The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-15
SUFFERING SAINT
concluded from sixth Page.)

49,, ,SaiShS. Saio, tuTnluS 10 MT. f1OuES
q pretty dignity. anu as il nothing
81 fau been said before Eve was goin
re take q walk together, my husban' HI
Well" said Mr. Hodge, when he wen:
sSsnlo Mrs. Mather's forenoon. q room,
with q picture OF Captain
ssMather's three-mastcr. the Man OF Null.
ss1nder full sail and in n gilt frame. and
s&5a5Rith portrait OF the late Captain him
81 seit that looked much as II the figure
i neao OF his schooner might have sat for
sat, ana where the pretty black eyed
s. mistress always braided her mats in the
afternoons. We'll, l'nr free. yes. free
10 confess / never as you may say
10y on may say jest wat you please.
4 mir .HoGgei" cried Mrs. Mather. AN
III say 1t after you. For ef ever l SEE
+ suHerin saint put upon an no way
70 hinder an enough to make YOU doubt
u 9he ways of God 10 mani
S5ii6Or--or woman. either. as 1t were
y yes. said MIR. Hodge.
(which is jest wat / mean! She's
Z done everythin' she knowed how to keep
8 1t from gettu' out. An wen he's right
Y asln She acts jest rs though every
I body'd forgot it, Forgot il! My land!
- can look right into their house an
wen see him nourshin' the axe roun
n that ba by settin' OH the floor an look
9 an up and laughin' into his face til he
4 dropped 1t, or aseizin' Sally by the
& hair OF her head an bendin' her head
+ back. an she a-loUkin' at him with
them great still eyes o hern. patient as
I, dumb critters. an nothin' but q spark
OF the old love left in the midst OF all
his fury savin from her destruction, an
nothin' bein done"
But. Mis- Mather.-yes. Mis- Mathcr
8 liners nothin' to do. She don't want
& him took up. An that's all. yes. that's
i all the Seeiec'man are empowered. yes.
as may say, empowered to do. It
Yes, II looks to me, Mrs Mather, as If
you was. yes. as ii were. a-blamln' the
Lord more than the Sceiec'men yes"
II dono but be- But do'no how
the Lord can look Sally Lavender in the
face. There,-I've said it,
ia Mis- Mather, IL shan't, so to say.
! yes, repeat wat you've said. lives
in one point o view it docs credit to
your feelin's. But the Lord He.-ycs. as
+ you may say, he rules the world His
own way, yes"
II do'no w'ether he does or not. Hum
phrey Lavender amt the first of his
people, on the mothers side. that's ben
besides themselves, an he wouldn't a.
s pen the last ef Poly'd ben spared To
\. look at that dear baby. with her little
! rosy smilin face, n squinnin' up her
4 sweet eyes laughn' an shown her
/ pretty white beads of teeth, an to
dhing-wal eff there's anythln' makes
Z you doubt jestce?"
~ There amt" said Mr.. Hodge, taking
Z up his hat and looking into IL. lifting
: out the length Of his handkerchief and
Il putting 1t carefully back, "there-there
& amt. i don't want no better, yes, ar
syment, for another life than the way,
y yes, the way Sally LaNender's bein'
y arained Tor II. as You may say An ef
at amt the spcrit OF the Lord that ma kes
i her keep that mailman from dom her
& q nlschief, then there amt no sperit of
s the Lord. An there is, Mis- Mather,
yes, as you may say. there Isl"
iEg Mrs. Mather WAS silent. the strips OF
her rug braidipg hanging Imply over
@ her fingers. II don't myself" began
) Mr.. Hodge, II don't that is to saw. nv
n Self, believe in mol evil princerple. It's
8 contrary, yes, to my idec of the mower
or God. Yes. But amt never spoke
s OF 1t before, so to say; as It might be
1housht, yes. little. yes. a little irrcg'
iaT IN n deacon. But bein' as we was
talkin' kind of intimate"
K You can say jest wat you like hero
MI. Hodge. 1t won't never go no fur
ther. I'm real pleased TO hev YOU
speak your mind" snapped Mrs. Ma
! Their.
Wen, then, as 7 was a-sayin, YES
( a-saSln, 1t may seem, yes, it may seen
= SibS io4, pliI el You allow the doctrine
aof free-will, Mis- Mather. then Hum
I phrey Lavender's gran'thcrs are rcspon
sible, yes. in one way or another, 70,
Ibis, yes, his spells But the rea son h,
y don Kill that baby Wen he's a-nourish
an his axe. or don't. yes as Won ma,
gay. put an end to Sally wen he's. yes
Wen he's got her by the hair OF tn
head. is that the sperit OF the Lord i
In him. an is, yes. is too much for tn
gran theirs Yes
Mr.. Hodge," said Mrs. Mather, lean
ing forward a little breathlessly, "yo,
are a good man.
"Yes,-that is to say" replied Mr.
Hodge, growing quite red and plungins
for his handkerchief II try to be-"
You are!" she repeated with EN-
phasis.
But while the Selectman and the pref
~ widow were discussing fate, free
will. foreknowledge absolute, Sally Law
ender. was following her husband
through the by-paths of the river wood
the viewiess feet OF fear falling before
her, and her tired eyes full of horror
OF the knew not what. At first Hum.
phrey had not seemed to notice her
Ihen he shouted: This way now" and
come on, come on" and IN lead you
dance" and then he turned his head
ON. It's Sally" he said. and reIapsed
INTO silence: and all the time he main
1alnaA his gigantic strides. to keep IN
withfNhich taxed her running powers.
IneSTald smilaX-yines tangled her feet
the Fboughs he parted flew back and
mt her face, snake slipped kissing un-
DER her shoe, the bricrs caught and tore
\ herrt gown, the thorns scratched her
Z handS and her ankles her fact ,,..,a