The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-23

Yes. Aunt Jane: but she's worse to-
day. AMI the doctor says she can't live
tIl night"
There never was a doctor that knew
euouEn % tell the truth. Shes strong as
] am. she won't die til ! do. y0uu see.
though. 10 be sure. boys can't know
much"
The cripple took the rebuke meekly.
but his rough, anxious face grew a lit
tie less anxious as she spoke. And Aunt
Jane went on through the large. clean.
bare yard by benches Allied with sickly
men and women and children, out taking
the fresh air. for that is free 10 all. and
the sunlight costs the town and state
nothing
Into the large. clean. bare hall. up the
long flight or stairs, worn down into the
wood by the tired feet that had toled
helplessly. pathetIcally. up them. through
another long, clean, bare hall into a
room on the north side OF the building.
10 was a clean room. as every room IN
the place was, but had the same air
about it OF hoUeliness. Il was a place TO
exist In, but not TO live. 4 bed stood in
one corner, on which an old woman was
lying. Her white hair was lying on the
coarse pillow. her shrunken checks and
hollow eyes denoted illness. as well as
age Her eyes were shut as Aunt Jane
went In.
Another old woman was sitting by her
who got up with some show Of liyeli-
ness
oh. dear. me; I'll go down now, and
get a bite Of supper. Oh, my back, my
back, a settin' here all day. and she's
seemed 70 act different this afternoon.
not so crazy. on dear me, crazy for Atty
years on. my back my back this medi-
cine Is TO be given her every two hours"
pointing 20 cup of thick white ware
half filled with medicine. a tin spoon lay
beside It, Every two hours, and the
doctor says she won't live till morning"
Doctors are all fools, every one Of
EN-. She won't die, she'll live as long as
7 do"
"Oh dear me- my back. my back!
And the old woman hobbled out Of the
room.
Aunt Jane took off her bonnet. an old
brown Shaker sunbonnet, with a cape Of
rusty black silk, and hung it carefully
over a chair back, threw off her faded
black wOrsted shawl. and then went up
70 the bed
She sat down. and took up one poor
withered hand that lay OF the patch-W ork
quilt. She sat there quiet for half an hour.
the two wrinkled old hands clasped to-
gether the faded. scanned old face above
looking down into the still more withered
one.
Sleep, in very aged people. looks often
ike death. and twice Aunt Jane bent for
ward anXiously and listened for the sound
Of breathing She knew the doctor didn't
know, she knew Ruth would not leave
her, she was younger, 1t would not be
right for here to die first. But this sleep
seemed too deep too still. and strange to
be natural
half hour passed. an hour, an hour
and half. No one entered. all was quiet
The sick. or death chamber Of an old
woman in the aims house, who has been
crazy for fifty years, is not besieged by
anxious callers.
Through an open window Aunt Jane
coud hear the sound of children's voices
far away. at play. Not the children here;
no they were happy children. who had
a home.
And in a room across the hall she could
hear the monotonous murmur of a voice
reading. a man was III there. and could
be kept quiet only by reading When the
/ door was open from that room into the
hall, Aunt Jane could hear the words. *
was the Bible he was reading.
Two hours passed away-the town clock
struck fve-the chime died away into
silence. and the deep sleep continued.
! Aunt Jane was wondering If she should
wake her to give her the medicine. when
. suddenly she opened her eyes, and tried
to sit up in the bed. her white hair falling
over the pillow.
/ THE bridge is up Jane. run along the
I track hurry Tom is on board. Oh my
+ God he will be lost. run Jane. How did
l come lying here? Did 1 hurt me? why
can't l get up-the train will come-oh!
oh! will no one help me? Jane. Jane,
/ where are you?
Here, Ruth. here I am. take this" said
Jane. handing her the cup and spoon.
Ruth looked up at her. looked around
the room slowly. then up into the wo-
mans face. but said nothing. Jane lifted
her head and gave her the medicine, as
she took it she looked at her own hands
lying on the coarse quilt.
Whose hands are these? Why these
are an old woman's hands" She lifted
one of them up to her face-"an old wo-
mans hands-why do l have an old wo-
mans hands? Tom said 1 had pretty
hands. Where is Toms ring? And what
is this?" taking up lock of the white
hair. What is this, who am 1? Jane,
Jane, who am I? Where are you Jane?'
Here, Ruth"
You? Jane?"
She looked at the withered, wrinkled
face. Jane is a pretty girl"
Ruth Ruth Oh the years have gone
the days have gone-fifty years have gone
since we We're girls together, but we have
stayed together Ruth. in storm and
shine"
Where is Tom? Why don't Tom come
Oh forgot the train! Run, Jane The
bridge is down-Tom will be killed! The
bridge is swept away"
Tom died twenty years ago and more.
Went down in an ocean steamer"
Tom dead Tom died twenty years
ago."
Yes, Tom and his wife and girl. his
married girl, Ruth; they all went down
in the water together and were drowned. %
Then where has it all gone, Jane?"
What RUTH"
My life; why, I have never had It, my
youth, my happiness, my Iove-is II all
lost, Jane; can't it come back again?
James face grew whittier as she said:
Not here, Ruth"
"Where?"
Jane bent over her and pulled the patch.
work quilt over the thin. wrinkled face
Her face worked as if she would shed
tears, but she did not; the aged seldom
weep; but she smoothed back the white
hair from the poor old face. AS she did
SO. the voice from the next room came
TO them as if in answer to Ruth's ques-
ton
Here we have no continuing city but
We seek one to come"
Again Ruth lifted up one of her hands
ana looked at it long and intently
Tom said ] had pretty hands when he
gave me that ring-you said Just now
that the forget-me-nots died in Deem