Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-03-04


for IOu to he tied up to an olC
man. Pve got to thinking about i
lately, and sometimes Thus
folks was right AID it hadn't oriel
heen.'
The woman listened aud a greai
pain seemed 10 beat mp in hel
throat and choke her voice. Sh,
leaued over aud put her trembling
hands on his.
Ezra she criej, aud the ap
peal in her voice carried it with
clear dis'iuctness To him, Ezra.
have | ever I'D or done "A thing
TO make Ou feel ~oP
He looked up, startled.
God knows YOU haven't, HcSter,
he said earnestly
'And, Ezra, if anything shonld
happen TO me-it should be sick
or helpless, would you love me leSsY
Would youP
A change came over The old
man; il seemed for an instant that
the tace OF his youth looked back
at her.
III it waSu'i for your suffering
Hester, l wish YOU could see,' he
said almost paSSiOnately.
He rose stffly, and stood with
his arm about her, looking down
the road. 1t was toward nightfAll,
and the valley Was full of shadows,
while above the hills hOaled soft
gray clOuds-the dead sunset. Aud
even as they looked sud
den thrill and flash cane across
rbe~e. and the valley WAS flied
With the glory Of The after. glow,
aud the two o'd dgnres stood slleut
in the midst of the golden hight.
It was a few weeks after this
that II ser caught a severe cold
She WAC in bed for several days,
a, d Mamie had her husband and
child to care for, aud her mother
would not let her sta, long.
They'll lie neellag yOu-I can
get along now she sid.
Il guess they can get a'ouE
without me a little while longer
Swered Mamie.
What say?
Mamie looked alarmed; she rails
ID ner voice and spoke with care
tul emphasis
Il gueSs-lhry can get along
without me little Whlle,' she re
pc aied.
Her mother nodded.
Il sdId il hat been quite a while
she sad. 'rm glad Non're gong,
Mamie Though W. ,hall mis- YOU
>O.I
Ndnni'S fac fl led wl'b a pltl
"a tenderness Her mother in0ked
lp .uddeuly and noticed, d a
range expression came into her
,e.. She SpOGr With curious eager
ness.
'Ntnnic,' she sad, tell me- trn
on | hear a. I u-ed toP
Naume's face flushed. Wit ID
sill deu lmpul~ivr gesture she hrr"
er arms about her motler, sob
Ding bitterly. But in her mOlhcr's
Eyes the strange expres>iDl gre"
into glad Ilgnt.
'Don'l feel so, Mamie she said
IL guess l'm almost glad. r.
going to tell your father
Mamie went home the next day
sorely against her will. She told
her husband that it almost broke
her neart to think OF them SO; il
it wasn't for little Mamie she
would 60 back there and stay, bul
she couIdIt take the chlld-ii
might hurt her throat seriously g.
have to shout to then. Then she
caught Mamie up and kissed her
again aud again; she wondered
now she could live it she couldn't
hear that badly voice. She was
troubled, too, for the child had a
delicate throat aud sue dared no,
take her often to see the old folks
and they would miss her sol
But it was not 80 hard; her
mother spoke OF it herself and SAID
that she and father had talked il
over, ond they knew it would b.
best not TO have the child there
often. And Mamie musa't worry
they coulc get along all rlghl
as long rs they could hear each
other. Iudeed, it seemed as if
the bond of suffering drew them
closer together. IL was beautiful
to see the old mans care for his
wife and his tenderness in speak
ing TO her. The neigbbOrs who
had plttied at first talked often of
n. they said they neVer saw two