The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-07-12

| IncSe Jn1n88 occur, 3" ne SAID "Ie IL
not that they are worse here than every
where else. II Is simply that they are TO-
gether In an accumulated mass and a.
such strixc us with tremendous force
! my self am accustomed to these exhibitions
Of selfishness and neglect. l should be M.
tonished II they did not take place. Don't
mix yourself up with anything II people
are neglected, they are neglected, and there
Is the end Of 1t. To imagine that you or
arc going to do any good by filling up the
breach Is simply an insanity leading to un-
necessarily disagreeable consequences
know You go to see Mr. Reffold. Take
my advice and keep away"
You speak like Calvinist" she an
swered rather ruffied, with the quintcs-
sence of self protcctiveness, and don't
believe You moan a word you say"
My dear young woman," he said, 1--WE
arc not living in apoetry book bound with
gilt edges. We are living in paper
backed volume of prose. Be sensible. Don't
I ruffic yourself on account of other people.
| Don't even trouble to criticisc them. 1t
is only nuisance to yourself. All this
simply points back to my first suggestion.
Fill up your time with some hobby, cheese
mites or the influenza bacillus, and then
you will be quito content to let people be
neglected, lonely and to die. You will look
! upon 1t as an ordinary and natural proc
ess.
She waved her hand as though to stop
him.
There are days, she said, "when
can't bear to talk with you, and this is
one of them
am sorry, " he answered, quite gently
for him, and he moved away from her and
+. started for his usual lonely walk
Bcrnardine turned home, intending to
go to see Mr.. Reffold. He had become
quite attached to her and looked forward
eagerly to her visits. He said her voice
was gentle and her manner quiet; there
was no bustling vitality about her to irri-
tate his worn nerves. He was probably an
empty headed, stupid fellow, but it was
none the less sad to see him passing away.
He called her Little Brick. He said that
no other epithct suited her SO exactly. He
was quite satisfied now that she was not
: paid for coming to see him. AS for the
reading, no one could read The Sporting
and Dramatic News and The Era SO well
as Little Brick. Sometimes he spoke with
her about his wife, but only in general
terms of bitterness and not always COM
plainingly. She listened and said nothing.
I'm chap that wants very little, " he
said once. Those who want little get
nothing"
That was all he said, but Bernardine
knew to whom he referred.
Today as Bernardine was on her way
back to the Kurhaus she was thinking
constantly of Mrs. Reffold and wondering
whether she ought to be made to realize
that her husband was becoming rapidly
worse. While engrossed with this thought
a long train of sledges and toboggans pass
ed her. The sound of the bells and the
noisy merriment made her look up, and
she saw beautiful Mrs. Reffold among the
pleasure seekers
IF only dared tell her now, " said Ber-
nardine to herself, LOUDLY and before
them all. ;"
Then more sensible mood came over
after all, it is not my affair" she
said.
And the sledgcs passed away out of
hearing
When Bernardine sat with Mr.. Reffold
that afternoon, she did not mention that
she had seen his wife. He coughed great
deal and seemed to be worse than usual
and complained of fever. But he liked to
have her and would not hear of her going
Stay, he said. 1T is not much of a
pleasure to you, but it is great pleasure
to me-"
There was an anxious look on his face
such look as people wear when they wish
to ask some question of great moNcnt
but dare not begin.
AT last he seemed to summon UP cour-
age.
Little Brick" he said, in weak, low
voice, 81 have something on my mind.
You won't laugh, / know. Your re not the
sort. l know you're clever and thought
full and all that You could tell me more
than all the parsons put together 1 know
! you're clever; my wife says so. She says
only a very clever woman would wear
such boots and hats
Bernardinc smiled.
'Well," she said kindly, 'tell me-
"You must have thought a good deal, l
suppose" he continued, .'about life and
death and that sort of thing. I've never
thought at all Does it matter, Little
Brick? It's too late now; 1 can't begin to
think. But speak to me. Tell me what
you think. Do you believe we get another
chance and are glad to behave less like
ours and brutcss Or is it all ended in that
lonely little churchyard therep I've never
troubled about these things before, but
now know am so near that gloomy lit
tie churchyard-well,i it makes me won
der AS for the Bible, never cared to
read it. was never much of reader,
though I've got through two or three fire.
work novels and sporting stories. Does it
matter, Little Brick?'
"How do l know?' she said gently.
"How does any one know? People say
they know, but it is all great mystery
nothing but mystery. Everything that
we say can be but guess People have
gone mad over their guessing or they have
broken their hearts. But still the mystery
remains, and we cannot solve it,"
If you don't know anything, Little
Brick, he said, lat least tell me what
you think And don't be too learned. Re-
member, I'm only brainless fellow"
He seemed to be waiting eagerly for her
answer.
IF Iwere you," she said, II should not
worry. just make up your mind to do
better when you get another chance. One
can't do more than that That is what
shall think of, that God will give each of
us another chance, and that each one of
us will take it and do better-I and you