Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-10
LYDDY'S TRIUMPH.

taught term OF district schOoi
in small country hamlet near Mt.
Desert two years ago.
The house in which went to board
was one of the most lonesome places
imaginable. A low. rambling farm
dwelling surrounded b. woods fields
and meadows. No other house was in
sight and the road in each direction
lost itself in dense growth of trees
A turn of the road quarter of mile
away brought one to the school house,
church half dozen dwellings and
the one store OF the place.
The family with which I boarded
consisted of Mr.. Enoch Blaire, an itin-
Grant preacher. with a fair education,
but an inherited dislike OF work; his
wife, NARY One of the host women l
over knew, thorough housewife.
with sound, practical common sense,
pur-, earnest love Of religion, which
she EXPRESSED In deeds more often
than words, and their son. Jem. II
years of age.
One evening. after had been a mem.
Der of the family several W eeks. and
the strained relations of schoolma' am
and boarding mistress had worn away.
Mrs. Blaire asked me to bring my
books into the kitchen and sit with
| her. Jem had gone to bed with a
toothache, and Enoch was at revival
meeting in the next district He
would not be home until very late and
| she was going to sit up for him.
I accepted the invitation gladly. for
the bright cheerful kitchen was my
delight-it was so spotlessly clean and
homelike. the pleasantest room in the
| house. A warm fire added to the
cheerfulness, for the fall nights had
grown chilly.
Mrs. Blaire' Ibid up her dishes,
brushed the floor. strained the milk.
while looked over the next days les
sons; then we drew our chairs nearer
the fire for one of the tall. 1 had
grown to enjoy go n =.
What c u ". about?" said
Mrs. Bla: ~ ;cked her knit
ting needle. ..:5i1n?"
This was her lavor.tc theme, and I
loved to hear her express her Baptist
views of life and death. So l led her
to talk, till at length looked at the
clock. 1t marked 1870.
'Where can Enoch be?" said Mrs.
Elaire. gathering up her work. "he
was never SO late before.''
She arose, went to the window and
pecred out into the intense darkness,
shivcred slightly, came back and
threw few more sticks on the fire.
We sat some time in silence watching
the sparks fly out through the hearth
of the cooking stove.
The old clock in the corner struck
the hour of II with slow, deliberate
strokes.
A sudden breeze sprang up anG
swung shutter to with a loud clatter.
Then all was fearfully still, wher
slowly and distinctly from the far dis
lance came low. musical sound.
Nearer and nearer it came louder
and louder it grew, until the whole
room was filled with the sweet melody
1t was singing. but singing such as
had never heard before. The word
were unintelligible but the sentimen
was of joy and happy rejoicing.
l sat spellbound until the swee
sounds faded away as they had come
l could not tell whether they wer
within or without overhead or unde
our feet. The melody was everywhere
1t gave me a strange. unexplainabl
feeling of awe. I turned to look a
Mrs. Blaire. Her face was ashen
The lines about her mouth were tight
ly drawn, and the nervous hand tina
grasped the back of her chair shool
visibly.
A feeling that I could not accoun
for of wishing to shut out the nigh
prompted me to draw the shades clos
over the black windows and com
closer to the warmth and glow of tn
fire. All this 1 observed and did be
fore l asked:
Did you hear anything Mrs. Blairep
Eyes. / heard" murmured Mrs
: Blaire iu scarcely more than whis
per.
ut couldn't have been Jem." a.
serted but to satisfy myself went t
the stairway and listened. I hear
only the hard. regular breathing OF
heavy sleeper.
What was it. Mrs. Blaire?" I aske
again.
Il Mrs. Blaire had resumed her accu
| toned placid expression and sait
with light. reassuring laugh:
''Oh, it was nothing at all. Com
let us go to bed. We will not sit u
longer for Enoch. will come in an
sit with you till you go to sleep if yc
J want me to-" / said 1 was not in tt
least afraid. But I lay awake for
long time, wondering over the strane
scene I felt sure Mrs. Blaire had
story. and I wanted to hear It,
Though not believer in spirit
anything supernatural had strant
fascination for me.
Il Mira Blaire and / were left aior
again the NEXT evening. As we agai
drew our chairs up before the cracl
1SuS~ Gee vuv ~n,,,uo n sov, ua1d with n,