Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-06-27

them.
~ saw her go in, said jim. 'She
looked around first, but she didn't see
me, and she took off. her bonnet and held
in her hand, and walked right down
into the water. The tide was about in,
but it was quiet, you know, and any of
us could have stood up and laughed at it.
But she went down all of a sudden,
when it wasn't up to her waist. She
didn't throw herself over, but a wave
just took her off her feet, and down she
went. When l got out after her was
afeared I wouldn't find her, but I saw
her face once, and then / knowed where
to look"
SIT didn't do any good" said the
lighthouse keeper: "she's swallowed her
last drink of water"
"Who says so9" asked Martha. And
when she heard that Doctor Shields had,
she looked around for him, and then
said, in loud, clear voice, that Doctor
Shields's opinions were like dreams, and
should be taken contrary. And with
that she had Agnes carried into the light
house, and she and the life saving guards
went to work, and after awhile poor Ag-
ncs opened her eyes and saw the same
world to which she had vainly tried to
say farewell.
As there was nowhere else to take her
that night, Mrs. Ciarkson took her home
to her house, and made her comfortable.
She went in through the night very often
and looked at Agnes, who slept like
child; and in the morning Mrs. Clarkson
began to nurse Agnes. She already was
interested in her because it was Jim and
she who had restored her to life, and day
by day she tried to strengthen and nour-
ish her. Agnes accepted all that was
done for her Never was any one more
passive. She did not understand what
else to do. She had so parted with life
that it now eluded her, and she could
not catch hold of it again; and more
over, she was very inert, and after time
it was found that her right arm was stiff
fened, so that she moved it with diff
Guilty.
All summer she staid with Martha.
How could she break away and depart
when there was no one to whom she
could go2 She could not work, and as
for starving, of that she had had enough.
And Martha was glad to keep her. She
could sew, even with her stiff arm, better
than Martha could, and she pleased and
entertained them all. Jim came home
every day, because the house was more
alive with this gentle creature in it;
and the boy of the family loved her
stories next to sailing. She taught
Hiram-this boy-to read when winter
came; and now, indeed, they were glad
to have her company, shut in as they so
often were that stormy year.
In the spring Jim was drowned. He
lost his life at last saving others; and
when Agnes, weeping with Martha, cried
out that there was nothing she could do
for one who had done so much for her
because Agnes was now reconciled to life,
and at rest-Martha took her in her arms,
and begged and implored her to turn the
boy from the thoughts of the sea. 1t
had swallowed her husband and taken her
son, and she could not give it all that was
left to her.
And after this Agnes gave herself to
this work-to keep the boy from the
ocean. But it was the teaching OF water
tosrun up hill. The blood of fishermen
and sailors coursed through his veins; all
the trs ditlons of his life were of ships,
and the very stories his mother told had
the salt of the sea in them. He drew his
brows together and looked sullen when
the women asked him to keep out of the
boats; and many night he climbed from
his window and went fishing alone.
But at last Agnes discovered that next
to the sea Hiram loved machinery, and
she set herself to making him love it bet
ter. She said no more against the sailor,
but turned all her thoughts and words to
machinery. She bought Natural Phil
osophy, and together the two studied
mechanics and everything else the book
contained, so they clearly understood it.
They also made pasteboard locomotive,
and when they were perplexed they went
together to the railroad, and the engi-
neerS showed them whatever they asked
about. And so it came at last that
Hiram had situation on the road, and
he became an engineer, and then perfected
the invention that has made him rich.
But the idea of the invention came from
Agnes, because once when working on
the pasteboard model they made mis-
take, and she rectifed it on hint given
her by sewing machines. 1t was this
hint that Hiram afterward applied and
worked upon.
And so Agnes grew to rejoice in her
life, having Hiram to save for his mother,
and both of them to love and to serve.
Hiram was good son to the two women,
and when his mother died, he and Agnes
went to Russia together, and from there
to China, and she was proud of his
prosperity, and he was full of interest in
everything, and never failed in his tender
affection for her, and the good times he
had she shared with him.
Of Barney Jerome there came no news
at all, and it is probable, had Agnes sue
ceeded in leaving this world when she
meant to do so, she might have found
him already arrived in the other. So
it was well she staid here and had some
Of the peace and happiness the earth can
give, and was rid of im.-Raper's
Bazar.