The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-11-22

Of the cottage on the mountain side:
one upon the bed. with a white count
crpane drawn about it, and one in the
little cot. clothed in white robe of
some soft stuff once worn BY the living.
but which had lain unused in the bu-
reau drawers for wears. and which the
mother hands had fashioned into q
shrond during the hours which had in
tersened. Very peaceful was the look
on either face as they lay there. All
traces Of suffering and care had fled,
and i'll their place was a look Of rest
and perfect peace. At least so thought
the weary. loving woman. who. lend
strangely comforted, although her heart
seemed breaking.
When daylight had fully come she
went on. and fed the animals and
fowls. and MIXED the cows, leaving the
dead where they lay. and rs her own
hands had cared for them. She felt
eompellc to 10 this. partly out of SYM
lat y with the dumb brutes who must
suffer without human care, but more
from feeling that John would have
her do it For had she not always cared
for the animals when he chan ed TO he
away and there was no one else to at
tend to them? And now that he was
absent never 10 return, she did not feel
that it made any ditie ence; he would
still want her to care for them. When
this was done she returned to the house.
made a cup Of tea and forced herself to
60 Ia f.xY 1..y. ,.frxx -
finished. and she must have strength.
Then she went about putting the
house in order. and in taking down
the clothes which her husband had on
when he came home wet and diving,
Lucy's letter fell out and she picked i,
up and read it, and reading, under.
stood all, or thought she did.
1t was the knowledge that their chill.
dren were to be driven ont as hey
themselves had SO often been that lad
killed John; that and some troubl,
about tier own home. She did not
know what this trouble was, but find
ing the deed in his pocket she knew
that the place had not been sold, and
putting that knowledge with the word,
mutteied by her husband in his dcliri
um, she guessed that some one laid claim
10 the cottage in which she watched
her dead. But nothing now had power
to add to her suiierings. Her cup was
already full and could contain no more;
70 these added wrongs, whatever they
might prove to be, could not make hel
sorrows greater.
She put the letter in the bureau
drawer where all letters from The chill.
drcn We're kept, tin shed tidy Dg up the
house. kissed again the cold faces oil
her dead and went out. carefully clos
ing and fa>ten NC the door behind her,
and going TO the stable, saddled horse
and prepared to ride in search of help.
1t was st II I'll ming. but in mild nd
OF way. as il each part cular drop hall
fcpented of hav nc decided to fall upon
the already water-soaked earth. The
gu lies upon the mountain side had been
Nidencd and deepene |. and new one.
had been cut through the cultivated
ground below. The grape-yines werl
half denuded of their fol age, and wha,
remained hung listless. as if drowned
in the tlood. The rose leaves lay scat.
tered beneath their draggled bushes.
the fruit trees dropped their slender
tw,gs, and all nature seemed as ii !
had a sur.et of weeping. The water.
filled the ratine below. and overflow
inc, had covered the stubble-feld m,
extended half way TO the cottage.
few turkeys and chickens. weary will
their long confinement. were strollin.
about in 4 sconsolate kind of manner
and with look that seemed to say tina
they were tired of life and ready to b
eaten If any body could get up an ap
petite in such abominable weather.
Leading the animal she had chosel
TO ride to block near the kitchen door
she mounted him and rode away. A
the main road she turned to the right
knowing that it would be folly to al
tempt to ford the ravine, and hayin
decided TO go further up the mountai
and try to reach the cottage OF som
people living on the other side of tn
divide, reason NJ that the higher up sh
went the less would be the volume {
water in the ravines. She found tn
road almost impossible in places, an
once was nearly carr ell away by th
force Of stream which she was con
PEELED to cross. but finally succeede
without injury to herself or horse j
reaching the shanty of settler, an
told the object of her coming. Sh
wanted help 10 bury her dead, and sh
wanted some one to 60 to the neare.
post-oilice and mail letter to Erastu
and Lucy, and another to Jennie an
her hus band.
These letters she had written durin
the night after johnny died sitting
the room where her dead lay. The
were brief, for no words came to her j
which TO tell Of her sorrow, or her au
full lionel ness; but in a few sentenc.
she had told what had occurred.
She found heartfelt sympathy an
ready help in those of whom she ha
come to seek it. They would have ha
her remain there while they, wit
other neighbors, cared for the dead
but she would not listen. So long a
anything remained TO be done tor he
loved ones she would help do it. Sh
could not leave them even to the car
of those who had known and respeete
them while living and, despite all the
could say, rode back alone, while tn
neighbor went to secure other assis
ance, and his son prepared to make a
attempt to reach some point from whic
to ma the letters.
When she reached the cottage on hi
return she put her horse in the stabl,
nnsaddled him and fed both him an
his mate, and then went into the hous,
A few moments later several neighbour
both men and women, came and r,
manned until the next day, when til
bodies of her husband and child wei
placed in vehicles in which they wei
TO be conveyed to the little buryin
ground on the other side of the noun
:nn.
The gray-haircd minister who Ia
married Lucy and Erastus tw
years before, again came to til
cottage to say few words oyt
the bodies of the dead. trying I
lind language which would convey
little comfort to the one lone mournt
who was SO dear to them while Twin.
but she scarcely heard his words. an
did not ut all comprehend what he WI
saving. She had no thought but tn;
her dear ones were better off. HI
husband. she knew, had been an uprigl
man, and had followed Chrst's teach
mos in that he ALWAYS preferrei tn III