The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-04-03
Graves That Never Closed.
AN OLD woMAN's AWAKENING AFTER
NURSING SWEET DELUsION FOR
HALF CENTURY

quavcing, feeble voice of some aged
person rose i'm the dear old hymn of
'Bculah.
THAT said my friend, "is old
Mrs. Martin. | give her my mend
ing to do, and that, with what few
other ladies give her, is her means
of livelihood. Poor old creature
Her fingers are SO stiff and gnarled
with rheumatism that she can scarce
ly hold the needle, but she's too
proud 10 take money without giving
some equivalent"
The trembling old voice went on
withitspathctic music In the sing
ing of the old there is always some
thing So sweet and mournful. 1t is
like touching softly the yellow keys
of AN old, long untuncd spinet, set
aside as old-lashioned and super
seeded 10y other. grandcr instruments,
which, though out of tune and jan
glcd, viii yet respond with music
sad and touchinr, in which the
ghosts Of forgotten melodies and
long gone happy days rise and speak
once more
In IL little while II timid knock was
heard at the door of the room in
which we were sitting, and, i'll an
swcr TO my friends bidding, little
old woman entered. She was plainly
but neatly attircd in dark gingham,
with her white hair banded back un-
der II sunbOnnct. Her face was sin
gularly smooth for one of her age,
and her eyes bright with II somewhat
peculiar expression.
IL have finished my work" she
said, and | must go home to the
children.
My friend, rs she paid her, re-
marked: 1T is growing SO late,
Mrs. Martin, that you'd better stay
all night. Shall | have Il bed made
for you =
"Oh, no; oh, no :" answered the
old lady quickly. II must go home
to the children. I couldn't leave the
children all night" And she hurried
away as if almost afraid of being
forcibly detained
There was something in the way
in which she spoke of the children
that aroused my curiosity. They
cant be hers" | said.
'AIy dear, there are no children"
was the answer "They have been
dead nearly fifty years. She had
three, and her whole heart was bound
up in them. Her marriage had prov.
ed great disappointment, her hus-
band being drunken wretch, who
beat and misuscd her cruelty, SO
these children, they tell me, were
her sole consolation and object i'll
life. And they all died III one week
of diphthcria If her mind had not
given way it would have broken her
heart, but she never could realize
that they were dead. They are as
much alive to hcrto-day rs ever, and
always children still
A few evenings after my friend
called on me.
Put on yowr hat" she said, "and
we will go and see old Mrs. Martin.
You'll understand better then about
her dclusion."
Ina tiny house of couple of
rooms we found her, and, stepping
softly up to the door, heard II voice
within talking cheerily.
Yes, you've been good children
today, and | have some nice buns
for your suppers. Did you miss
me much, dear, ?'
We knocked then. and the talking
ceased.
The old lady came to the door and
badc us welcome, adding:
"I'vc just given the children then
suppers and gotten them to bed
On IA table in the centre of the
room were four plates, III each o
which lay small piece of swee
bread, with Il tiny cup of milk be
side it,
Children will waste so,' said tn,
poor old creature. "I'll just en-
what they have left, Just to keel
from throwing it away
She did this with an assumption
OF carelessness, yet with hunge
that told us it was her own supper,
Would you like to see the chi
dren p she asked me, tidying II
the room. / said yes. So she lie
us into the back room. A comfol
table child's bed and II smaller cri
set side by side, while hard &C
was evidently her own couch. M'
tioning us to make no noise, sh
.crept softly up to the little empt
bed