The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-10-04
ilLifal s q broken wing -.

pittiiui IS pleAen wing bird
How about the girl? Wen. it vas al
right FOR Abe-and all wrong for Ephe-
all wrong for Ephe But thst's all past
and gone-past and gone. Folks come
for miles and miles 70 see cross eyed Abe
with his eyes as straight as . looms leg.
DIR. Brainard was great man forever af-
ter in those parts Everywhere else, too,
by what | heard.
When the doctor and the Squire come
TO 90, Abe spoke up, blindfolded as he
was, and says he:
"Doc, how much do you charge fsller
for savin' his life-making a man out of
poor wreck-doin' what he tho ught
never could be done but by dyin' and
goin' to kingdom come ?"
"Oh," says Doc Brainard, says he,
"that ain't what We look at as pay prac-
tice. You didn't call me in I came Of
myself, as though it was what We call
clinic. If all goes we'll and you happen
to have barrel Of apples to spare, you
just send them up to squire Caton's house
in Chicago, and I'll call oyer and help
eat 'em."
What did Abe say to that Why, sir,
he never said a word, but they do say the
tears started out again, out from under
the bandage and d1wn his cheeks. But
then Abe he had 5-year-old pet mare
he'd raised from a eclt-pretty e a pict-
ure, kind as kitten and fast as split
lightning-and next time Doc came down
Abe be just slipped out to the barn and
brought the mare round and hitched her
to the gate post, and when Doc came to
be going, says Abe:
"DOn' forget your nag, Doctor; she's
hi;ohed at the gate"
Well, sir, even then Abe had the hard
est kind of time 10 get Doc Brainard to
take that mare, and when be did ride OF
leadin' her it wasn't half an hour before
back she came lickety split. Doc said
she broke away from him and put out for
home, bat | always suspected he didnt
have no use for hoss he couldn't sell
nor hire cut, and couldn't afford 70 keep
in the yillage-that was what Chiesgo
was then. But come along toward fall
Abe he took her right up to town, and
then the doctors practice had growed 50
much that he was pretty glad to get her,
and Abe was glad to have him have her,
seeing all that had come to him through
havin' eyes like other foiks-thats the
schoolma'a am I mean.
How did the schoolma'am take it?'
Well. it was this way. After the cutlin'
Abe didn't shog up for few days. till
the Inflammation GOT down and he'd had
some practice handlin' his eyes, so 20
speks. He just kept himself to himself
enjoyin' himself He'i 90 around doin'
the chores, singing 50 you could hear him
mile. He Wss always great on singin'
Abe was, though ashamed to 20 70 sing
ing school with the rest. Then when the
poor boy began to feel like other folks ne
went right over 20 where tie school
ma'am happened TO be boar3in' round
and walked right up to her and took her
by both hands and Looked her straight
in the face and said
"Do you know me2"
"WeTl, she kind OF smiled and blushed,
and then the corners Of her mouth pull
ed down and she pulled one hand away,
and, if you believe me, that was the third
time that girl cried that season 10 my GER
tain knowledge, snd all for no;hin' eth
er time.
What did she say? Why, she jas. said
she'd have TO begin all over sgain TO get
acquainted with Abe. Bat Ephes nose
vas out Of joint, and Ephe knowed iias
well as anybody. Ephe did. Il was Abe's
eyes 20 EPhe's nose.
Married? 90, yes. OF course, and liv-
ed on the farm as long az the old folss
lived, and af.erward, too, Ephe staying
right along like the fool he always had
been. That felier never did have Is
much sense as 4 last years birds nest.
Alive yet, Abe? well, no. Might have
been lift hadn't been for Shiloh. When
the war broke out, Abe thought he'd
ought 70 20, old as he was 50 he went in
to the Sixth. May be you've seen book
written about the captain Of Company X,
Of the Sixth. Il was Company X, he
went into-him and Ephe. And he was
killed at Shiloh-just as it seems to hap
pen. He got killed, and his worthless
brother c5me home. Folks thought Ephe
would have liked TO marry the widow,
but Lord she never had no such an idea.
such bait as he was compared to his
brother She never chiTked up to speak
of, and nov she's dead, too, and Ephe be
Just toodles round taking care Of the
children-kind Of he dry nurse. That's
about all he was good for anyhow.
Ny name? Oh, my names Ephraim
-Ephe they call ne for short. Ephe
Dodge. Abe was my brOther.-Josqph
KrElaad IN Louisr'Ue Cgujer-JoirRal.