The record-union., 1897-08-22

/ l..
an waitin' for the breath to go out of
my body. Ye can get her to come to
lay me out, ye know-I were talkin to
her about it, an settlin' about coffin. an
that Ye nights we'll get Billy Rufford
to make it-me an his mother was aw-
ful thick while she lived. poor soul. He'd
dot as Well as anyone. I reckon
| "Ah, happen he would" agreed Jack
dolefully but interested, too.
| I've no such likin' for plain deal;
! it's awful common resumed Margery,
but / should like pitch -pine-d'ye
think Billy'd make it O. pitch pine,
Jack?"
| "Ill sees as he does" quavered Jack.
wiping his eyes with his coat-cuff.
Thank ye,'' said his wife, meekly.
'Eh, I'm glad ye're back, Jack-Pm glad
to see ye, an I'll be sorry to leave We!
Te was allus good man to me, Jack"
She's awful bad' said the poor old
fellow to himself, overwhelmed at this
new tone. Doctors reet-she's goin'.
| She don't speak nor yet look like our
Margery. She mudn be goin fast"
| But he said nothing aloud. only sat
there staring at her with woebegone
eyes, and holding her thin hand in his.
| Presently Nancy Firth appeared, car
rying the posset which she had been
| concocting in the kitchen, and immed1-
ately flew at Jack for sitting on the bed
Just look at the way we've messed all
tn sheets wi your dusty clothes! An
| featherbed all pushed o wan side, an
your wife Almost smothered. Ye munna
sit theer."
NAY, he can bide,' interrupted Mar
gerry fretfully. s'I can do wi him; he's
no need to move"
| Jack shook his head afresh over TINS
unusual tolerance and Nancy fairly
gaped. A further surprise awaited her,
| however, when Margery informed her
peremptorily that she had no further
need of her services, as her husband
would "do for her. in the future
| Hell let ye know when I'm gone,
| she added TRANQUILITY, AN ye can LOOK III
| an do all as is wanted them.
Mrs. Firth did not at all approve OF
this arrangement, but had no choice put
| to comply. and accordingly took hersell
off in some dudgeon. Then Margefy
heaved a sigh of deep satisfaction.
| .eYe can see to me, can't yer she sa1o.
"Eh. but it's comfort tave your OWN
| folks about ye again"
| "Tu see to ye,'' said Jack, and tnen 81
Ilence fell between the two. the ola "o-
man dozed a little, and her HUSBAND sat
on the bed and looked at her, eJaculae-
ing ..Eh. missus!'' occasionally, IN a 40
| Iorous whisper.
# was quite dark when Margery
spoke again, so suddenly as to starrle
him. :, ~,
.I doubt I shouldn't ha' put We / IN
stocks" she observed.
81 reckon ye did it for my good, re-
turned Jack huskdly.
"Ab.' asserted Margery, II meant 1T
for your good, an I niver meant TO rave
We theer for tn meet. But happen
didn't ought to ha' done it. I'm gIao
as I can tell ye SO. I've bethougnt
myself many a time as happen l We're
bit ard ON ye sometimes we were
awful patient
May" growled Jack through the
darkness. '"Theer was niver no call for
patience I didn't ak no better missus
nor what we've aIlus been. [ were
rect enough. Have l to fetch a candle
now?"
He stumbled out of the room and gave
vent to his feelings in the kitchen, sob
bing and rubbing his eyes as if he were
years old instead of 20.
For the next two or three days he
scarcely stirred from his wife's bed
side, and his ministrations, clumsy and
awkward as they We're, seemed to be
| acceptable to the invalid. She quite
revived as she directed and admon-
ished him, and now and then there
crept a shade of sharpness into her
voice which filled Jacks heart with
rapture. The mere fact of having some
one to look after and keep in order
seemed to her a stronger grasp of life,
and as the days passed. and the doctor
saw that she was still holding out, he
began to think that there might yet
be a chance for the old woman One
day when Jack was seating himself
by the bedside according to his custom,
after having tidied the room and given
Margery her breakfast, she pulled back
the checked curtain at the head of the
bed, and looked at him sharply.
isn't gilly-f'e eTs ablow now?''
"Ah" said Jack, "a deal o. Them
''WelI, just you come out am cut 'em,
them We can't afford to let them go
to waste. / wonder at we, that I dol
an doctor to pay, an so much money
goin' out
Il were loath to leave ye," pleaded
Jeck.
well, I can do without We we'll
enough responded his wife tartly.
Jack went to work without more ado,
but, being uneasy in his mind, re-
turned so often to inquire how Margery
found herseP now, and if she was pretty
comfortable, that after the tenth visit
or so she lost patience.
BE off wi ye!' she cried, "an' don't
come moitherin' me again. I'd rayther
have your room nor your company, ye
owd dundeThead.'
Jack closed the door and went out
again, chuclzling and rubbing his hands.
'Owd dunderheadi'' he repeated.
THAT sounds more like our Margery!
Same as ovid times, that is. / reckon
she'll do now
He wlnistled as he stopped over his
gialy-f' 'ers and often paused to laugh
to himself and nod in the direction of
the house. winking, and looking very
knowing.
"Owd dunderhead.'' he would NUT
ter from time to time, in high glee.
''Ah, / reckon she's turned tn corner"
His prophecy was realized, and in less
than a week the doctor was amazed,
on looking in, to find his patient sitting
up in bed punching gilly-f'ers," and
rating her husband soundly.-M. E.
Francis, in Longman's.
An Optical Illusion.
IT'S a dreadful thing to be as near
sighted as Dicky Doddles," remarked