
Turning quickly around. thinking L
must have been mistaken in the sound,
/ saw no one was near me but Gregory,
and ] waited IN a sOrt Of startled sur
prise Papa, you are coming TO US;
We want yOu,n said the voice again,
and / remember no more. Why L
should have tainted L know not; GER
talnly not from terToT-I suppose it is
all part and portion of that which
cannot he understood in this world.
/ When ! came to, Gregory was support
ing my head. Did you stumble aud
hurt yourself, sir?'' he asked. and let
| him think IL. That was my summons,
ErTington, and tomorrow will be New
Years Day."
at sounded mysterious and solemn.
Let US hope that you may be III some
way mistaken, Wilding," L said, with
lame words.
''HOw can l Ue-Temembering the
pasi!' he rejOinad. ~ am not super
I stitIOus man-neyer WAS that; yet
believe l shall not see the setting of
tO-mOrrow's sun. Possibly L may see
| 1t III more glorious form in the other
I land. But that my brief life of sadness
and sorrow IS at its close am as sure
OF - mortal man can be"
"A brief life, indeed, If this be its
/ ending. How old are you?'
Thirty seven," he answered. 81
should be B II | lived until next Feb
IUacy."
- was some years under 30, but il
seemed too young 10 die"
"Wiidiug rose. 4 think l shall turn
into my Blankets he said: Pm tired
somehow; done over
why have you not lighted your
pipe2''
HE shook his lead. ~ shall never
light that again, Errington."
He disappeared within the hut. l
/ began walking about in mental discom-
/ fort. Gregory came up to me and
/ spoke.
What is it that is worrying him,
| Mr.. ErTington? What was it that he
/ heard to-day by the lower clearing?
4 Has he been telling yOu?''
"He has been telling me good deal
l OF his past life, Gregory. Aud-yes-
/ he spoke of to-day"
Did he hear voice that's dead?"
He thought so. HIS chIld's voice;
I she said lie was coming to them
"Ay, feared It." said the man, in a
4 tone of despair. "To see him faint
| ike that, a thing he never did before,
! and t. hear him question me as To what
/ 1 had heard, told 1t me. The child
foretold her mot&s-'5 death, Mr. Er-
rington, and foretold her own"
"EOu knew that much!"
"Oh. yes. She was an angel, that
{ little one, II ever there was an angel
/ upon earth, and I've often fancied that
! the angels must have whispered the
! secret TO her. And now it Is his turn!
/ God bless MIN! God reward him for
. the good man and master he has BEEN"
when the rest OF US turned in, the
lurid sky, with the rapid rising OF the
/ wind, seemed to give near warning of
the coming storm, but We heaped high
! the logs on the fires outside, and drew
the blankets close about US beneath the
snug roof OF the sleepIug-huts, defyiug
I the bias. and rain And so we got
/. TO sleep, though the storm was soon
upon the forest IN all its fury. About
| an hour after midnight terrific crash
disturbed us; in an instant every man
was upon his feet, rushing out TO see
the cause y mighty pine tree had
been hurled by the gale TO the earth.
1t fell athWart the largest OF the fires,
and "a we went forward d torrent of
sparks SwIrled upward and swept away
out INTO the forest. Some of us uttered
an exclamation OF thankfulneSS tnat
the tree had failed TO touch the sleep
ing-huts; but Gregory, who was the
first 10 advance. gave cry of horror.
There lay WidIng by the fire, with the
huge trunk across his breast. Unable
to sleep, he had risen and stolen out 10
sit by the large fire, Thus fate hal
oyertaken h!m.
Gregory knelt down, distressing
tears falling from his face. His mas
ter, who had not lCsJ consciousness,
looked UP at him WIKI faint, happy
smile.
lit is all rs II should be, Gregory, -
he painted; II am going TO them III the
better land"
- spoke TO him, but lie did not seem
10 hear me. lie WAS gazing upward al
the orange SKY, which almost seemed
al4me; his eyes had = faT-away look,
~ II SEE ng GeyOui II. Thus he lay
for some minutes, sis hands Joined III
the attitude of one Who pTays, his lips
silently moving. Then Change passed
over hIs face
Yes, yes, l see them, - he whispered
IN a sort OF joyous eagerneSs; "a goodly
company-al angels of brightness. My
dear ones, am coming"
Very gradually his eyes closed.
There was a long-drawn sigh, and al
WAS over.
And so, through the vast and un-
known gate of death lie passed into
Paradise The storm spent its fury,
and the dawn came, gray and gloomy,
with a Greary mist and driving rain
which shrouded forest and river and
mountain from our view. blotting from
our vision the fair face of nature. But
James Wiidlng had awakened amid the
splendors of eternal morning, there tC
enter into the new year in sweet COM
munlon with those he loved; the new
year of Immortality"
Kate drew deep breath. ''Oh, Ber
tie, what solemn story. Can 1t b,
trueP"
"Undeniably true, Kate. SO far a
my portion in il Is concerned. And
think l can answer for the part OF i
which did not wiyness.''
We'll, 1t is very strange, very sol
, emnl''
; Solemn enough, Kate, to have kep
you a silent listener" put in.
Now, Tom, don't begin TO lectur
me. Bertie, what became OF Gregory
: Ike that Gregory"
What became of him, immediatel
afterward. l don't know, for left th
camp. Three or four years later
when 1 was at the Diggings in Califor
MIA, l came across Gregory, honest al
, | kindly as ever. He was keeping
: store, Kate, and growing rich"
t In the agricultural districts arount