The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-09-05

and girls grew into sturdy men and
women and from sheer sorce of necessity
swarmed out from the old home-hivc.
But Uncle jed, little more stopped ald
grizzled and slower of step than of old.
and with garments that seemed never to
wax older, yet gave no s.sn of renewal,
still took his leisurely way between his
farms and held still more extenGed con
vcrsations across the fences, as one VINO
was relaxing the cares and anx.eties %
life.
Returning to the neignborhood after
an absence of some years / chanced one
June afternoon upon my old friend halted
under roadside beech in the cool
shadow of the little stretch of wood.
one of his favoritc resting places, and
with his old-timc companions, dog and
child, beside him. stopping for lit
tic chat casually inquired if it were one
Of his grandchildren. "No," he an
swered, in his slow, soft drawl. "David
an Luke an Sary an Lie an Mary Jane
an Carliuc all hcv children more or less,
but this is none o. theirs. You see ours
arc all grown up now and gone but Just
Roubeu an Elias an Nathaniel an Jim,
an they're only Off an on as it happens.
An mother an me we'd had little shavcrs
around the house so long that it seemed
real lonesome without any, it Just did,
and little jamie here, her mas dead. an
her pa-wcll, he's sort o. ons;iddy like. -
with an expressive wink to me. $50 she's
come to live with us, she Just hes, an
we like her, an, well. guess she likes
us. And with a smile that softened and
illumincd his grizzlcd old face he looked
down TO meet IN answering smile OF con
liding affection in the blue child eyes
raised to his.
When ut last had started on I heard
Uncle Jed say: Come, jamie, the sun is
almost down; you and must be going
on for the cows" At u little distance /
paused and looked back through the
green wood vista at ;hc two figures. The
old man with the child's little hand
claspcd in his, his fraycd hat brim bent
toward her, and her diminutivc pink
calico sunbonnct turned and lifted aslant
as to him. So with the shaggy dog close
beside them and the sound of their voices
floating back in gentle murmur they
went their way along the quiet country
road between :hc ripcning meadows toward
the sunset
THAT child never should have been
allowed to there was the comment of
Mrs. Elnathan Sharp, before whom
chanccd to rc.cr to the little circum-
stance few days later. They amt fit
TO bring up child
"Thcy certainly have mad experience
in tha; line | observed.
Experience, should think so.' in Il
tone of the seyerest scorn; "their own
came up absolutely hap-hazard and with
out any kind of discipline, and this child
will come up N the same way and never
he taught the irs; principle of order OF
ncatness or regular habits of industry.
did think of taking her myself, but be-
fore had fully decided they had her and
suppos" are letting her. run wild as they
did their own
glanced around Mrs. Sharp's faultlcss
room and could but contrast her i'm
maculate housekeeping with that which
had held sway in Uncle Jcd's domicile
and mentally confess the prospect OF
janic's learning aught OF orocr or system
there was scant, indeed. hope | do not
undcrratc the worth os systematic train
ing, the lifelong value of early formed
right habits: still as | looked at Mrs.
Sharp's cold face and caught the faint
acidity of her tone there came TO my
mind memory of the smile that had
flashed like ripple of heart sunshine
bctwiNt Uncle jed and his little charge
and with vision os JAMES delicate face,
her soft blue eyes and sweet, sensitive
mouth / could but wondcr-I hope | was
not hctcrodos-if of the two an atmos-
phcrc of kindly, warm affection might
not he rs conducive To the growth of the
little human plant as the most perfect
system of preceptS and rules without it.
The same September Uncle Jed sick.
cncd with Il fever. On his first visit the
doctor looked grave, and as the days
passed his face grew no more hopeful
In his dclirium the old man was still
going over the familiar round of his life
Sometimes on his way to the "othei
place dragging his weary feet over tho
heavy and burning sand, sometimes stop
ping to rest under the old roadside
beach, and wherever in his fantasy h,
wandered little jamie, the companion OF
his latter days, was beside him. Ant
net only in fancy but in reality, fo
through those weariful days the chile
cung closely to her old friend, strokinl
his hand with her light touch, pressin,
her soft cheek against his, so Scared ano
furrowcd and parched, answering wheI
IN unconsciousncSs he called her name, an,
watching him with dismal pain in he
soft blue eyes.
But there came day when little Jani
lay stricken with the same fever, AM
when the doctor felt the swift but veal
pulse throDbing in the small, white wris
he shook his head again. 1t may be tina
the sanitary condition of the old hous
was bad, though it had never before al
fected those beneath its roof; possibly
AS Mrs, Sharp intimated, their nursing
might have been improved, but it wa
the best that those who rendered it kneN
how to give, and who of us can do more
And it might have been in that sonfiic
with disease that the most skilled nurs
would with the doctor have had to ow