The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-04-08

ing out her night gown impa-
tiently, and holding 10 close,
and b~rooding over it, and murmurlng
foolish little words, as over one whom
his mother comforteth, and who sucks
and is satisfied. 1t was pitiful and
strange to see her wasted dying look,
keen and yet vague-her immense love.
Preserve mel groaned James, Civ
ing way. And then sho rocked back
and forward, as il To make it sleep,
hushing it, and wasting on il her infn-
tie fondness. "Wae's me doctor; l de-
clare she's thinkin' it's that BARN"
What bairn2" THE only BARN we
ever had; our wee Mysie, and she's In
the Kingdom, forty years and MAR"
1t was telling plainly true; the pain In
the breast, telling its urgent cory 10 a
bewildered, ruined brain, was misread
and mistaken; it suggested TO her the
uneasiness of a breast fun of milk, and
then the child; and so again once more
they were together, and she had her
ain wee Mysie in her bosom.
This was the close. She sank rapidly
the delirium left her; but, as she whisP-
cred, she was clean silly" 1t was the
tightening before the final darkness
After having for some time lain still,
her eyes shut, she said: "Jamesl" He
car1e close 10 her, and lifting up her
calm, clear, beautiful eyes, she gave
him n long look, turned to me kindly
but shortly, looked for Rab but could
noe see him, then turned to her
husband again, as If she would never
leave of looking, shut her eyes, and
composed herself. She lay for some
time breathing quick, and passed away
so gently, that when we thought she
wat gone, James, In his ~old-fashioned
way, held the mirror to her faoe. After
a long pause, one small spot Of dimness
was breathed out; it vanished away and
never returned, leaving the blank clear
darkness of the mirror without a stain.
What is our life7 II is even a vapor,
which appeareth for q little time, and
then vanisheth away"
Rab all this time had been fully
awake and m~otionless; he came forward
beside us; Allies hand, which James
had held, was hanging down; 1t was
soaked with his tears; Rab licked it all
over, carefully looked at her, and re-
turned to his place under the table,
James and sat, | don't know how
tOAA' Dub AOA 1OlAhC hlAlAD' boy Ank uObii~
ing; he started up abruptly, and with
some noise went to the table, and put
ting his right fore and middle fingers
each into a shoe, pulled them out, and
put them on, breaking one of the
leather latchots, and muttcring in an
ger, 81 never did the like O tina t~aforel"
| believe he never did; nor after
either. "Rabl' he said roughly, and
pointing with his thumb to the bottom
Of the bed. Rab leapt up, and settled
himself; his head and eye to the dead
face. mister John, yell wait for me, ="
said the carrier; and disappeared in the
darkness, laundering downstairs in his
heavy shoes. | ran 70 the front win
dow; there he was, already round the
house, and out at the gate, fleeing like
q shadow.
I was afraid about him, ana YET not
afraid; so l sat down beside Rab, and
being wearied, fell asleep. I woke from
q sudden noise outside 1t was Novem-
Der. and there had been q heavy fall of
snow. Rab was in statu quo; he heard
the noise TOO, Il plainly knew II, Duo
never moved. looked out; and there
ut the gate, in the dim morning for
the sun was not up-was Jess and the
oart-a cloud of steam rising from tho
mare. l did not SEQ James; he was al
ready at the door, and came up thu
stairs, and met me. 1t VAS less than
three hours since he left, and he must
nave posted out-who knows how-tO
Howgate, full nine miles of, yoked
Jess and driven her astonished into
town. He had an armful of blankets,
and was streaming with perspiration.
He nodded TO me, spread out on the floor
two pairs OF clean old blankets
having at their corners, "a. O., 1874"
in large letters in red worsted, TheSe
were the initials Of Alison Graeme, and
James may lave looked In at her from
without-himself unseen but not I'M
thought of-when he was, wat, wat,
and weary" and after having walked
many a mile over the hills, may nave
seen her sitting, while "a the lave wers
sleepin';'' and by the freight working
her name on the blankets, for her air
James bed.
He motioned Rab down, and taking
his wife in his arms, laid her In the
blankets, and Mapped her carefully and
firmly up, leaving the face uncovered
and then lifting her, he nodded again
sharply to me, and with u resolved but
utterly miserable face strobe along the
passage and downstairs, followed by
Rab. followed with a light; but ht
didn't need it, l went out, holding
stupidity the candle in my hand in tn,
calm frosty mir; we were o ct tn
gate, could have helped him, but
y saw he was not to be meddled with, an,
: he was strong, and did not need II. II,
u laid her down as tenderly, as safely, a.
/, he had lifted her out ten days before
as tenderly "a when he had her first il
y his arms when she was only "A, G.
y sorted her, leaving that beautiful scale,
y face open to the heavens; and then talk
= ing Jess by the head, he moved away
% He did not notice me, neither dil
d Rab, who presided behind tn.
cart, l stood till they passed through
the long shadow Of the College, an.
turned up Nicholson Street. / hear,
. the solitary cart sound through tn
streets, and die away and come again
and ]returnad thinking of that com