The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-24

and everything around me, when I came to
my travels end, | refused to partake of the
comfortable supper which my landlady had
prepared for me, and reioining to the good
woman's look of wonder at such an unwon-
ted event, and her kind inquiries about my
health. with a sullen silence, / took my
lamp and went to my room. Tired and
head ~throb5ing, in less than half u score of
minutes after I threw myself o n my bed, /
was stepped in the souudest slumber.
When / awoks every vein and nerve felt
fresh and free. Soreness and irritation had
been swept away, as it were. with the our
tains Of the night, and the accustomed tone
had returned again. l arose and threw
open my window. Delicious! 1t was q
calm. bright, Sabbath morinR in May. The
GRANGE of the apple blossoms which covered
the trees fioated up to me; and tho notes Of
a hundred birds discoursed music to my
ear. BY the rays just shooting up in the
eastern verge l knew that the sun would be
risen in a moment. l hastily dressed my
self, performed my additions and sailed
forth to tax a morning walk.
Sweet. yet sleepy scenel No one seemed
stirring. The placid influence of the day
was even now spread around, quoting
everything and hallowing everything. I
sauntered slowly onward. with my hands
edge of a hill, on the rising elevation, ON
top of which was a burial ground. On
my left, through an opening in the trees, l
could see at some distance the ripple of our
beautiful bay; on my right was the large
and ancient field for the dead. l stopped
and leaned my back against the fence, with
my face turned toward the white marble
stones a few rods before me. All / saw was
far from new to me; and yet / pondered
upon it.
The entrance to that place of tombs was
q kind OF arch-a rough-hewn, but no doubt
n Ip ri ~ n rs .Ahtk kL-A 40
stood winter and summer over the gate
there, for many. many years. o fearful
arch! if there were for thee a voice to utter
what has passed beneath and near thee; if
the secrets of the earthly dwelling that to
thee are known could be by thee disclosed,
whose ear might listen to the appalling
story and Its possessor not go mac with
terror!
Thus. thought L; and strangely enough,
such Imagining marred not in the least the
sunny brightness which spread alike over
my mind and over the Landscape. Inyol-
unfairly, as | unused, my look was cast to
the top of the hill. l saw a figuring coming,
Could some one beside myself be out SO
early, and among the tombs? What crea-
ture old enough in fancy to fnd pleasure
there, and Mt such a time? Continuing my
gaze saw that the figure was n woman.
She seemed to move with a slow and feeble
step passing and repesslng constantly
between two and the came graves,
which were within half a rod of each
other. She would bend down and
appear to busy herself a few moments with
the one. and then she would rise and 90 to
self as at the first. Then to the former
one, and then to the second. occasionally
she nCure would pause a moment and stand
back q little and look steadfastly down
upon the graves, a If to see whether her
work were done well. Thrice l saw
mar wAlH NTH
stand midway between the two and
look alternately at eacn. Then she
would go to one and arrange something and
come back to the midway place and
gaze first on the right and then on the left.
as before. The figure evidently had some
trouble IN shifting things to her mind.
When stood l could hear no noise of her
footfalls; nor could l Hes accurately enough
TO tell what che was doing. Had a Super
stitious man heheld the spectacle he would
possibly, have thought that some spirit of
the dead. allowed the night before TO burst
It's and wander forth in tho
darkness, had been belated in returning.
and was now reGplexed to find its coffin
house again.
Curious to know what wap the woman's
employment. l undid the simple fastenincs
of the gate, and walked over the rank wat
grass coward her. AS | came near | reoog-
nized her for an old. a very old inmate of
the ~poorhouse, named Delarer. Stopping n
moment, while was yet several Yards flom
her, and before she saw me. | tried to call
to recollection certain particulars of her
history which I had heard a great while
past. She WAS a native of one of the West
India islands, and, before ], who gazed ut
her, WAS bonn, had with her husband come
hlther to settle and gain a livelihood. They
were poor; most miserably poor. Country
people. l have noticed, seldom like for
eiRners. 10 this man and his wife, in all
probability, met much to discourage them.
They kept up their spirits. however, until
at last their fortunes became desperate,
Famine and want laid iron fingers upon
them. They had no a~cquaintaIcss; and to
beg they were ashamed. Both were taken
i'll; then the charity that had been so slack
camo to their destitute abode. but came too
date. Delarer died, the victim of poverty.
lie woman recovered. after awhile. but for