The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-01-19

more about the stars. So II Tom really
meant what he said, and wanted to
spend his money on her, and had il to
spend, why, he should give her "a tele-
scope. 1t was the thing in all the
world that she wished for, and the
only thing.
II guess Tom thought it rather fun
ny, but he wanted to please her; and
he didn't say any thing, only looked
sort of queer. He went down to Cam
bridge-or wherever it is that they
sell telescopes-and he got the best one
that he could; six inches across it was
-as big as the house would bear. Then
there was great time building the
observatory and making the wall
strong enough to bear; but at last it
was all done, and Marianne could turn
her telescope to this side and that. and
sweep the heavens as she called it.
Poor soul! she never had been much of
a hand at sweeping, but this kind of
sweeping seemed to suit her.
II do really believe she was the best
contented woman in this town when it
was all ready. She used to go up into
the tower the minute the sun was
down to be all ready, and she could
sit up as late as she liked; there
was no one now to hinder. Then all
the learned people that came to stay at
the Old Beach heard about the tele-
scope, and used to drive over to see it
and talk about it. 1t was the first time
she had ever got in with her kind of
folks, and it did her lots of good, can
tell you.
There was one Professor at the
Beach, that came quite often, and l
guess he taught her how to use the
telescope better than she knew how at
first. Anyhow, all that summer and
fall, and way down into the winter she
sat up in that place, taking solid COM
fort. / said then, and l say now, that
l never saw but one woman in the
world who knew when she had got her
wish and was perfectly satisfied about
it, and that was Marianne Denny. She
didr
Ibid she ever take you up to look
through the telescopep'
''Yes, two or three times. She'd
have done it oftener if l had wanted
to. Marianne was always for sharing
with other people. She showed me a
nebuly-a ring nebuly think she said
it was-little shiny stars which you
can't see without a telescope. 1t
didn't interest me much, except as
things do interest you that you can't
see always. / liked the star with
ring that looks like school-globe a
great deal better, but Marianne didn't
seem to think much Of that. She said
quite little telescopes showed it; but it
needed big one like hers to show the
nebuly. l didn't care snap for the
nebuly, but did care for seeing Mari
anne so pleased. She actually looked
younger, and she used to talk about
the summer consultations and how
she was going to enjoy them, never
poor dear. how it was to be-
"Why, what happenedp"
20, she died. 1t was the very May
after the telescope came. She didn't
have it quite year. 1t did seem too
bad! shall always think that staying
up in that cold place SO much hurt her."
what pity! was she sorry to go?"
mo; don't think she was. recol-
lect her saying one day when was
sitting beside her: You needn't feel
bad about me, Alice. Some people die
and never in all their lives have their
wish granted. I've had mine. Heaven
has been brought close to me all this
year. And know just how wonderful
it is and how satisfying; and now / am
going nearer still to it. No one will
miss me much, and am content, only
[ wish / could know that somebody
would enjoy my dear telescope as ]
have done.
"And did any body?"
my dear, not a soul has looked
through it since that day! Tom was
out in California and his mine didn't
pan out as he expected, they say, so he
isn't so mighty rich, after all. And
Mr.. Brown, the baker, bought the
place. His first idea was to pull the
down, but he found he
couldn't without pulling down the
house. so he just locked it up, and no
one ever goes up there. Poor Ma
rianne! l wonder if she knows.
at seems a lot of money for just
that little while" she added, reflective
", as she ''toed' her stocking. "Yet
can't find it in my heart to be sorry
about it either. 1t did make Marianne
Denny SO very happy just for that
year."