Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-12-01

night before to burst It's ceremcnts and
wander forth in the darkness, had been
belatcd IN returning, and was now per
picked to find its coffin house again.
Curious TO know what was the
woman's employment, Iundid the simple
fastenings Of the gate, and walked over
the rank, wet grass toward her. AS
cams near I recognized her as an old, a
very old inmate Of the poorhouse at
Delarer. Stopping moment, while i
was yet several yards from her, and be-
fore she saw me, tried to call to recol-
lection certain particulars of her history,
which / had heard great while past.
She was a native OF one of the West
India Islands, and, before l, who gazcd
at her, was born, had with her husband
come hither to settle and gain liveli-
hood. They were poor; most miserably
poor. Country people, have noticed.
seldom like foreigners. So this man and
his wife, in all probability, met much to
discourage them. They kept up their
spirits, however, until at last their for
tunes became desperate. Famine and
want laid iron fingers upon them. They
had no acquaintances, and to beg they
were asian ed. Both were taken i'll;
then the charity that had been so slack
came to their destitute abode, but came
too late. Delarer died, the victim of
poverty. The woman recovered after
awhile, but for many months was quite
aninvalid, and was sent to the almshouse,
where she had ever since remained.
This was the story of the aged creature
before me; aged with the weight of sew
enty winters. / walked up to her. BY
her feet stood large, rude basket, in
which beheld leaves and buds. The
two graves which had seen he passing
between SO often were covered with flow
ers-the earliest, but sweetest flowers of
the season. They were fresh and wet and
very fragrant--those delicate soul offer
ings. And this, then, was her employ
ment. Strange! Flowers, frail and pass
ing, grasped by the hand of age, and
scattered upon the tomb White hairs,
and pale blossoms, and stone tablets of
death!
"Good morning, madam" said /,
quietly.
The withercd female turned her eyes to
mine and acknowledged my greeting in
the same spirit wherewith it was given.
"May / ask whose graves they are that
you remember so kindly"
She looked up again, probably catching
from my manner that spoke in no spirit
of rude inquisitiveness, and answered:
''My husbands"
A manifestation OF fanciful taste,
thought |, this tomb-ornamenting which
she probably brought with her from
abroad. OF course, but one OF the graves
could be her husbands, and one, likely,
was that of n child who had died and
been laid away by its father.
"Whose elsel" asked.
MY husbands replied the aged
widow.
Poor creature! her faculties were be-
coming dim. No doubt her sorrows and
her length in life had worn both mind
and body nearly to the parting.
eyes, l know continued /, mildly,
"but there are two graves. One is your
husbands, and the other is"
/ paused for her to fill the blank.
She looked at me minute, as if in
wonder at my perverseness, and then
answered as before: "My husbands.
None but my Gilbert's."
"And is Gilbert buried in both!" said /.
She appeared as if going to answer,
but stopped again and did not. Though
my curiosity was now somewhat excited,
l forebore to question her further, feel
ing that it might be to her painful sub
ject. was wrong, however. She had
been rather agitated at my intrusion, and
her powers fiickered for a moment. They
were soon steady again, and perhaps
gratitied with my interest in her affairs,
she gave me in few brief sentences the
solution of the mystery. When her hus-
bands death occurred she was herself
confined to n sick bed which she did not
leave for long while after he was buried.
Still longer days passed before she had
permission, or even strength, to go into
the open air. When she did, her first
efforts were essayed to reach Gilbert's
grave. What pang sunk to her heart
when she found it could not be pointed
out to her! With the careless indiffer-
ence which is shown to the corpses of
outcasts, poor Delarer had been thrown
into hastily dug hole, without anyone
noting, or noticing it, or remembering
which ii was.
Subsequently. several other paupers
were buried in the same spot, and the |
sexton could only show two graves to
the disconsolate woman and tell her that |
her husband was positively one of the
twain During the latter stage of her |
recovery she had looked forward to the |
consolation of coming to his tomb as to
a shrine, and wiping her tears there; and
it was bitter that such could not be. The
miserable widow even attempted to OBJ
tain the consent of the proper function
aries that the graves might be opened,
and her anxieties put at rest! When
told that this could not be done, she de-
termined in her soul that at least the
remnant of her hopes and intentions
should not be given up.
Every Sunday morning, in the mild
season, she went forth carly and gathered
fresh flowers and dressed both the graves
So she knew that the right one was
cared for, even if another shared that
care. And lest she should possibly be-
stow the most of their testimony of love
on him she knew not, but whose spirit
might be looking down invisible in the
air and smiling upon her, she was very
careful to have each tomb adorned in
an exactly similar manner. In strange
land and among strange race, 1t was
like communion with her own people to
visit that burial mound.
'If / conld only know which to bend
over when my heart feels heavy" thus
finished the sorrowing being as she rose
to depart; "then it would be happi-
ness. But, perhaps, l am blind to my
dearest mercies. God in His great wis
dom ,uav hovo moo nj that I ahould not |