Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-04-15

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With heavy heart he answered
for third time, ut shall be as
you wish, Merry
think Aunt Merry began to feel
then that an unseen power was
shaping her life in strange. un-
comprehended mould
Strange indeed Before the year
nnded noarge passed oyer fha.
's-sAH " le.ss hang
bis black banner on almost every
door uucie Ceorgo was among
the first to be stricken
"God bless you, Merry" he said
''don't forget the children; God
bless you +"
With the blessing still on his lips,
he left u.s.
Then she was glad that she had
stayed with him; the sacrifice was
fully repaid in that last blessing.
But the next day little AMMO
laid her hot cheek against Aunt
Merrys, and cried out that the
fever WAS burning her throat. For
sight days the little life swung in
the balance; but on the ninth she
crept into Aunt Mcrry's arms and
whispered "Good auntte !" just
once before death set a seal upon
the childish lips
The black banner hoated again
from our door, and met an answer
ing signal through 81 the stricken
town
Death played upon many heart
STRINGS bat none, think, we're 40
entirely swept as was Aunt Mcrry's.
She had scarcely seen the clay
hcapod upon lbe grave Of little An
ME before messenger came Tor
her John honest, patient John
Eastman vas dying
Poor Aunt Merry The blows
fell 80 iast that she had scarcely
tlme Y consider The magnitude q
one before heavier sunk Z ont -
sight.
rbs vas the last when the light
left Aunt MerrY's heart, to follow
into and Gx itself upon that an
known land into which his soul
had drftel
"Don't reproach yourself " be
had said, at the last you did your
duty, Merry God bless you 20
We never called her "Aunt Mer-
RI" after that ncyor but once. IL
was tho dag they buried John East
man. and she turned 10 me with a
look Of hopeless sorrow upon her
pale, sweet face, and said, "Call
mo Aunt Meredith, child"
The years have crowded fast, in
spite Of crippled bodies aud hearts
that give back ooholess answers,
Thirty and ayes / have notchcd
them upon my erotehes, ten upon
two, the last QUO fifteen. For the
twisted body is weIl.nigh spent,
and the last crutch Is az good az
as new, save for the notches
where my knife has recorded the
years
have borne my burden tolcra-
/ bly,, with Aunt Meredith's help.
She has borne hers grandly with.
out help.
without help, did ! say Then
/ spoke too quickly; for one even.
ing I found her sitting alone on
the west piazza, among the honey
suck les and jasmine vines, watch
ing the sombre cloud banks piliug
across the sunset, or forming into
! a purple bridge to span thecrimson
cloud lakes
She did not hear my crutch upon
the sward, and her voice was
scarcely more than the hmm Of the
bees in the yellow jasmine bells.
''No man, having put his hand
to the pillow, and looking back, il
fl for the kingdom Of "God."
Every step Of my life, the cloud
ed and The cloudless, has beer
blessed and frightened by her
She has paid her debt, interest anC
principal, and is now herself TIL,
lender; for when Uncle Clay's wifi
died ten years ago, four other
were admitted to her household
, Uncle Clay himself, Frank, Ma.
and Richard.
Frank and May have both beer
in TO say goodnight since ! hay
been lying here, thinking abou
Aunt Meredith's mistake. Ma