Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-09-19

quill, and the soft brown eyes were
peculiarly benignant His linen was
spotlessly clean, but the dressing gown
in which he was enveloped was well
patched and darned, and the cloth slip
pers also showed signs oi Iannah's deft
mending But he wore gold watch
and chain, and his handkerchief was
white and dainty. His beard and hair
were well trimmed, and though one hand
was practically helpless the nails were
attended to with scrupulous care. Not
one Of the gentlemaplike habits of his
better days had been neglected. He had
never been a slovenly bookworm. and
the habits of order and personal purity
were deeply ingrained. Even his writ
ing table and books showed the refined
neatness of cultivated woman. and
pink hyacinth in its glass added bit of
color as it stood there expanding in the
CLEAN of sunshine Hannah laid aside
newspapers and put the luncheon tray
before him with a certain air of defer
ence, as il it were her pride and privilege
to serve the old man
~ never did see anything so cute as
that there robin" said she. calling up a
smile to her brown face that made it at
tractive. "Its that same sly old bird
that gets here first every year before
any of the others come along and always
sings before your window | don't be-
lieve there's another spring bird in town;
but your old friend has found you out
and is giving you concert almost be-
fore the first dandelion has popped above
ground"
"l give the fellow my dinner crumbs
said the old man, "and he knows where
he is likely to get fed; that's the reason
he comes sneaking round here with his
CHEEKY little twitter You know, Han
nah, some wise man has said there are
only two great passions in nature-love
and hunger-and birds can feel them
Just as we do"
"Wal, didn't know he come from
selfish motive" said Hannah. who had
begun to freshen the FIRE in the stove; "a
thought it did him good to get round
into your sunshine, as it does most
folks"
All the fine wrinkles in the old mans
face filled with light and his eyes glowed
softly, He loved little fattery from
Hannah because she never fattered any
one else, and the delicacy of her praise
and affection, considering their pc
culiar relations, made the old man
think better of human nature, though
he was never inclined to think very i'll of
it in spite of all his losses and crosses.
He philosophical on most things not Bit
terly, but in the spirit of Montaigue or
Charles Lamb, with mildly sarcastic
smile on his lips and soft relentings in his
soul
Hannah" said he, turning about Gs
far as his useless. paralyzed neck would
let him, do you ever have days, especi-
ally in the spring, when the thoughts go
on simmering in your brain until you
feel as if you must write them DOWN.
mo. don't" said she curtly; but
there are times when the same dull
thoughts go grindin round and round in
my head until feel as if | must go out
in the lot and scream bloody murder
But amt no hand at writin'; didn't
even learn to spell when was little, and
I'd rather do o days washin' than get up
a letter.
"But when you have read something
Hannah, that sets your mind to work"
"Oh, amt no hand to read, Mr..
Rand, and never was. had only poor
chances and no schoolin' to speak of
I'm often shamed by Dick and Sybil be-
cause they know things | can't no way
get into my head. Why, Id rather clean
house week than study over them big
black books of yours an hour, couldn't
make out the meanin of the long words
no way, can read the Bible sometimes
when I'm tired. Not that understand
it all. but the old book opens of itself to
some of the most soothin' of the Psalms
or to the Sermon on the Mount, and !
don't think what the words mean. Com
fort flows into all my bones, and my heart
is eased of its load and feel rested and
refreshed. But I've got the poorest head
TO understand book learnin, and can't
even read them novels Sybil brings
home from the library. They'se all
stuff and nonsense. What's the use
of maxim up stories out of your
head that amt true and never
could have happened, when there
are things the most wonderful, unac-
countable. strange, sad, joyful and tragi-
cal happening all the time right around
us-things that if they were written
down in book would never be believed
because they are SO much beyond any
thing them fiddle faddle novel writers
can think up. It's my novel to watch
folks and see how they live and die, lie
and steal, and overreach and are over
reached; to see how mean they are and
how generous, to see how goodness
breaks out like the sun and wicl;edness
comes to light unbeknown. My book is
the folks right round, their sayings and
doings, love and hate and queerness and
tears and laughter. | wish | could get
some of the other kind of learnin' in my
head, but can't. and I'm near distracted
when try to help Dick at night with
his sums and find my brain go buzzing
and humming as if a swarm of bees had
just lit down in it."