The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-07-15

No answering voice greeted her, but
cropping to the mantel she lighted lamp.
Then turning to examine the room, she
saw her mother sitting i'll her accustomed
chair by the window.
"Why!" Celia began, half relieved
half provoked; and then the question
which was to follow died on her lips, fer
it became apparent that, though death
did not yet confront her, she was looking
upon its strange similitude, paralysis.
Her mothers whole body was rigid
and motionless. The poor hands, quieted
forever, hung down besideit. The tongue,
whose irrelevancy had SO often wearied
poor, practical Celia, was now forever
stilIed.
For what seemed an hour, though in
reality it was hardly more than a mo.
ment. Celia stood almost as motionless
then, running down the road to their
nearest neighbor, she brought her back,
pitying and exclaiming as she came.
Together they lifted the limp figure to
the lounge, upon which they wheeled
Mrs Bonner to the bed in the room Oft
the sitting room.
Only when they laid her there did Celia,
bending above her In agonized appeal,
discover that the eyes alone were instinct
with life. They looked up to Celia with
pitiful intelligence, seeming to respond
to her cry.
Then wandering through the door in
their gaze, they fixed themselves on Mrs.
Denny with total change Of expression.
Celia turned around in startled sur
| prise, to discover that the kindly neigh.
Dor, with the instinct Of a housekeeper,
was "tidying up" the sitting room, and,
as part of the effort, was now examining
an envelope. Celia remembered that she
had seen this lying on the floor beside hex
mothers chair, but she had been too
sadly lacking in curiosity to examine it.
"What is 1t, Mrs. Denny?" she now
asked. Then she covered her face with
her hands, as Mrs. Denny replied:
"For mercy's sake! The poor thing! If
it isn't one of those lottery lists. Now
that's what's given her this stroke, sup.
pose. She's been disappointed again, and
she set SO much store by it. Shall burn
it, Cellar"
"Yes," Celia answered, with sorrow.
full energy: and then corrected herself,
as the haunting eyes on the pillow caught
hers with a sudden fierce protest.
"No. Mrs. Denny. She doesn't want it
burned, think. Put it in the top left
hand drawerSof the secretary, please.
Soon after, and all through the days
which interviewed before the end came,
that mournfnl gaze concentrated itself
most of all ON the old family bible which
rested on stand in the corner of the
room where she lay, and this, too, Celia
interpreted.
"She wants me to read the bible to
her. Oh, poor motherl you know now,
don't you, that your truest riches are in
that?"
So hour after hour, during the few
short weeks in which her mother fingered
on, the daughter read and reread tho
promises which relate to eternal life.
Sometimes peace fell like veil upon the
dim windows of that fast darkening tab:
ernacle. and again such restless entreatY
looked out from them that Mrs Denny
interrupted the reading;
"Celia, she's got something ON her mind
that we don't know of yet 1t seems
sometimes as though her eyes would
pierce through the bible as you sit there
reading, and when you amt at it she's
still staring at it,"
But always Celia's reply was the same
"It's only that she's growing more eager
for it all the time. 1t seems the greatest
comfort have that she loves it so. Yes,
mother, I'll read more"
The final summons came very quietly
at the last. Celia, going away for amuch
needed nap, had smiled down upon her,
saying:
"Goodby, mother! I'm going to lie
you, mother dear!"
The poor, pathetic eyes had seemed al.
most to smile in return, but when Celia
woke from her nap they were closed in
their last slumber. Whatever was the
secret they had yearned to disclose all
opportunity was now forever gone by,
Two days later they laid Mrs. Bonne,
in the family burying ground at the back
of the little farm, and Celia returned to
her teaching with new tombstone as the
immediate object of her ambition.
The blinds were closed in the old house
and the doors locked up, and for the
present Celia engaged board in Gates
borough.
The weeks wore on until the winter
term was nearly over. Then Celia's
brother Joe wrote from Colorado, beg
ging her to join him there. He was
well, and was lonely. Why should moi
Celia let or sell the old place, and come
out to this new country, which was SC
much fairer than that bleak little corne,
OF Maine2
Celia loved Maine with the deep rooted
attachment often noticeable in plants
which flourish on rocky soil. 1t was
home to her, and she was essentially
home loving: but it had been a very
dreary home of late, and she missed the
poor, weak mother, sorely grieving fol
her with that admixture of remorse te
which all strong natures are subject.
The little house under the hill could
never be the same to her again. Whethe,
there or in Gatesborough, her living wa.
but scanty at best, and most of all she
longed to be with dear old Joe.
Almost as soon as the wish was ex
pressed tenant was found for the house
whereupon Celia with Mrs. Denny's helr
began the task OF clearing away and
putting things in order.
1 M. nannw neFnmoA -