Middletown transcript., 1896-11-21

side the PROSTATE figure and gently
lifted the white head to her bosom
stroking the white cheeks tenderly as
she moaned." "Poor bodyl"
Repeated efforts were made to re-
store her to consciousness and at last
the blue eyes opened and rested upon
Tilly's face SO tender, SO compassionate
that, t,old woman as she was, she turned
and laid her face against Tilly for q
moment then feebIy raising herself
said in spiritless voice. 'sWe will
go home, son." And Abner. only watt
ing to respond to the unwonted loving
term before Fastening to do her bid
ding and his mo tber tottered towards
Mercy (who had been the first to 60 to
her but as she began to recover had
stepped back out sight) and with shak-
ing lips said humbly as a little child,
"Will you forgive mep"
Mercy laid her hand on the trem-
bling lips as she answere d, "Even as 1
hope to be forgiven. Won't you be my
friend now? and with a kindly word
from Ben too and his mother she went
away. Very soon they all dispersed
and the little mother whom Tilly has
taken into her kind heart as much be-
cause she could not resist doing SO as
because of her goodness to Mercy-the
little mother and Tilly are sitting be-
fore the fire in the now quiet dining
room and Tilly is telling who and
what Mees Mercy ls-how wealthy her
father was and it was all Mees Mercy
and OIL she was so good. The poor
knew-they could tell .ah, and they
called down upon her the blessing of
God.
sYe poor man dear Madame was her
son. Did not you know widow she
was? No? All my heart did ache for
ye poor mother.'
And in the keeping room encircled
by the strong arms that were hence
forth to be her shield Mercy too is tell
ing the story of her life. OF the plan
by Tilly of her escape and only two
weeks ago the letter that came which
lifted the dark shadow from her life
and Ben told her of the hint given him
by Abner in the village the day before
that his mother meant to hurt her in
some way"-So sweetheart I decided
it was best to take you into my owa
safe keeping. My wife,"
Presently Mercy asks ''Why did your
aunt do so, Ben? and l wonder why she
ia aintedl" Ben's face flushed as he an
swered the query as to why she tainted
telling her what Tilly had told him of
the relationship between the poor for
saken wretch and his aunt. The other
he passed by, but in after years it too
crept out, Aunt Patience coveted the
old home and was anxious for Ben to
marry her daughter. But tonight he
thinks of his own cause to be thankful
and as he says to Mercy, "Wbat a
Thanksgiving it has been darling mine
and how much we, you and ], have to
be thankful for"
"Oh Ben, think Of what I have to |
give thanks for.
Another Thanksgiving and again the
Douglas clan meet at the old homestead
Conspicuous among them are Aunt
Patience whose silver white hair and
patient face which now is all gentle |
ness every line of it and who leans up
on the wiry little Frenchwoman in a
way wonderful to behold. Tender,
kind and loving to her children, espec-
ially to her son for was it not on ac-
count of her stern, uncompromising |
treatment of Andy that led him to-de-
And when she goes to his
grave, for he has been aarapght here and
buried in the village churchyard, who
% fit to go with her. as lilly. And
lilly has become indispensable to them
it is difficult to know which
,poils the little son of Mercy the most
Tilly or Aunt Patience for the bonny
BOY is named, Andrew Stone Douglas.