The herald., 1896-11-26


I'm dreadfully sorry for them, and do
admire to see how they stout it out. /
don't have to hunt for my marcieS as
they do Sometimes when get thnkin'
on 'em l remember that after all the
time is Short as Scripter says: these
light Affections are but for a moment,
and then I feel so thankful for them
that's dead; they've got through the
swellin's of Jordan for good and all;
they've got into the glory that is to fol-
Ter.
why, once when my first husband
was livin' and we had considera Bile
means for country folks, we used to keep
hired help, there was one girl, Nory
Flanigan by name, lived with
to hev string O. beads. ratha they
was what we called Jobs tears, ye
know; they growed-I don't mean her'n,
but some like 'em-in our garden, and
they was kind of strung with beads be-
twixt 'em; anyway, she counted out her
prayers by them beads. Twas real
handy, for she had a dreadful poor
memory, and I've thought had a kind
of a prayin' string IN my mind some.
times when set here betwixt daylight
and dark and think over them that's
got through.
why there was Widder Wilkins,
acrost the lake; she had the dreadful
lest son. He used to beat her and abuse
her the worst way when he got drunk
and he was sight more drunk than
sober. now I tell We! I used to hear her
screech acrost the water till was all
goose-fesh, and l couldn't stir hand nor
foot to help her. nor there wasn't any
body nigh that could, exceptin the
Lord, and finally he did
HE took Sam Wilkins off to his own
| place; but that didn't cure her broke
a hp 1f nf hun h1rf he
| Ids a spell, achin' and prayin' till
| the end come. / tell you 1 KEEP Thanks
givin' Day for her. special. Then there
was Uncle Burt all bent double with the
| rheumatic, and CROWN blind, and his
wife up and had the typhoid fever and
| had to the end to be sent to the 'sylum
| in Wooster, and Sabriny Ann, his girl
wasn't but half-witted. Why, they had
! to take him to the poor house; the was
TO other way and then the iron entered
| into his soul, as Scripter says and he
died a goin', right in the cart. Wasn't
I thankful for that?"
| But Mrs. Tucker, if you are glad to
| live, why should they have been glad to
| die? Or, rather, why were you glad to
| have them die instead of living to praise
| the Lord?"
"Why, I dono as they done it while
| they was alive They was poor, afflicted
| creturs and maybe they didn't know how
| to hunt up their marcies no more'n you
| do
! Myras cheeks flushed hotly.
Besides their time had come to go;
twas the Lords will to deliver them out
| of prism, as you may say
Affections sore,
Long time they bore
and they was cured of 'em all now.
| Yes, often think of that Scripter. And
| the inhabitant shall not say / am sick.
| Livin' is good and dyin' is good, too.
I'm sure everybody in Limy that knowed
her was pleased when Granny Peters
| died. Eighty-nin years old and help
less as a small babe with rheumatic and
risin' of the lights. and all eat up with a
black cancer besides. How that woman
prayed to go"
Myra shuddered New pages of hui
man life were opening darkly and dread
fully before her: was her life strewed
| with such possibilities? Might she live
| so long and in such agony as to pray for
death? There was nothing in evolution
or sociology or female suffrage that
came to her aid in this awful outlook
Neither the higher mathematics nor the
| music of the future seemed to offer her
strength to face these shadowy terrors.
! Aunty fuckers faded blue eyes looked
past her guest and out of the small win
! dow as if she saw things invisible to My
|
I voice.
Its a dreadful queer world, but it's
the Lords. He made it and He'll take
| care ont jest as he's a mind to. I'm
thankful haven't got mite to do with
| it. I've only got to mind Him and have
i faith in the great salvation. the rest is
all His work" Strange philosophy was
this to Myra; her eager mind had been
fed on those systems Of philosophy
Falsely so called" that are always
like Samson feeling for the pillars
| whereon the house standeth and with
| equally disastrous results; here was the
simplicity of child resting in sure cor
fdence on it's fathers love and power
without one question or one fear.
How blessed thing to be in such an
| attitude' How much more to be de-
sired than the grind and bitterness OF
pessirlisn, the gray husks of goddess
| science
She felt strangely disturbed, and took
up her hat FROM the chair next to her
to take her leave
Must ye go? Well, dear, I'm proper
glad you come, anyhow. Tell your ma
am dr'dful obleeged to her; she's got
her reward already 1 know, for it is
more blessed to give than to receive
and I'm so pleased to receive, I'm sure
she's real pleased in the givn'.
| II wish't you d call again. love to see
young folks. I hope you'll have good
Thanksgivin too; it's pitiful to hear
YOU talk as though you didn't set by it a
mite, but you're real young yet, you've
! got life before you to set to and hunt
| up your marcies, and you won't have far
to seek. they're close by; Scripter says.
! Look not every man on his own things.
! but every man also on the things of
Others and if you kind of cast your eye
round on what other folks don't hev
twill fetch out what you've got yourself.
| Good day. Good day
And as Myra went out of the door
! Aunty Tucker reverently shut her eyes
and said in low voice: Dear Lord, do
open her eyes, Make her see Thee as
Thou art. She's eet of the tree of know
ledge and it's real bitter in her mouth.
Do give her fruit off'm the tree of life!
For Christ's sake"
Only brief, queer prayer, but it fol-
/ cd Myro and would not let her go. She
had seen another phase of life today
and entered on new train of thought,
but she did not know how Aunty Tuck
er had carried her to God and done it
in such placid, earnest faith that new
and heavenly influence encompa sscd
her He leadeth the blind by way
they know not" When her mother met
her at the door with the mother-love
radiant in her pale. sweet face Myra
thought with a pang of her school
friend Alice Holt who had been called
home to see her mother die. and had
never yet rallied from the loss.
In moment Aunty fuckers words
came back to her