Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-02-12

NA'J "S"'"' WIN Il pltlg lHul was new
to him. "Sthnnd stiddy, bhoysl Ye1
not see poor human critters in mucl
wuss throuble. I'll do the exphlainin'.'
Connolly seized Dougherty by the arm
and jerked him backward. "Lool
a-there!" he whispered. excitedly. "Dt
ye mind that, now! See him!"
with the others Willet had paused ir
resolutely. Then he duly raised hi.
head and saw his wife. A quick sob. and
he strobe forward, erect. both hands
outstretched. "Hannah!" he cried
brokenly; "Hnnnah!" 1t was the first
time he had spoken since the accident.
In pitiful attempt not to understand
the woman glared wildly from one grief
stricken face to another, all the youth
ad happy good humor of her own looks
blotted out. Finally her glance met
her husbands and rested there. The
terror of apprehension faded from her
face, giving way before Il compassion
that was divine in its self-forgetfulness
that transformed her from the plain
wife OF common workingmon into the
very embodiment of tender, wcmanly
pity. To Willet she seemed by super-
everything. The only words that could
warm through the numbness around his
heart she spoke. The one phrase that
was ticking clock-wise in his brain she
repeated aloud for him. and so took
away half of its torture. "You had TO
see him die" was what she said. "Oh.
my poor man! my poor man! Little Jim
was drownded. and YOU couldn't save
him!"
Give him TO me-" she commanded
Connolly, holding out her arms for her
child. "Let him lay here on nv
breast. like he did whin n slip of
baby. It'll make his fathers heart
easier to see him so.''
She gathered the body to her bosom
and she folded Connolly's coat more
tightly around it and began softly TO
rub the shock of damp hair on the cold
little head. 1t should be dry. dry entire
II, or it might do him hurt; his mother
wouldn't never let him stay cold like
that! No, she wouldn't never. Poor
jim, poor Jim!" she went on, stiH keen
ing up that instructive, motherly chat
ing of the child in her arms. ''Poor
Jim! You had the hardest, Jimr 1 |
couldn't ha' been thsre an not killed |
myself, forgetful of you. 1t was YOU as
brought him home. You came all that |
cruel way to bring hiIa to me. Oh. Jim, |
Jim darlin'!"
Her voice was less unnatural now; it |
had dropped to note of human dis
tress that was fast bringing her to full J
realization of her pain. Tears, which
Willet was as yet unable to shed, rained
down her checks; but she was not con-
scious that she wept. The men began
to shuttle awkwardly away, muttering
their clumsy words of consolation.
They need not have taken the slightest
nrecaution in the manner of their 90
ng; neither Willet nor his wife re-
nembcred they had come, nor knew
when or how they Left Timidly Jim
irewnear and laid reversnt fingers upon
,lannah's sleeve. 1t WIS good to touch
ler and feel that she was there. Under
her rall-comprehending pity he was able
% speak and think once more. She
him into himself. {
Lay little Jim on his bedI Hannah,
larlin'," he said, gently There
ant come no harm to him no more.
The rest of my days I'll have his call
I-ringin' in my ears. He was down by
he bridge, you know, where it's so
haller an safe, an he a-splashin' an {
Then he called; student,
harp. He drownded afore l got to
i'm. Oh, my God! afore I got to ,
im!"
Tho ,ro,,o, .boo1- la...,jur to e IT.;
'and and stepped back.
"Afore you got to him?'' she re-
eated, in a voice that was hushcd in
cry wonder. 'IIe drowndcd afcre
ou got to him. an'-an' little Jim !
ailed--little Jim called" She raused
or breath. then went on with an effort,
s If the breathing hurt her: II thought !,
rst that you had to see him die while :,
on was tryin' to save him; bat it wasn't "a
rue. He was there in the water. an t
q called, an you couldn't get to him." ,
he dropped her face moment over
he dead child. When she raised it, it
as set, hard, pitiless. 'A mothers n
ret would ha' carried her" she whis-
cred only just above her breath; "an'
e was mine the same as yours. You
It my boy die. I never gave you no {
ght to let my bog die" Ii
Slowly. deliberately. she turned and e
ltered the house. Willet stood where r
le left him. .motiou.ess, staring straight
head. From the bridge at the foot of
le hill the men gazed upward. watch
:g. They saw Hannah move. and
ougherty drew a long breath of sats-
lction. Its well wild 'em now. poor {,
lings." he announced, sagely. "The +;
ust is over. They bore it braveIy. an +
'cy stood by each other. Did We see i
ow Hannah took to comfortin' Jim
'om the first? You've got to leave %.
troubles to time. cnysays; but praise
e TO all the saints an the angels of
iory! the wust is over whin folks Is
vim an sympathizin' enough to keep h
ich other up."-N. Y. Independent. u
Like Pun. g -