The herald., 1896-01-12

she was her husbands inseparable
companion to aud from his mining
claims and in all of his employments.
As they went to and fro she would
cling to his arm with nervous tenacity,
and as time sped on ne found it easier
and easier to climb the trails with her
nestled in his great broad bosom. In
time she took to her bed and he stirred
-ot out. and was the gentlest and kind
est OF h crses, and she would have none
other.
Toward the last spent much Of my
time at their house. One day l was
seated in my accustomed nook, whlcn
commanded view of their chamber, :,
of which the door stood open. he sat
beside her bedside, watching her every
pulsation with the same ldolatrous
look which had CHANGED to witness
more than once when, having prattieo
and chartered herself to sleep IN her
rocky perch above his mining claim, ne
would take his seat upon sluice poX
out in the canyon, and watch her till
she awoke. On this last day she slo WY
opened her eyes and gazed full into
his: Emil, ] want you to make me
promise"
Anything you wish I will promise"
"This cannot last long. Soon 1 must
90. Emil strove hard to suppress It..
His brawny chest heaved. But he
could not suppress an agonized groan. J
You will wish to follow me. Promise
that you will wait until God so wills IT.
That you will take care of yourself, do
all the good you can, and walt.
She had comprehended his frequent
thought and had thwarted it. With an
anguished sigh he replied: Marie, L
have promised"
She laid her tiny hand in his, an ex-
preston of perfect happiness over
spread her beautiful face, she closed
her eyes again and slept the sleep that
knows no waking on this side the grave.
He gently freed her hand from his,
crossed hers upon her breast, ran his
great bony fingers through her floss
like trssses, whispered, II will wait"
and turned away. His eyes were tear
less. At the funeral be stood beside
the coffin, gazsd upon her fair face for
the last time, and by an impulse that
seemed irrlsistable poised his great
brawny arms as he had ofttimes poised
them in climbing the steep trail and
said, "My birdw and that was all.
In July, 1894, I received a note from
St. Martin, saying that he often
thought of me; would like to meet me
once more while we were both in the
flesh; circumstances we're such that he
could not conveniently come to see
me, and if circumstances would permit
he very earnestly desired that would
visit him. I was impressed that the
letter meant more than it expressed in
words. shared his desire for a meet
ing, circumstances favored and in Ac-
gust paid him a visit. All else was
changed in that vicinity, but to my
astonishment his home was, with few
exceptions, to be noted later, precisely
as when I had seen it last. All Of the
old adornments within, every flower,
fern, foliage plant and all the orna-
mental grasses, just as Marie had ar
ranged them. But he had buried her
under the shade of her favorite nut
meg tree, and over her grave he had
built monument. And the strangest
monument the world ever saw. a per-
feet reproduction of the rocky mass
beside his canyon claim In which she
had perched and prattled to him, and
from which she had cheered "the boys"
as they went to and from their work.
Near another of his claims there
had been a yew tree, at the foot Of
which they had taken their monday
meals. At the point of a bold promon-
tory hugh flat rock had poised, upon
which she had frequently stood to
sketch surrounding scenery.
He had sawed the yew tree off near
the roots and had it's trunk shaped into
handsome column, upon which to
rest the slab from the promontory,
and this occupied the place of honor in
their cosy little parlor.
1t must not be supposed that he had
spent all of his time in this way, or
that he had pined and drooled. He
kept near home, but he was full of en-
terprse and activity. He had been
highly successful in mining and many
other directions. 1t is proverbial that
none whom Mamie loved, nor any who
befriended her, nor their children or
their children's children have been al
lowed to suffer or to want. Dozens he
has provided with the means for col
leRiate or seminary education. Dozens
he has set upon their feet in business
enterprises. Scores he has assisted in
times OF SCrluReucy OF QiSCreS5.
He wanted me to know that he was
keeping every feature of his promise
the letter and the spirit. He wanted
me to know that he was working and
trying to do good, as we'll as waiting.
He wanted me to know that he was
waiting patiently. He wanted me to
know that the summons would be wei
come, but he vas satisfied to wait.
A l. nL1I A<~l l1ls 1,.~L
he had never doubted her, nor doubted
that in Gods own good time he would
be permitted to clasp her to his bosom
as of yore, and, with her nestled there,
climb high the hills of Paradise. Gray
haired and weather beaten, but staunch
and rugged still, the old man waits.
SAUL OGa.
FlnminU cOuntv Kantuckv farmars