Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-02-23
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pany. He spent all the money he
father left her, he crippled her boy wit,
blow Of his drunken Asta, aad then b.
left her poor and SICK, a.d the boy al
crushed. She worked day and nigh
for the child, little Harold, and b,
grew to nine years cid, but Away
crooked and puny. Thea Mr.. Raynol
found us out, and he weuld have takez
the child. he would, the lend. becaus.
she loved It, So We stole Harold away
in the night and sent him to Germany
with friend. I'm telling my story al
wrong, sir. We heard Mr.. Rayno,
was dead-heard 1t from his OWE
brother, too, who believed II, and Miss
Edna-Mrs. Raynor, l mean-thought
herself free, when she let Mr.. Ouch esne
come to see her, and-ah, well, doctor,
he was a true man; gentle, kind and
loving. and 30 good to Harold. She
thought she was q widow, and her
heart was sore, SO sore you can never
! guess, for she was one to take trouble
! hard-and what harm, II they loved
each other? They would have been
married II 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 nowT
| Yes. he Is, sir; the more's the pity!
Mr.. Duchesne is in Germany with Har-
old, and my poor dear is working her
precious life away to pay for the baths
for the boy, and to keep Mr.. Raynor
away. She pass him 30 much n month
to leave her in peace"
1T Is sad story" I said. And i
was too hasty In thinking l might help
Mrs. Raynor II l knew 1t. We have
no medicines, Susan, for such misery A.
this"
But yet l was glad to have heard the
story. l sent books to the cottage, and
l went over frequently, trying to win
the heavy-hearted woman away from
her own troubled thoughts, and amaz-
ed at her rare patience and courage.
l had done but little in my efforts to
restore her health, when Susan came
hastily to summon me one heavy Au-
gust day.
Come. please" she urged. Hes
there, hurt"'
"Who?" l asked.
mfr. Raynor. He came cursing and
swearing because his money was not
sent last month, and this morning he
went over to Crawford and got drunk.
He was coming home again, when he
stumbled somehow and fell under a
hay cart. He's badly hurt. l think
the wheels went over his breast
suppose. bad rs he ~ we'll have to
nurse him
And bad as he was, tyraHt, tormentor
and traitor. the new patient thus
thrown upon my hands was nursed AZ
tenderly as If he had been both loving
and beloved. Out Of her heavy de-
spondency, throwing self aside, Mrs.
Raynor developed her charitable, for
giving nature in the weeks Of illness |
that followed her husbands injuries,
fatal from the first believe she |
would have kept him In life it~n7 :,
any self=sacri6eees-n Il nad been possible, |
but she could only make smoother the /
passage TO the grave.
| had thought her own tenure of life |
but frsil, bu: in her devotion she grew |
stronger. She gained sleep by actual |
physical exhaustion. and calmness by |
the consciousness Of duty performed. |
Susan, by my advice, provided food |
that was nourishlng in small Quanti-
ties, and as the injured man passed to-
ward the portals Of eternity, we kept |
his wife from throwing her own life
away by our united efforts.
l 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
he had lived. sinking into stupor for
days before the end came, and never,
Susan assured me. bestowing one
word Of thanks upon his gentle. tender
nurse.
II was a small funeral cortege that
left Fern Cottage to take the remains
of John Raynor to his New York homo.
| insisted upon escOrtinY the widow,
and left her with an aunt, who was
sympathizing and kind, but evidently
spoke from her heart when she said
to me:
.imer'
| scarcely expected Fern Cottage to
be occupied soon again. but Mrs. Ray
lor returned in . few weeks, working
lgain busily, for her boy, she told me.
content to bear some further separa-
ion, as he was gaining greatly by the
iermaD treatment. But the desolate
was gone from the large, dark
yes, and health came back slowly in
he winter months, when my advice
vas followed, and Susan guarded my
,atient against overwork. The piano
eased to wall and sob, and the slender ,
lngers found tasks In weaving gladder
trains.
year passed, and one evening, JUS,
'efore the Christmas time, opened I
he cottage door. Upon my startled
ars fell the sounds Of song. Never had |
heard Mrs. Raynor's rich, mslodious 9
'oice In song before, and paused, as {
as Susan whispered:
Her boy is coming home for Christ |
mas. Mr.. Duchesne is bringing him,
nd We expect them any day. And {
Iarold is perfectly cured" t
| Gil -Iot 20 in. Such Joy as that ] |
cit should have no witness. {
They came. these eagely expected
ravelers, just before the Christmas &
ells rang out their joyful peals. The J
lender, handsome boy had his mothers .
ace. and was evidently cured and on 6
lie way to a noble manhood. t
And of his companion l can only say
hat | have no truer or moro valued {
riend than Frank Duchesne, who {
ONES every summer with his beauti-
ul wife and pretty children to spend
he hot months at Fern CottaSe.-Nsw Z
'ork Ledger.
|.