The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-09-03

drunken fists, and then he left her poor
and sick, and the boy all crushed. She
worked day and night for the child. lit
tie Harold. and he grew To nine years
old. but always crooked and puny. Then
Mr.. Raynor found us out, and he would
have taken the child, he would. the
fiend. because she loved it So We stole
Harold away in the night and sent him
to Germany with friend. I'm telling
my story all wrong, sir. We heard Mr..
Raynor was dcad--heard il from his
own brother. too, who believed it, and
Miss Edna-Mrs. Raynor, | mean
thought herself free, when she let Mr..
DucheSne come To see her, aud-ah.
well, doctor, he WAS ii true man; gentle.
kind and loving, and so good to Harold.
She thought she was Il widow. and her
heart was sore, so sore you can never
guess. for she was one to take trouble
hard-and what harm, if they loved
each other? They would have been mar
ried if Mr.. Raynor had not come back,
pleased as Punch to find he could make
! little more misery for his wife"
But he is not living now"
"Nes. he is. sir; the more's the pity,
Mr.. Duchcsne is in Germany with lIar-
| old. and my poor dear is working her
precious life away To pay for the baths
for the boy. and To- keep Mr.. Eayno
away. She pays him SO much month
! to leave her i'm peace"
1T is sad story" / said. And was
| too hasty in thinking might help Mrs.
| Raynor if | knew it. We have no medi-
cines. Susan. for such misery as this
But yet | was glad to have heard the
story. | sent books To the cottage. and
| went over frequently, trying To win
the heavN-hearted woman away from
| her own troubled thoughts, and amazed
at her rare patience and courage. l
had done but little in my efforts to re
store her health, when Susan came
| hastily To summon me one heavy Au-
! gust day.
Come, please" she urged. He's
there, hurt"
| "Who?" | asked
Mr. Raynor, He came cursing and
swearing because his money was not
sent last month. and this morning he
went over to Crawfor and got drunk.
| lie was coming home again, " hen he
| stumbled somehow and fell under "A hay
| cart. He's badly hurt. | think the
| wheels went over his breast. | suppose,
bad as he is, we'll have to nurse him"
And bad as he was, tyrant. tormentor
and traitor, the new patient thus
| thrown upon my hands was nursed as
| tendcrly as if he had been both loving
| and beloved. Out of her heavy despond-
! ency, throwing self aside, Mrs. Raynor
| developed her charitable, fOrgiVing
nature in the weeks of Illness that fol-
lowed her husbands injuries. fatal from
the first. | believe she would have kept
him in life if by any self-sacrifce il had
been possible. but she could only make
smoother the passage to the grave.
| had thought her own tenure of life
but frail, but in her devotion she grew
| stronger. She gained sleep 10y actual
physical exhaustion, and calmn"ss by
the consciousness OF duty performed.
Susan. by my advice, provided food that
was nourishing in small quantities. and
| Is the injured man passed toward The
.ortals of eternity, we kept his y ifc
rom throwing her own life away by
our united efforts.
would like, for humanity's sake, to
write that the reprobate reformed. or
even showed common gratitude for the
care lavished upon him. but he died as
| lac had lived, sinking into stupor for
Susan assured me, bestowing one word
of thanks upon his gentle, tender nurse.
1t was small funeral cortcge that.
| left Fern Cottage to take the remains
| of John RaNnor to his New York home.
| | insisted upon escorting the widow,
and left her with an aunt. " no Was SYM
| pathizing and kind. but evidently spoke
! from her heart when she said To me:
Thank the Lord, he is dead this
time"
| scarcely expected Fern Cottage to
| he occupied soon again, but Mrs. Ray
nor returned in a few weeks, working
| again busily. for her boy, she told me.
| content to bear some further scpara-
| ton, as he was gaining greatly by the
| German treatment. But the desolate
yearning was gone from the large, dark
| eyes, and health came back slowly in
| the winter months, when my advice
was followed. and Susan guarded my
| patient against overwork. The piano
| ceased To wall and sob, and the slender
fingers found tasks in weaving gladder
strains.
y year passed. and one evening, Just
before the Christmas time, / opened
the cottage door. Upon my startled
| ears fell the sounds of song. Never had
| heard Mrs. Raynor's rich, meiodious
voice in song before. and ! paused, as
| tonished, as Susan whispered:
Her boy is coming home for Christ
| mas. Mr.. Duchesne is bringing him.
and we expect them any day. And
| Harold is perfectly cured"
did not go in. Such joy as that felt
ShnnlI have no witness
They came, these eagerly expected
travellers, just before the Christmas
bells rang out their joyful peals. The
slender, handsome boy had his mothers
! face. and was evidently cured and on
the way to "A noble manhood.
And of his companion can only say
| that / have no truor or more valued
| friend than Frank Duchesne who
comes every summer with his beautiful
wife and pretty children to spend the
| hot months at Fern Cottage.-N. Y.
| Ledger.