The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1894-12-06

NNh@Ab tANAA llAt AbAt AAhftt
bsd 10 look sft,r The good MAJ and Ih'
little ans. tbe daughter pleaded,
Thtu vhsi Do you mean by desertia.
then pov7 The ifsie old somsn fctotted
Firsl you tesoris your mother ana tber
yoar Lusbaad aud children. You just -
back to them as Dee your care. car
RED Your Ia lher 10 ny lrns before YOU
uss born. ana # she wattt anybody else
nov 10 lock altar Der let her just tell m'
20, aud l.ll be 90 10 brace shakes,
Ebe looked de6autly at the yellow dried
40 creature 10 the bed Mercys viIbeted
i ips twtcaed, hnt DO sound came from
them Jim, strung up ny The situation,
took the word You cant DO no good uf
here the doctor says Y9u might lock
after The kids down stairs bit when you
can spare an hour and I've got to So 10
the shop. III send you telegraph il
there's chance, be vbi pored 70 The
daughter, and she, not wholly d.scon eui
TED to return to her living interests, kissed
Der mother fingered little and then
stole quietly away.
All that day the cid women fingered ton
gelhtr 10 solemn silence. broken only by
the doctors y'eil. He reported ttst Mer.
cy might het Il c uple days II ore. Ia the
evening jim replaced bis sister iu law
who slept periorce. AZ midnight she
sVoke and sent i'm TO bed. The sufferer
tossed about restlessly At 2 80 she swoke
and Honor fed her With some broth ss
she would hsye fed baby. Mercy indeed
looked scarcely bigger than 90 infant, and
Honor had the advantage OF her only by
being pulled out With clothes. A church
clock ~ the dlstsLct struck 3. Then the
silence fell deeper The watcher drowsed
The lamp hIcktrsd tossing her shadow
about lhe walls as if she, too, were tnrn
iug feyerishly from side to side
A STRENGTHENING made itself hearI iu the
SsiUscollug Mercy sat up with Il scream
Of terror, Jim, she shrieked. JIM
Honor listened, her blood curdllng.
Then the went toward the door and OPEN
ei it. jim, she said 10 low tones, speak
ing toward the landing, tell her it's moth
ln it's only mouse. She was always a.
nervous little thing And she closed the
door softly. and pressing her trembling
sister tenderly hack oD the pillow tucked
her mp snugly in the bltnk,t.
Next morning, when jim was really
pre- ent, the patient begged pathetlcaly
to have grsnchlld with her in the room,
day 90 ! night. Don't leave me alone
again, she quavered; dent you leave me
alone. with not soul to talk to. Honor
WINGED, but said nothing.
The youngest child, who did not have
TO 90 to school, was brought a pretty
Ii tie boy With brown curs, which the sun
streaming through the panes, TUNED to
, old. The mornlng passed slowly. About
noon Mercy took the cbild's hand and
smoothed lis curls.
My sister Honor had golden curls like
that she whispered
They were IN the family, Bobby, Honor
answered, Your granny had them, too,
\ ben she was girl.
There Was a long pause Mercys eyes
were half GLAZED, but her vision was in
ward now.
The mignouette will be CROWN in the
meadows, Bobby, she murmured.
Yes. and the heartsease sal Honor
softly We lived in the couutry,you know,
Bobby.
There is flowers in the country, Bobby
declared grsyely.
Yes, and trees snid Honor. | wonder
7 your granny remembers when we were
lupped for stealing apples?
Aye, that | do, Botby. He, he croakl
d the dying creature, with a burst of EN-
Lusiasm, We were pair of Tom boys.
The warmer be ran aft r us, crying, Vel
Il but we wouldu't take o gar. He, be,
~!
Honor wept at The laughter. The na'
i've ldiom, uubesrd for half century
made her face shine under the tears.
Don't let you granny excite herself, Bob
y, 1t me give her u drink. She NOV
be boy aside, and Mercy's lips sutomati.
ally opened to the draft.
Tom was vi ns, Bobby, she gnrgled,
till vibr ting with amusement, and he E
umbled over on the heather. He, bel
Tom IS dead this 40 year, Bobby, whim- l
red Honor /
Mercy head fell back, al an expression |
supreme exhaustion came over bis face, {
Ialf 40 hour passed. b bby was called I
own 10 dinner The doctor had been
sut for. Suddenly Mercy sat up with i
*. Mercy bent toward the side Of the v
ed. All, is Honor still there2 Kiss me,
gbby. Her hands groped blindy, Hon,
bent down, and the old women's with 0
ed lips met.
And in that kiss Mercy passed away in, b
the greater silence. b
What t'beIs were good For.
Even a pood story is irnptovad nv bsing o