The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-04-30

with low gasping sob, she ran IRON
the room, and crept into n little unused
bed at the end of the entry. She buried
her face in the hard, flock pillow, and
stuffed the corners into her ears to shut
out Patience's moaning.
"Oh, I'm such bad, wicked grill If
God let's Patience live, will give her
every single thing of mine to keep for
ever n'ever!n
She heard Cryrus drive into the yard,
and in a few moments DR.. Pettibone came
upstairs, stepping softly as doctors Will
the world over. Christina Newcomer
came out to light him. Her taxen braids
wer, rumpled, and her big blue eyes
were stolid and sleepy.
"She will be out of her hett all to
whole time. In te faderland tey most
alwiss ties ven tey vlll be out of teir
hett So"
This bit of medical information did
not impress the doctor as profoundly as
Christina evidently expected. He went
into the sick ON without answering,
and closed the door softly. Edna had
raised her head to watch him, and now
mufiled it in the pillow again. She was
sobbing when the girl came out again on
some hasty errand.
"Christinan gasped Edna.
"Ach, Himmel! wat is das?'
Don't be frightened. 1t is Edna.
Does DIR. Pettibone think Patience will
die?" -
"He holts his tongue close mitt
his hett, and he amt say Won wort since
he will be in the house"
She hurried on, and Edna's tears fell
fast.
so, dear God, let Patience get well
Give me a chance to make it up to her,
she prayed, under her breath. She tried
to keep awake till the doctor should
come out, but he evidently intended to
stay all night. Once or twice she crept
to the door, only to fly shuddering back
as she heard her little sisters plaintive
cries and means. About daylight her
grandmother stood by her bedside trying
to waken her.
edna, do you know where Patience
put her little bedstead yesterday She is
begging for it, and it can't be found
anywhere"
Then Edua's cup of bitterness was
Overflowing. I'm not fit to live, grand
ma. Cyrus ought to take me to Jail this
very day. / took the bedstead down into
the woodshed last night-and-brOke 1t
all up"
Grandma's look was like the avenging
angels. She gave the one look-no
mOre-and said never word but left the
wretched Edna to the pangs of her own
remorseful thoughts.
The bright October sun was high and
Patience was better, so that the doctor
had gone to see other patients. The
family had taken turns at a hasty meal,
but no one had seen Edna. Grandma
l,a ,a1,I N1,n lantlu - har ipnnirU
and had dispatched Cyrus to her son
JOtham that he might make another bed
stead with all speed.
''She's likely gone to some of the
neighbors, Louisa. wouldn't worry
mite. She's ashamed to look any of us
in the face, and well she may be. But
Patience shall have another bedstead if
Jotham has to stop gathering pumpkins
to make it,
Mrs. Sanford wiped her eyes and laid a
fresh wet cloth on her little daughters
temples.
"There's jealous streak in Edna from
the BOdine side of the house." said she
in a low tone. "Seem's if | could never
get it rightly rooted out of her. Like
enough she's gone to Pixies on Stony
| hill They make of her considerable"
She smoOthed Patience's pillow, rs the
little sufferer tossed from side to side,
and her hand touched n paper that
cracked She drew it out, and faint
smile fickered over her face as she
read it.
"Mother-look here!" The old lady
adjusted her spetaclos, and took the
paper from her daughters hand This
is what she read:
"This is mi Will.n
mi he'd axes offul an CESS i'm ago
ing to di, so i'm a-going to max my
vii. Wat folks put in ther Wills has
to be dun, an so want edna to have mi
litel blew bedstid that gra' ma brot me.
| want her to have it fer shure and trew,
and so ths mi will"
Youres respeklly,
PATIENCE SANFORD.
Grandmother Warner took off her
spectacleS o'wipe away the tears.
"The blessed deaTy lamb That
child is too good to live, Louisa, but
hope the L rd will see fit to spare her
this time"
Mrs. Sanford folded the grimy little
paper, and kissed it fondly as she laid il
away. Her heart was too full for speak
ing, but she thought "HOw pleased heI
f,ther would have been. o, may God il
his mercy spare my baby
As Cyrus drove in just at dusk, will
little new bedstead as carefully WRAPPED
rs if made of gold, forloTn little figur'
crept in after him carrying large bun
, die also carefully wrapped. She wa
fearful and foot-sOre and dirty and hun
CRY, but above all, l,repentant and anxious
"Cyrus, oh, Cyrus, is Patience dead|
she cried with breaking sob.
Cyrus turned and looked at her
:. smoothing his sandy whiskers with hi
! big freckled hand, while he held Brow
i Peg with the other.
: "Well, you do look like an all-killin
witch's baby and no mistake" he SAT-
= to himself, but his audible answer wa
!, mot as | knows on"
q Edna flew past the Fiery Chariot int
i the house, fOrgetful of her aching fee
= and her hunger, laid her bundle Ol
the table and her head in her mother
y lap.
t'I walked c-c-clear to Riverside an
/, back-and | tried at every store to get
y b-b-blue bedstead-but [ couldn' tam
" | traded my gold beads for a big wa
!, doll with real hair and eyes that ope
- and shut-for Patience-and it was S
u dreadfully heavy-and | thought woul
. never get homeland oh, will PatienC
II ever forgive me?"
"Your little sister is out of danger,
q said Mrs. Sanford, wiping the teal
y stained face and smoothed the rougl
4 ened hair, land we are all too thankfl
q to scold you. Come now and eat yor
,r ii don't deserve anything but di
!, bread" said Edna, humbly.
!, But, as MIS-. Sanford had imbibe
~ modern ideas on physiological punisl
. ments, Edna had something better this
ii dry bread.
re- re- Many days after, when Patience wi
~ fast regaining her strength, Edna mac
le her confession and was forgiven, and Il
new little blue bedstead was now thir
,r of beauty and a joy forever.-SundC
T. Republican.
nj Fortunate Father aud SOU.
er 81 am as certain as now live," sa
C. C.. Z. Bartholomew, of Kalkaska, Micl
= .