The Colfax chronicle., 1892-01-09

his mowin' '-machine, an stopped to
have a little chat about crops an
church matters / s'pose we'd been
talkin' s much as twenty minutes
when Eli says: Too bad bout Clorin-
dy.' Il forgot to tell you. Elviry, that l
hadn't seen her on the ridge the night |
before, although Jabe waited for her
some time; an I'd been kind o. worry
in ever sence.) So when he said that,
of course was all alive to know what
was the matter. Well, men are Gurus
bein's'," and Mrs Stetson laid down
her knitting while she looked absently
at the old buff cat, who had crept back
on the porch, and was now playing
with her ball OF yarn in the most bare
faced manner There's Eli; you know
he's deacon, an can pray in meetin'
most as well as the minister, an
knows the Bible an the Farmers Al
manac through and through; then. he's
got a good head for business. too, and
can drive as sharp bargain down to
the store as anybody; but he could
MT give me the least idee of what was
the matter with Clorindy. Men don't
seem to have any carryin' power in
their heads about sickness an such
things; although knew Elrd heard all
the particulars from his wife. First.
he said she'd got 'chills all over. an
they couldn't get her warm nohow, an
then, the next minute, that she was
'burnin' up with fever;' an he contra
disted himself twice, about sore throat
/ tried to pin him down to somethin',
but 'twa'n't no use. Finally, he got all
muddled, an commenced scratchin' his
head, an tryin' to make out he reck-
oned twas the measles When Eli
commences scratchin' his mead, you
NAV know there isn't any use talkin' to
him any longer; so, IS soon's I'D done
shellin' my peas, put my hat on an
went over to Clorindy's-
There lay Clorindy on the bed
loo,sin' SO pale and sick, just as If she
was all tuckered out, an want never
goin' to get up again. Her mother set
at her side with campfire bottle in
one hand an vinegar bottle in the
other; which she was applyin' to Clor-
indy's nose promisc'ous. l declare, IT
Just went to my heart to see her a.
doin' that, an not smell o. boneset
tea in the house, when anybody who
knows the least about sickness knows
boneset's the thing to give, no matter
what's the trouble" Here Mrs Stet.
son twitched the stocking and then
looked pityingly at it, as though she
had Clorindy's mother before her. 81
didn't say nothin', but I'd taken the
precaution to bring a small basket OF
medicines with me, an can tell You,
it didn't take me long to whip out that
boneser an go into the kitchen an
; make good, strong cup o. tea which
I give to Clorindy immediate. Then
set down and inquired what was thu
!, matter"
"Well, it does take you to know how
to do things" said Miss Elvira, admir-
ingly.
81 do calc'late to know somethin
about Sickness" answered Mrs. Stet
son, placidly. ''Clorindy's mother sai'
the best she could express it was to say
that Clorindy seemed to go all to piece
the mornin' before. Those were he
very words, all to pieces So sh'
Just KEEP her bed; but when it cam'
time to 90 to meet Jabe, as usual, sh
tried to struggle up, an seemed awfu
disappointed when she found she wa
so weak she couldn't stir. So sh
! turned her face toward the west win
1 dow, an lay there with that wistfu
expression on her face she's had s
much lately. She was lynn there jus
. the same when first see her but sh
turned her eyes on me once when eu
tered with such a longin', questionin
e look. l knew what it meant; so.
9 soon's / had chance, drew he
mother into the closet, an says
q Hasn't he been here?' An she onl,
d shook her head and swallowed hard.
"Well, we did everything we coul
! for Clorindy. l don't knows we left
single stone upturned, workin' over he
all the time. We tried a-sweatin' hel
: an soakin' her feet in mustard water
g an lots of other things; but nothiI
t seemed to do any good. think sh
o grew weaker, If anythin', an finall
e begged to be just let alone. So W
!. tidied her up. an fixed her as comfort;
: BILE as we could, propped up on pillows
4 SOS she could catch a glimpse o. th
n ridge when the wind blew the branche
/ apart Then her mother an me q
}! still, for there want tnothin' more to d.
s $50 the time went by; but when
a came toward sunset, we both notice
9 how big her eyes were CROWN, al
o now an then q tear'd run down he
u cheek. 1 was watchin' her prett
= close, thiukin' any moment she migf
E faint away. when seen her lean TO
,, ward little, an the mex thing
y knew, Jabe had bust into the room
u wavin' a paint-brush, an callin' ou
oh, Clorindy! the pig all finishes
X an the barns painted beautiful red
!: His clothes was all covered with pain
" but he went right down side O Il
st bed. an put his arms clean rour
le Clorindy, an they both cried like tw
n children. Then he sat an held h,
L. Al los1 1>c<