Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-05-26
Silas sat thar lafin' fit = split, film her
nr CARCASS with sugar out o my best chany

las sat thar latin ct split, film her
7 CARCASS with sugar out o my best chany
owl"
"Dear, dear, dear!" said Uncle Jimmy
.'D'ye s'pose he minded my implorin'2
Jot Silas. Dye s'pose prayer right thar Il
cached him9 Not Silas. He jess lit his
line, tanting like; SEE, Fudge, fudge.
udgsl an as how OF Doll d be kinder t.
ne than was t. him, If she knew how,
thout justification er ennything but jess
aoss eense; put on his meetin' clo'e; an
this very minute is settin' somewhar 'mong
th' seats o. tn sooffers. Uncle Jimmy,
I'm done. I've prayed over 1t. I'm run
nin' away from Silas Higler!"
oppose It's best. Whar to, Gran'ma
NaneyT
"Ennywhere. Don't matter now. If
gave opens, I'll jess crawl in. As tween
Silas an my immortal soul, Silas mustn't
count; fur: oh, Uncle Jimmy, I've been
reachin' fur holiness long an weary years
80 hard and clutchin' likel"
Hard an clutchin' likel" Involuntary
repeated Uncle Jimmy. "Dear, dear?' be
added tendsrly, as he saw the tears were
trickling down her withered old face. |
And then: swat jess q minute fore ye |
start"
He entered the cottage. where he re-
m aimed but moment On returning, as
Aunt Cynthy peeped out of the door while |
wiping the tears from her kindly eyes, he |
laid his hard hand very gently upon the
little old body's shoulder. |
''Long as you're runnin', don't matter
jess whar ye run to, dranma Higiers
ooh, no, Uncle Jimmy. Eany place
where S!las ain',l" she sobbed in reply.
"How'd Cynthy's north bedroom do,
Gran'ma, Big room, ye know. Opens on
the north garding. Quiet as the tomb, en-
a heap more comfortin'. Nobody'I mind
justification or prayin' there!"
He took her huge, shiny valise in one
hand, and with the other he lifted her up
by her thin old arm. As they turned their
steps to the porch, where Aunt Cynthy was
smilipgly awaiting them, Grandma Higher
put her withered hands pitifully together
and raising her eyes to heaven, murmured
reverently but almost in ecstacy:
''It's ans'er t. prayer; fur leaned on
tn dear Lord when put on my things t.
run awayl"
"Such faith as hera," said Uncle Jimmy
rum!natively to his wife when they had re-
turned to the porch together, "whatever
pizen gets mixed up with 1t, would give a
barb-wire fence a soul worth savin'!'
"But it takes flos'fy t. own up t. that"
quickly replied Aunt Cynthy With affec'
donate pride.
''Mebbs it does, Cynthy." And the old
man worked faster and happier for the
sustaining cheer in her tone and words.
The battle of insistiveness and contrari-
ness had been 80 long one, at such close
quarters and 80 exhaustive to the little old
children, Silas and Nancy, that the first
| few days in their soothing retreats were
passed by both in almost imbecile dozipgs
| and calm.
an sensen get lem straight, Cynthy;" I'm
| Gle Jimmy Biggs remarked quietly "a their
wards ate and elept and showed no sign.
ssThey'll git restless directly, and then, if
we'll less bsar on leetls hard an cruel
like, you t. Nancy bout Silas' cussedness,
an me t Sile, bout Nancy's naggin', nuth-
NIL hold en- nowhere, 'cept their own lit
tie cottage.
The words of the Concord ssge came lit
orally true; and they had their first fulfill
nent in Grandma Higler's demand that she
should be allowed to slip over to her cot
tage when Silas was sure to be absent. and
| herself see that the sheets were aired out
the south window in the enn.
| "'Cause I can't stand Silas amt no rea-
son why should let the poor soul git more
an more crooked up with rheumatics!" she
persisted appealingly.
ooh, Silas wouldn't thank ye," answered
Aunt Cynthy coidly. "Anyone as can't
be lowed t pray in their own house better
let them as is steeped In sin an scofin' git
long alone, rheumatics or no rheumatios!"
The faded old soldier of the eros, WINGED
at this as If from blow. After q little
she continued hesitantly and pitifully, as
she turned to the north bedroom, which
was fast losing it's asylunl-like restfulnese:
''I've bsen thinkin', Cynthy, as how
might done most o. my prsyin', leastwise
my loud prayin', in the barn, long as it
kinder nettled Silas."
"Msbby;" was Aunt Cynthy's curt an
swer as she instantly radiantly reported
progress to Uncle Jimmy.
The next day when the two old ladies
were together in the north garden, Grand
ma Higher turned sharply to her COM
panion with.
"Cynthy, does Uncle Jimmy smoke two
kinds of 'baccys'
"Why, Grammar
"Causs, it he does, one kind is Silas
; from tn OF eettin'-room t. hum, Cynthy.'
Aunt Cynthy almos. flew to her husband
with this. She also noticed, later in the
day, that the old oil-cloth valise had been
repacked, and that little opening into
the Higher yard, through the north garden
lilac hedge. had been vlsibly widened.
With old Silas like restlessness and
heart-pining were meantime operating with
equal force. He grew lees and less anx.
ious about old Doll and her daily lump OF
sugar, and proportionately more concerned
about the suppostitious lonliness of his
wife in thu little Higher cottage.
a"Any woman as will nag man outen
his senses, don't git lonesome all by her.
self" Uncle Jimmy would quite unfeelinp
retort; when old Silas would snort and fret
in the sunny south garden, and humble
over his pipe that he once thought Uncle
Jimmy Biggs was his friend.
'aTaint fair!" he finally blurted out tc
the old stone-cuttsr in desperate state Of
resentment. "Taint fair fur me t. be 9
losfin', an Nancy dom all them chores!'
His little bundle had been tied up again
and his manner to his friend had become
one of shifting evasion; as is the way with
those brooding over some disloyal purpose
or design.
"They're pinin' an hungerin' huff, Gym
thy;" said Uncle Jimmy gleefully
"They're both ready t. run away sgin
We'll give 'em chance to night, Cinthy.'
After tea the stonecutter and his wife
visited their separate wards, and, after 6
little kindly chat, in which neither ap
peared to notice that the old folks were at
tired az If for departure, they bsde them
good night, with the word that they might
| % out ZOE uttle curing Cne evening.
"Cynthy," said Uncle Jimmy when they
were alone again, ''you kin go up to tn
north garrett window an see the scramble
from thar. I'll jess step round t. tn cot
tage, light tn best ker'sene lamp, an wait
lorg tn side window, so kin tell ye how
they come together.
A moment later old Nancy, valise In
hand, stole softly out of her room into the
north garden. 1t was quite dark, but the
light of love and determination now guided
her. She paused an instant to murmur to
the old stone house, as if to the friends who
had succored her: "Good as you be, Jimmy
an Cynthy, I'd ruther hev my Silas, 'baccy
an ALL" when she disappeared through the
opening in the hedge.
At the same time little old man with q
tiny bundle in his hand was piling divers
hen coops against Uncle Jimmy's outer
south garden wall. Just before he de-
scended to the other side, Aunt Cynthy
heard these words from the darkness:
"Goshitymighty! I'll go hum an pray
with Nancy, ruther'n git long 'thout herl"
"What did ye see, JIMMY" cried Aunt
Cynthy, excitedly, ss, few minutes later,
she met her husband as he entered the gate
from the street.