Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-07-12
LOSING HER HOLD.

hill homeward The path was narrow; thu
dominic walked first. He made remarf
at long intervals to his wife behind MIN
but without looking back.
Squire wasn't out. Reckon his lum
bago's worsei'
; likely"
The doctor had his little grandchild
with him. | suppose his daughter has
come for the summer7'
Il reckon she ha>.'
There was long silence after that,
broken only by the buzz of the bees in the
red clover and the ck'k-k of the grasshop-
pers through the hot grass. The old man
stopped as he always did ON Sunday, to see
how much the corn in the lower field had
grown during the week, and to gaze med
itatively at the pigs in their pen. But Mrs.
! Holmes had no thought to-day ior the pigs
or corn. She walked with her head bent
on her breast, almost forgetting to hold mp
the skirt of her Sunday merino out OF the
| grass There had been a strange preacher
that day-an old man with quick, sharp
tone like the call of a horn TO wandering
sheep-very different from Father Lang
ley's prolonged, drowsy hum. One or two
of his sentences rang in Ann Holmes ear.
"eWhile you live, live, You wrap your
selves in selfshnesS and fat content as IN
| grave-cothes before you are dead. The
world is full of your brothers, starving,
cold. ignorant Go to them. You owe
them your services to the last breath OF
your life."
Mrs. Holmes had asked the doctors wife
anxiously what she thought of the sermon
as they came out of the churchyard.
Mrs. Perry shook her head contemptu-
ously.
Hes one of these half cracked, sensa-
ton preachers. What has Amity township
to do with the starving poor! We keep up
our almshouse well Let the big towns
see to their own paupers,'
Ann was comforted for the moment, but
she remained uneasy. That hint about the
grave-clothes seemed personal hit at her.
self Could The man know
She hurried past the scboolmaster when
they reached their own gate, going up the
spotless board walk with beds of geraniums
and roses on either side, to the side door.
She could not resist eomplacent glance at
those beds Not a weed; the brown earth
sifted fine and smooth. There was no such
garden in the village; no kitchen was 81
exquisitely neat, no parlor so speckless and
prim. Surely, her conscience told her, she
was a good Christian woman, fulfilling heI
duty. and had no cause for the wrench and
misery of soul which she felt just now.
She went up the stairs to her own cham
Der. laid off her bonnet carefully, and then
unlocked a drawer in the press. She did
not need to lift the white towels. She
knew perfectly well what was pinned up IL
them The undertaking of snowy linen
the worked hannels, the fine wooleI
shroud She had put in every stitch III
them Could the man ever have known
Every matron in Amity had her ''lunera
suit provided. 1t was II matter of pride Il
them, just as Mrs. B. in Boston would de
light in her old satsuma or her Corot. The
Amity people gloried in their new GENE
terry. The Holmeses had their lot like the
rest; a narrow one, for there were only TIVE
to be buried in it. Ann had her choices
roses set out there She had directed il
her will every detail of the trimming ol
her coffin.
She thrust her hand under the Shrou,
now and pulled ont a little bag of gol'
coin. They were the savings of years;pen
ME scrimped out of clothes, milk, meat
They were to pay for the handsome grant
monument Erected to the memory o
Daniel Holmes and Ann his wife
="While you live-live'
: She dropped the bag rs if some ON
spoke at her back, locked the drawer AM
! went down stairs
: The "picce" was spread as usual on Sun
day moons; faky bread, clover scented
honey, delicious pies. Ann, as she cut tn
pies, was comforted by sense of spiritua
well being No woman made such crus
in Amity. No woman was more faithfu
) at meeting, at Sunday school, at mission
ary society. In what had she come short
her starved soul demanded of Us maker
Every duty, great and small, had been wei
finished
: Mrs. Holmes was only fifty five years 0
: age, but she used to speak of herself a
near her grave. She twisted up her hal
in wisp, and wore the scuttle bonnet
proper to old age. The work of life, sh
said, was finished for her and Daniel. The,
had paid for the farm, so that when on
died the other was sure of Il maintenance
the farm and house were in perfect order
the cemetery lot was bought. The none
for the monument was kind of frillin
embroidery on this perfected life, the hand
some flourish to the signature which close
the deed.
As she sat pouring out the tea, thinkin
s these things over, hci husband "reckoned
again that the squire's lumbago was bat
and that the doctors daughter was q
home Then he yawned drearily, and fe
asleep in his chair in the sun.
How much of his time he spent in yawn
ing and sleeping! Yet thirty years ag
Daniel Holmes was an eager teacher, keel
ing well abreast with the knowledge an
ideas of his time, living in the world I
books, newspapers music and picture
She, too had been live woman theI
y But they had come out Of town into thi
village, and set themselves to scrape tc
gether money to buy this farm. What WI
this charge that had come to thcmi Ha
, they really been spinning their gray
clothes out of selfishnessi
Ann went to afternoon service; but 81
did not hear "A word of Father Langley
/ discourse. She was back in the town; loni
forgotten voices sounded in her ears TheT
was Dams brother Jack, poor fellow! 81
saw him plainly in the crowd. gay, a
fectionate lad, who might have turned ou
well if he had been guided! But he hG
) married "A feather. headed girl, and Ann Of
of patience had turned them both adrii
As they walked home that evening 81
;. said to the schoolmaster, "Iiow long is
N since we heard from John. Daniels"
o He did not reply at first, and wlicn !
did, it was with a strained, annoyed voic
Twenty six year"
- Il wish / and Abby could have hit it o
together am 'feard that it was not rigl
10 shove them off, with neither money NJ
J religion for staff.
Daniel made no reply, but Ann unde