Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-09-18

"WelL sir. nigh sixteen year went
by. an we two were sittin' one qualkin'
night beside this very fire. hearkenin'
TO the bedlam outside; for twas the
big storm in 10, an even indoors we
must shout to make ourselves heard.
About ten, as we were thinkin' TO
alley-couchey. there comes a bangin'
on the door. an Isaac gets up an let's
the bar down. singin' out, Who is itp"
There was big young man 'twixt
the door posts, drippin' wet, wi smears
o. blood on his face, an white teeth
shown when he talked. Twas a half
furrin talk. an he spoke bit faint.
too, but fairly grinned for JOY to see
our warm fire-an' his teeth were white
as pearl.
".Ah, sir, he cried, you will helpp
Our bark is ashore below-fifteen poor
brothers! You will send for help-you
will aidp'
Then Isaac stepped back and spoke
very slow. What nationp he asked.
She is Russ-sixtoen poor brothers
from Archangel,' said the young man
as soon as he took in the question.
My man slowed round on his heel aud
walked to the hearth here, but the
sailor stretched out his hands. an
saw the middle finger OF his right
hand was gone.
"You will aid. ehp All. yes you
will aid. They are clingin'-so--fif-
teen poor brothers, and many have
wives But Isaac said. Thank thee,
God and picked up log from the
hearth here. Take 'em this message,
said he facing round, an, runnin' on
the sailor, who was faint and swayin'
beat him forth wi the burnin' stick
and bolted the door upon him.
AFTER that we sat quiet he an I,
all the night through, never takin'
our clothes off. An at daybreak Isaac
walked down to the shore. There was
nothin' to see but two bodies, an he
buried them an waited for more.
That evenin' another came in, an next
day two. an so on for a se'nnight.
Ten bodies in all he picked up an
buried in the meadow below. An on
the fourth day he picked up a body
wi one finger missin' under the Mare
head. Twas the young man he had
driven forth, who had wandered there
and brake his necx. Isaac buried him,
too.
so it befell; an for five year. Meth
er Isaac nor me opened mouth pom it.
not to each other even. An then, one
MONDAY, q sailor knocks at the door
an, goin' out. | seed he was aturriner
| wi great white teeth shown dro' his
beard. Il be come to see Mister Isaac
Lenine, he says in his outlandish Eng
lish. SO / called Isaac out. an the
stranger grips 'en by the hand an
kisses ZEN saying: Little father. take
me to their grave. My name is Feodol
Himkoff. an my brother Dmirty was
among the crew of the Viatka- You
would know his body, il you buried it
| for the secopd finger was gone from
his right hand. / myself-wretchet
one!-chopped it by bad luck wher
we were boys an played at wood-chop
pin wi our fathers AK. / have heard
how they persisted far from aid, ant
how you gave them burial in your owl
field; and l pray to all the saints fol
you, he says.
so. Isaac led 'en to the field ant
showed 'en the grave that was stakeC
of long wi the rest. God help my
poor man! He was too big coward
to speak. So the man staid wi us til
shutdown an kissed us pom boil
cheeks, an went his way blessin' us
God forgi'e us-God forgi'e us!
''An' ever since he's been breaking
our hearts dro' the postoffice wi sucl
like precious balms as these are" Sh
broke off to settle Isaac more com
fortably in his chair. IT'S all W,
can do to get rid OF 'em on poo
tramplin' fellows same as yourself "
thoughts and Crosses.