The record-union., 1894-05-26

resuming his picking and picking upon
the tail OF the letter ~" in Memory"
They're jess sore an wore, long o.
rubbin' their mornin' glories an 'baccy,
am OF Doll am religun agin one another
in too close quarters. Pm afeared one er
tother gifts this very stun If sunth'n don't
happen, Cynthy.''
mercy me, what pity! But, dear SUI
If thar amt Gran ma Nancy Higher
this minute! Meetin' clos on. too. My,
Jimmy Briggs, you're one IN a thousand,
if your filos'fy can cure this trouble.
Guess pll run in an see bout dinner.
Mustn't nobody know Gran'pa Higier's
in the south room, JimmyY'
mot fur the world, Cynthy. Filos'fy
an sense has got t. go together this time,er
it's this stun fur one er tother o. them poor
critters!''
lie was gouging, picking and pecklng
softly at the letter ~ as Grandma Hlg
Ter tottered up the walk and confronted
him. She was smaller If possible than
her husband, and as old. Her shiny,
hood-Iike satin bonnet was awry; her
shiny, alpaca dress was creased with
folds; the fastening OF her shiny cash
mere shawl lay upon her shoulder in
stead of upon her breast; her shiny oil
| cloth valise was half as tall as her thin
little body, and her shiny bits OF eyes
snapped determination from her thin and
shiny little face.
"Uncle Jimmy Biggs. whar's Gym
| thy?"
"Oh?-eh? Why. it's you. is it GRAM
ma Higher? Wall, Cynthy amt to be
seen fur little. Dinner things burnin'."
Don't smell 'em," retorted Grandma
Nancy, with a few quick quivering shifts.
''Tain't like Cynthy to burn vittles.
| Well. you'll do.n
"You am Silas goin' down to Bost-
ing?"
''Silas Higher go t. Bosting with me?"
| She jumped up and down in q little
spasm Of indignation. sat down upon the
| headstone briskly, drew the huge valise
up close up to her. and snapped out the
word "Never!"
THAT'S a good while, Gran ma Hig-
| ler,'' suggested Uncle Jimmy, sooth-
ingly. :.
Not half as long as sixty year with
man stepped in 'baccy an contrariness,
as won't be saved" she returned very
sharply.
"Um-m-m?" mumbled the stonecutter
musingly. "'S'pose Silas is purity hard
t. git long with?''
Hard? He's flint, Silas is. The on
righteous is hardened T. destruction, as
the prophet sez. No human critter kin
live with that man 'thout tallin' from
grace dozen times day. Ye can't live
holy with Silas. Ye can't live sanctifed
with Silas. Ye can't live justified with
Silas. Pve worn my tongue out with
ialkin'. Pve worn my fingers off with
strivin'. pve worn my knees off with
prayin'."
"All ter no use, Gran'ma Higler?"
'.'All ter no use. Uncle Jimmy Briggs,
OF Doll settled it this mornin'. That
mare pushed her oP white face right
through the mornin' glory vines over the
window, am Silas sat thar laiIin' tit T.
split. film her ol' carcass with sugar out
o. my best chany bowl"
Dear, dear, dear,' said Uncle Jimmy
sympathetically.
'D'ye s'pose he minded my implorin'?
Not Silas. Dye s'pose prayer right thar
reached him? Not Silas. He jess lit his
pipe, tanting like: seZ, Fudge, fndge,
fudge! an as how ol Doll'd be kinder q
me than / was y him, if she knew how.
'thout justification er ennything but jess
boss sense; put on his meetin' clos, an
this very minute is settin' somewhar
among tn seats o. th' scoffers. Uncle
Jimmy. Pm done. Pve prayed over it,
Pm runnin' away from Silas Higlerr'
'S'pose it's best. Whar to, Gran'ma
Nancy?"
.'Ennywnere. Don't matter now. TIA
grave opens Pll 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-so hard an clutchin' liker'
Hard an clutchin' like" involunta-
rily repeated Uncle Jimmy. "Dear,
DEAR" he added tenderly, as he saw the
tears were trickling down her withered
old face. And then: "Wait jess minute
fore ye start"
He entered the cottage where he re-
manned but a 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 'sshoulder.
Long as you're runnin' don't matter
jess whar ye run to, Gran'ma Higler?'
"Oh, no, Uncle Jimmy. Emmy place
whar Silas amt" she sobbed in reply.
How'd Cynthy's north bedroom do,
Gran'ma? Big room, ye know. Opens
I>op the north garding. Quiet as the
tomb, an a heap more comfortin'. No
body'1 mind justification or prayin'
theren'
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 smiling awaiting them,
Grandma Higher put her withered hands
pitifulIy together, and, raising her eyes
to heaven, murmured reverently but al
most in ecstacy:
Its ans'er T. prayer; fur 1 leaned on
th' dear Lord when put on my things
t. run awayn
"Such faith as hers,'' said Uncle Jim
my ruminatively to his wife when they
had returned to the porch together,
whatever piZen gets mixed up with it,
would give a barbwire fence soul worth
savin'v'
but it takes flos'fy t. own up t. that"
quickly replied Aunt Cynthy with atfec-
| tionate pride.
"Mebbe 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 contra
riness has been so long one, at such
close quarters and SO exhaustive TO the
little old children, Silas and Nancy, that
| the first few days in their soothing re-
| treats were passed by both in almost inn
beetle dozings and calm.
REST T. sech is reason: reasons sense;
am sense'll set 'em straight, Cynthy,"
Uncle Jimmy Biggs remarked quietly to
/ his wife, as their wards ate, drank and
slept and showed no sign. They'll git
restless directly. and then. If we'll jess
| bear on a leetle hard an cruel like, you
u Nancy bout Silas's cussedness, an me
t Sile, bout Nancy's naggin', nuth' NIL
hold 'em nowhere, 'cept their own little
| cottage, inside week"
| The words of the Concord sage came
literally true. and they had their first full
| fillment in Grandma Higler's demand
| that she should be allowed to slip over to
| her cottage, when Silas was sure to be
absent, and herself see that the sheets
| were aired out the south window in the
sun.
"'Cause / can't stand Silas, ain no
reason why / should let the poor soul git
| more an more crooked up with rheu-
matics,'' she persisted appealingly.
| "Oh, Silas wouldn't thank ye." an
swered Aunt Cynthy coldly. ANY one
as can't be flowed T. pray in their own
house better let them as is stepped in sin