Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-11-29

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We whispered about Jason, and spoke
comfortin' things and hopeful to her
about the boy. When bedtime came
that night we kneeled down. our chairs
close together, and nv arm around her,
the way 1t used to be when we began
housekeepin'. I guess the Lord knew my
feelin,s, and it didn't matter that my
voice was kind of weak and words un-
common scarce-and as fat as feelings
| went, it was as il all the Christmas angels
that ever came to bless our hearth, was
film the room and singin': GLORY to
Gcd in the highest; peace on earth and
good will to men,
ut was in the spring fo1lowin' that we
moved out into the country. We had some
friends here, and perhaps it was their
urgin' US; perhaps it was a hankerin' after
change-sort of wantin' new sur
roun'in's with our new fee lings; and per-
haps it was Providence workin' in all
these things-anyway West we came. and
here we are.
eve brought the Idee along, too; indeed
got to almost feelin' as II we couldr't
keep house without it. 80 when mother
proposed a new application of the Idee,
by fixin' up burglar alarm with musical
attachments, I entered heartily into the
notion. Though, I had my own little
| laugh on mother about welcomin' bur-
glar with Home Sweet Home:' for we'd
got SO we could joke about the Idee with
out danger.
1T worked like charm, that alarm did
have 10 laugh when I remember wakin'
up one night out OF dream Of the Day of
Judgment, all thunder and light and
music; there was a big storm and the
lightnin' had started the alarm and melt
ed down the wire doin' it. After that we
got on without the alarm till June came.
Along in June circus came to town.
mine we'll that one of them stick at
nothing agents posted flaming bill on
the tight board fence. which didn't stay
long after sun-up, I assure you. 1t was
always worryin' time for mother when
a circus was in town, for she couldn't
help but think of her boy, man grown
by this time IL he'd lived, and whether or
no he was livin' or dead. Naturally,
when we went to bed that night neither
of US felt like sleepin'. though we both
played 'possum. layin' there as if we was
sleepin' sound as the seven. I think
must dozed off several times, for I
remember figuring the moon had done
considerable travelin' since laid down,
when 1 found myself layin' there, sort
OF half asleep and half awake, istenin' to
the noises of the night. l could hear the
horses tramp in the barn; now a
rooster'd low. and again a hog'd squeal.
I must have laid that way some tim o
my mind zig-zagin' between one thing
and another, like a grasshopper with a
chicken chasin' it. Each new sound
seemed to start me in a fresh track; hog
squealln' setme figuring what the shoats'd
scale; twig tappin' the window made
me open my eyes enough to see the old
naples, their leaves all shinin' silver in
the moonlight, and l left the hogs to go
pickin' silver. You know how tits whe n
you're just teterin' on the edge of sleep,
and you get to mixin' every thing your
minds been on-when something rouses
you and you come back snatchin' at the
last thing in your thoughts. 1t minds me
of a baby going to sleep with her doll;
her little hand drops as the head grows
heavier and heavier, and the little fingers
begin to unloose; but when you put your
hand out to slip away the doll, the eyes
come open little and the fingers shut
tight again on dolly. 1 was just lettin'
go my grip on the things of sense when,
sure as you live, heard the music-album
tinklin' Home, Sweet Home,' and the
sound fetched me wide awake. That
album was layin' on the front-room
stand, and the stand was right up agen'
the head of the bed, the partition
only seperatin'. Mother made no
sign of hearin', so thinkin' she'd
dropped off by this time, I slipped
out of bed quietly and goes down the hall
to the parlor door, which was set ajar.