Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-03-28

| RnIH- pT~UA everybody sal d
,.onSSi i5tSSsSl that she made a
IrSLA mistake that she
NG f&N would soon re-
W gret. Yet, though
village eyes kept keenest watch upon
them, village prophecy was for once at
fault. Hester's girlish beauty changed
into comfortable middle-aged comeli-
ness, and Ezra grew stiff and rheuma-
tic, yet their devotion to each other
was unchanged; indeed, after Mamie,
their only child, married and left
home, it seemed as if the pages Of life
had blown back for them and they
were once more lovers, and the world
was for them alone.
That was before Ezra had typhoid
fever. Through his long illness his
wife nursed him tenderly, but he
came from it q broken-down old man,
with his ears forever sealed to all the
common sounds to which his life had
been set. He was slow in realizing
this, but one day as he lay watching
his wife and the doctor, the knowl-
edge broke harshly upon him. He
could see his wife's lips move as she
smoothed the bed with her soft,
wrinkled hand, but he could hear no
word. Then he turned his dull eyes,
with pitiful look of pain darkening
them, toward the doctor. He too,
was speaking, but the deaf ears could
catch no sound. His weak, peevish
voice Jared suddenly upon their talk.
"Why don't ye speak SOS L can hear
ye, std O. mumbling SOP"
His wife started and then cast a
quick, imploring glance at the doctor.
She leaned down over the bed; her
face was in the shadow and her hus-
band could not see her eyes.
''Do you hear me now, dear?"
The words'reached him family, and
from q distance. He struggled with
the sounds minute or two before they
resolved themselves into words.
"Of course hear ye," he said fret
fully, "only why don't you speak up?
[ amt so sick, be II"
The words were little clearer now,
though still far off.
You have been very sick, but are
getting better, fast. 1t has to be quiet
for you, you know, dear, but you will
soon be up, now."
The old man shut his eyes wearily
the effort had been q heavy one for
him. His wife turned to the doctor,
her eyes shining through her tears.
''I can make him hear," she cried,
81 knew / could. 1 didn't believe
Ezra could get where he couldn't hear
me. And he needn't ever know now "
The doctor locked at her and said
nothing. Ee was young man, and
it seemed very pitiful to him.
But he had not understood the old
mans strong constitution. In few
weeks he was about again, as we'll as
ever, apparently, save for the sealed
ears. His wife chartered to him in
her old fashion, and kept out of sight
the medicines she took for her strained
voice; she cautioned the neighbors
who came to see him, and thought
that he did not know. But she was
mistaken; there were other sounds
many of them-that had been woven
into life of nearly seventy years, and
in place of these there was great
vacant stiffness; and he knew all.
One afternoon she found him sitting
in the big wooded chair in the kitchen
studying his old twisted hands, He
gave her tremulous smile as she
came in.
I'm most broken up, Hester" he
said,
"Don't" she cried, "don't Ezral-
I can't bear it! We're both getting
older, but that's all it's.
He shook his head sadly.
'No, faint, Hester-I've been n
seeing it for long time. You're
young yet-you can see and hear jus
as you uster, but I'm an old man
Hester. You've been good girl, anC
we've had happy life together, but
didn't calculate for you to be tied VI
to an old man. I've got to thinking
about it lately, and sometimes I thinl
folks was right and it hadn't orte
been"
The woman listened and q grea
pain seemed to beat up in her throa
and choke her voice. She leaned owe
and put her trembling hands on his.
"Ezra," she cried, and the appea
in her voice carried it with clear dis
tinctness to him, Ezra, have I eve
said or done thing to make you fee
SOP"
He looked up, startled.
"God knows you haven't, Hester,
he said earnestly.
, "And, Ezra, if anything should har
pen to me--if should be sick or helI
less, would you love me less? Woul
youP"
A change came over the old man;
seemed for an instant that the face {
his youth looked back at her.
"If it wasn't for your suffering, He