The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1895-12-08

but forgot, amt got words to de-
scribe her neither. II there ever
wus an angel on this airth, Miss
Pauline Rivers wus that one; she
wus too good for this world whar
there's so much trouble. Well, as !
wus a-sayin', the old man wus took
sick one night and Miss Pauline
jumped on her horse and come over
fur me. Now, thar wusn't a man in
all this country that wouldn't a
died to serve her, so 1 saddled my
old mare in a jiffy and rode home
with her. When we got thar the
old man wus unconscious, and I
did cry thing / could fur him,
but it didn't do no good. He lay in
a stupor fur three days, and my old
woman come over to help nuss HIM, but
guess it wus his time to go. The forth
day he opened his eyes and called Miss
Pauline. She come and kneeled down
by the bed and asked her grandpa il he
wanted anything. 'Nuthin' but yOu,
he said, as he looked at her, his eyes
a-shinin' with love. 'Darlin', I'm going
home, and Pm glad to go but fur leav-
in you. amt a-going to worry bout
that though, for the Lord amt never
let us suffer yet, and know he'll take
care Of my lamb Miss Pauline looked
like 'twould kill her when he talked
this way, and she throwed her arms
around his neck. Her grandpa looked
at her and smiled, then his lids dropped
and we knowed he wus dead. Well, to
cut my story short, Miss Pauline took
on dreadful. She wouldn't eat nuthin'
hardly and didn't notice nuthin' fur a
longtime, but arter a while she got bet
ter and would take care of things round
the'house. We wanted her to stay with
us, but she would live IN her grandpa's
house, and that's the wust thing she
could a-done, fur she wus so lonesome,
she just pinned away and died"
The narrator ceased TO wipe away the
tears that were chasing each other
down his cheeks, and Rochester started
as if he had received his death blow.
Indeed, such it seemed to him, for had
he not looked forward to meeting her
for weeks, and now.
ayes, sir, she died a year from the day
her grandpa left her." the old man con
tinued, "and the last thing she said wus,
Mr.. Forrest, CHATS my name, sirD
you've been kind to US and leave you
the old place, and l want you to do one
thing for me arter I'm gone. Here's a
note (reachin' under her pillow and
takin' out a letter. that 1 want you to
send to Mr.. Rochester"
The old man was looking away to-
wards the fields OF waving grain and
did not perceive the eager expression
upon the face of his auditor, of whose
existence he seemed oblivious. Impa-
tient of delay, Rochester said:
"Well, what did you do with the
note?'
The old man turned quickly. "Scuse
me, sir" he said, "my thoughts was
wanderin' The note? o, yes. Well,
Miss Pauline give it to my wife and
told her to send it. She died erbout
four years ago and I never thought no
more erbout it till the other day wus
a-lookin' in her old trunk and found it
and low to put It in the Office the fust
time l ride over thar, and"
"No, give it to me; give it to me-"
Rochester said, excidedly. The old
man looked up in surprise and inquired ;
"Why, are you Mr.. Rochester,"
ayes, yes, give me the notew
The old man entered the house and
soon re-appeared with an envelope
which he put in Rochester's hand, say
ing;
"Poor man, Pm sorry you haint had
it afore."
Rochester dropped some money in
the mans hand and turned away, a sob
rising in his throat. He hastily tore
open the note and read:
"My dear Howard:
The hand that pens these lines will
soon be stiff and cold, aud the soul will
be freed from its prison-house. can
not died without telling you that / love
you still and am glad l can be where
can watch over you, and perhaps the
dear Father will let me be your guar
dian angel. 1t would have been sweet
if we could have been together here
but we will be happier through eterni-
| ty for the sacrifice. / believe our souls
will be united beyond the skies, for
God saws, There will be no marriage
ror giving in marriage there My
land grows weaker, so / will say good
bye till you come. | will be the first to
greet you at the beautiful gates. Do
not grieve for me, because / will be
happy there, waiting and watching for
you, and we will be united at Jesus
feet, never to part"
PAULINE"
He was walking in the rye field
where first he saw her. Just yonder he
was standing when she came tripping
up. He can almost see the dainty,
graceful figure, clad in the flowing
white robes, and the wind seems to watt
the sound of the sweet voice to him as
she sings:
"If body meet a body
Coming thro' the rye"
He reviews memory's tablet a second
time and sees the same figure at his
side. The blue eyes are looking earn
estly into his, as he tells her the story
of his life and asks her decision as to
what he shall do. She says they must