The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-03-12

nils f1Oatod sou gray clOuus-tne ueau
sunset. And even as they looked a
sudden thrill and flush came across
these, and the valley was filled with
the glory Of the after-glow, and the
two old figures stood silent in the
midst Of the golden light.
It was a few weeks after this that
Hester caught severe cold. She was
in bed for several days, and Mamie
had her husband and child to care for,
and her mother would not let her stay
long.
"They'll be needing You'll can get
along now," she said.
II guess they can get along without
me little while longer" answered
Mamie.
"What say?"
Mamie looked alarmed; she raised |
her voice and spoke with careful en-
phasis-
IT guess-they can get along-with-
out me q little while," she repeated.
Her mother nodded.
II said it had been quite a while,"
she said. "I'm glad you're going,
Mamie, though we shall miss you so"
Nannie's face filled with pitiful
tenderness. Her mother looked up
suddenly and noticed, and q strange
expression came into her eyes. She
spoke with curious eagerness.
"Nannie," she said, "tell me true
don't I hear as I used top
Nannie's face flushed. With sud-
den impulsive gesture she threw her
arms about her mother, sobbing Bit
terly. But in her mothers eyes the
strange expression grew into a glad
light.
"Don't feel so, Nannie," she said.
CT guess I'm almost glad. I'm
going to tell your father"
Mamie went home the next day
sorely against her will. She told her
husband that it almost broke her
heart to think of them so; if it wasn't
for little Mamie she would go back
there and stay, but she couldn't take
the child-it might hurt her throat Sc
riously to have to shout to them.
Then she caught Mamie up and kissed
her again and again; she wondered
how she could live if she couldn't
hear that baby voice. She was
troubled, too, for the child had deli
cate throat and she dared not take
her often to see the old folks-and
they would miss her so!
+ But it was not so hard; her mother
spoke of it herself and said that she
and father had talked it over, and they
knew it would be best not to have the
. child there often. And Mamie
r mustn't worry-they could get along
. all right as long as they could hear
l each other. Indeed, it seemed as il
l the bond of suffering drew them closer
together. It was beautiful to see the
L old mans care for his wife and his
v tenderness in speaking to her. The
$ neighbors who had pitied at frs
d talked often of it; they said they new
n er saw two deaf people take such com
It fort in each other. Often on summer
d days the two high-pitched voices
3 would be heard. and the people pass
It ing would smile at each other an(
IS sometimes linger little.
- "'Tis kind O. social to hear them,
n they said.
d So the winter passed and tho sum
at mer, and then quite suddenly, on
night when the earth was lying hushe
e and silent under q soft fall Of snow
u, the old man passed from the silence {
[e his life into the greater silence that !
le beyond the reach of human voice.
The neighbors for miles aroun
le csme to the funeral, and the hous
was full of grave decorous whispers
- broken strangely when any one spok
1g to the wife. She was pale and silen
only once did she speak Of anythin
that she wanted done, and then sh
o. called Mamie hesitatingly.
re "Tell him I don'twant him to spea
lst SOS can hear. lit wouldn
n, seem proper, somehow. It won
nd make any difference to Ezra nov
I and I''-she faltered moment, On
up tender light came into tho. faded b!'
ng eyes-"I guess he can't say anythir
nix about my husband that don't kno
:er a hundred times better than him"
"i'll tell him, mother" said Ma
9at ME, gently. :.
,at Her mother spoke slowly, choosi1
yer her words. "And tell him" she sal
"that we've lived together thir
col years, and it don't seem more tn
is thirty weeks as I look back. And t
yer him that in it all was never an ang
eel word, never anything but a love c
speak of; and tell him" (she was CT
ing little now, but her face y. "
r." still touched with the wonder1
Lightly "tell him that the only TIL
ap- I'm sorry for now is that there was
,lp- more I could do to show my love
uld my husband"
ttr I'LL 4oll him oil - said Mann