Middletown transcript., 1892-07-14

he's gittin old and peevish.''
Mother" said he, drawing away
from her, and sinking on a bench at
the table, "I'm glad you an the
Lord has helped me long so fur, and
to git home agin. They amt been q
night sence left that I hain't seed
this here cabin an them mountains in
my mind, an I've actually counted
the hours and days /; seemed like they
just drug along.
"I've been so anxious to git back, I"
he went on. that | hain't fur a mint
thought O. findin' trouble, but it's
here, an mother, it's wuss than ever.
When l got off'n the train at Elijay,
/ seed passle o boys from this set
tlement that had gone over there to
sell corn. They all knawed me and
turned away as eff they wuz afeard O.
me, and begun to whisper with one
another as if they tux me for some
wild creetur. l couldn't 60 up an
speak to 'em, SO l come on by myss'f."
Mrs. Loyd's throat was SO clogged
that she could not speak. She turned
her face aside and stroked his short
hair excitedly.
They're wuss'n beasts" she gulp-
ed, presently. "This is big camp
ground deestrict, an the amt q body
in it ready to help poor sole back to
the mercy seat"
The boys father never spoke to him
save to hurl reproaches at him for
bringing disgrace upon his family.
Fred's old friends refused to work in
the same field with him. Hearing Of
this, Mrs. Lloyd went to the men and
begged them to treat her son differ
emily, but quite in vain.
To be alone, Fred obtained a con-
tract to fell quantity of timber on
the mountain. Early each morning
with his axe on his shoulder, he would
climb up to his place of work and toll
there alone all day, much more con-
tent than he would have bsen among
his unforgiving associates of the past.
Quite often his mother found some
pretext to go to him in bis solitude.
He understood why she came.
I'm needin' some rich light
wood, Freddy" she said once, as she
climbed up the steep mountain-side,
and stood painting from exertion.
When you see some like that big
dead pine thar, you mought split 'em;
the heart o, that un is as far as pitch,
an 'ud make sputterin' blaze. You
can fetch the nag an wagon an haul
it home. I got through my churnin'
an | felt sorter lonely in the cabin,
fur your pap's gone to mill. An l
lowed I'd like to git up here an look
around. Thar's somethin' in the sight
frum here that al'ays makes me feel
thankful to the Lord. Just look how
blue the land an hills look off to'ds
the west"
One day, few months after his
return from prison, Mrs. Lloyd and
her husband were in the cabin. She
had been waiting anxiously for Fred's
step on the walk, for the sun had
gone down and he had not come back.
Presently she heard the rumbling Of
wheels, and Colonel Winbridge's car
riage rolled up to the door.
81 have bad news for you, he said.
+" Fred has met with serious accident.
I have brought him home.'
Inside the carriage lay the poor boy,
bleeding at the mouth. With his
mothers aid he climbed from the car
riage and entered the cabin, but could
not speak.
"If it hadn't been for him Mrs.
Loyd," said the colonel. with feeling,
Z" I should have been dashed to pieces,
and the driver, too. We were driving
along the cliff road, when the horses
became frightened. They were back
ing us over the edge of the cliff when
Free, who was near by ran and plac.
ed himself at a wheel, and stopped
the carriage by main force. It was
the strain that injured him; he has
broken some blood-vessel, I am
afraid. "
The colonel hurried away to call
the doctor and get some things for the
boys comfort. Fred was left alone
with his mother for Lloyd had skunk
away to the stable yard. unable to
bear the sight Of his wife's grief and
his sons suffering. Fred coughed
violently and opened bis eyes. The
pale woman whose very heart cord,
were cold with fear, wiped the blood
from her child's lips while her own
were set with pain.
"Lie back, honey. The doctor'll
git here tsrrectly with some medicine, ,
with some medicine" she said, with
trembling tenderness.
He can't git here in time to dc
me any good, mother. I'm a dyin'.'
said Fred.
When the nsighbors began to come
in to offer their help, they beheld Q
fearless woman standing erect over