The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-04

ne Heu Ills Wlle leit Hiin an mo at times
she may haze been an lll-tougued woman,
still she wis there. and she WIS his wife [
am alane. Elsie wis a / he'd, a. L he'd in
the hall warpP'
The next day was SATURDAY. and as
Jamie entered the village 10 order coffin
for his child and choose the spot here
she would be laid it struck him with a
sudden stab that it was the very day he
had promised 10 buy spade fer her gar
den. Re could feel the coaxing arms
around his neck as she wished Saturday
was GOMEZ and what different GRAND
the day had brought for him The days
before the funeral passed he knew not
how. Stunned and dazed from the magni-
tude of the blow. yet feeling his loss
acutely IN every nerve, avoiding COM
partnership, wandering from the house to
the fatal millpond. spending hours beside
the tiny coffin, wiping the mud-marks from
the poor battered doll Elsie had lOveG and
reverently placing it and the little cart on
the cupboard shelf-the four days were
lifetime of suffering.
Then he resumed his work, a silent,
broken man; the hours of leisure were no
longer f0ndly anticipated nor hailed with
delight; rather he fingered at his labor so
that he might not have to pass so many
hoers OF lonely misery in his cottage. look
ing into the fire and brooding brOoding on
his loss. MIR, Fraser threw himself In his
way conStan tly, either when going to or
returning from his work, engaging him in
what conversation he could, trying to edge
10 word of consolation and cheer.
Its nae use. sir" said jamie respect
fully one day. "Ye mean we'll, nae doot.
DIT ye dinna ken what raal sOrra is, or ye
wadna spaak ABBOTT il that wye. How could
ye ken? Ye hae ylr wife, yir flower BARNS
an happy hame. Gin ye lost a that,
dye think We wad care for me comm and
tellin' you to cheer up an be glad?"
Sill the minister perseyered in his
BIZ nd rolf uyJfh Inf in
until he began 10 look out for him and to
be disappoiE ted when he did not appear.
Once when they had walked together
good way in silent companionship, jamie
suddenly broke cut:
.'Dinna think. Mr.. Frazer, that I'm aye
rebellin'. ! am tryin' TO thoIe. bit it's fell
hard, it's fell hard"
~ GU are young man yet. Jamie. said
the minister. thinking of his own happy
domestic lot; you will, | hope, in time
form other ties. Indeed. | may almost
say It IS your duty to do. So: No man
should indulge in morbid grief"
''Dnna say mair, SIR" replied the man.
I've bad over muckIe o. the lowsenin' o.
ties on this airth to care about making ony
malr. Sic thocht niyer entered my head
forDye."
Week by week jamie Gordon seemed to
grow thinner, and though patient and IN
murmuring outwardly deep lines formed
themselves round his mouth, aud dark
shadows underneath them made his
mourniul eyes look bigger
About this time MIR. Fraser left the par
'ish for his annual three weeks holiday,
and the first news he heard on his return
was that jamie Gordon was lying seriously
i'll, having got chill in consequence of
thorough wettiug in sudden storm.
He's jist dwinin' awa'," said his in
formant; there's Ia tribble at ye can gle
name ,iPt, it's jist decline an grief the
either"
And SO Mr.. Fraser found when he went
TO see him. He was shocked at the raw
ages three short weeks had made; The
sunken cheeks, bright color and wasted
form told the tale of rapid consumption.
One morning. seeing how weak he looked,
Mr. Fraser took his Bible from his pocket
and read: And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes, and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain"
"Ay. sir. it's beautiful chapter, an
there's heap o comfort in t. but there's
anlther word ! that same bulk that sum-
times heys me. 1t ses among ither bad
fowk ats to- be shut DOT frae heeven idol
ator can haze lac place. Moo, [ idoliz9d
my wee Elsie, an GUIDE nelp me, gin she
were back he day, fear me l should jist
be duin' the varra same thing agen."
He paused, and while a faint flush over
spread his pale face, he added deprecat-
ngly:
Mr.. Fraser. mebbe ye'Il think 1t wrane.
bit we've been guild frien' to me a. that
time O. dool, an | hae nae body else to dae
Ony thing for ne. | wad like weel TO hae
her bit tippetie atween my haun's in my
Gofin.''
He turned down the coverlet as he spoke,
and there on his breast was Elsie'S little
red cloak, and beside him iay the rude
wooden cart, aud the broad, smiling, mean
lDgleSS face OF the battered doll.
An gin there wis room [ wad like the
CART an the d0llie beeried WI me. Ye see
if l had them J. my baun's | dinna think he
wad haze the bert 10 turn me AVA frae the
gate, an there's One, VIVA tuik BARNS that
waurna sb till him, 0n's knee, an pat his
haun's on their heids-that | think wad let
me in, idolatry or no."
Which was very unorthodnx, doubtless,
but it was very human. The minister's
class Instincts prompted him to gentle
correction of these erroneous imaginings,
cut his mans heart only made him an
swer the diving man by warm clasp In
token OF assent lie bent his ear to catch
some murmuring words from G0rdon's
lips, which were parted with smile The
words were: Shed be main glad to see
her dollie agen.' A sudden moisture
dimmed the minister's eyeglass, and when
he again turned TO the bed Jamie Gordon
knew more of the mystery of pain and
parting, of the why" and "wherefo OF
life than all the theGlogianS of all the
schools could tell him, and a peace which
was not of earth was smoothing out the
lines IN the sad, pathetic face.-All the
Year Round.