Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-09-10
A Suffering Saint.
By HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD
Continued from last week J

t0OHtly4AIN tA3it4 lA1b HfeNf4.J
''There, Mis- Lavender, don't now,
don't get 50, as may say, excited He's
a-leanin on to the gate now--yes. quite
quiet Yes, and you Eeedn't-- that il tc
say, you needn't worry none. Won't
do nothin 'thout your-your co-opera-
tion AS longs you can--yes, control
him
Mostly / can manage, she said, her
fingers shaking 30 she could not tie her
bonnet strings. He's really--really--
oh, be Is fond of meT'
Yes, know-yes, !" said Mr.. Hodge,
taking up his hat and pouring out the
bandanna to mop his face But DOM
yes--don't you think you would
be happier, as You may say, safer--that
is, yes, easier every way, eff he was
took care Of
"Oh, oh, ohl'' suddenly cried the lit
tie woman, covering her face with her
hands, through which the tears squirt
ed. II can't bear another word The
dear Lord knows what I've borne al
ready--w' EN- first found it out--and !
couldn't believe It'll thought / was
teched myself-but W EN- I'd wake up
in the night with his hands at my throat
land the baby, oh, the babyl"
"By graciousl'' cried the startled
Mr.. Hodge. And he would have said
"By gracious r. again il be could have
made up his mind in season, when she
took down her hands, wiped her eyes
and with scarcely trace Of her tears
10 pked out the door and smiled. His
exclamation had restored her self con-
troll
II shall have to leave you to lock
up, she said, turning to Mr.. Hodge
with pretty dignity, and as if nothing
had been said before. I'VE was goin to
take walk together, my husban and
me-
well" said Mr.. Hodge when he
went into Mrs. Mather's fore room, c
room resplendent with a picture of Cap
tain Mather's three master, the Man of
Null under full sail and in gilt
frame, and with portrait Of the late
captain himself that looked much as if
the fgurehead of his schooner might
have sat for it, and where the pretty
black eyed mistress always braided her
mats in the afternoons "Well. I'm
free-yes, free to confess never, as you
may say -
You may say jest wat you please,
Mr.. Hodge, cried Mrs. Mather, land
I'll say it after you. For Of ever see a
sufferin saint put upon and no way to
hinder and enough to make you doubt
the ways of God to mani
"0r-or woman either, as it were
yes, !" said Mr.. Hodge
(which is Jest W ut mean. She's
done everything she knowed how to keep
it from gettin out. And W EN- he's right
az in she acts Jest S though every body ID
forgot it. Forgot it My land can
look right into their house, and w en-
see him fiourishin the AK roun that ba-
by a-settin on the floor and lookin upand
laughin into his face till he dropped it,
or a-seizin Sally by the hair Of her
head and bendin her head back, and she
a-lookin at him with them great still
eyeso' hern, patient as a dumb critter $,
and nothin but a spark Of the old logo
left in the midst of all his fury sayin
her from destruction, and nothin bein
done''-
"But, Mis- Mather--yes, Mis- Mather
theirs nothin to do. She don't want
him took up And that S all-yes, that's
all the selee men are empowered--ye
as / may say, empowered to do. It
yes, it looks to me, Mis- Mather, as if
you was-yes, as it were, a blessin the
Lord more than the selee men, yes.
II dunno but be. But dunno how
the Lord can look Sally Lavender in the
face. There--I've said it. j."
mis- Mather, IL shan't, SO to say,
yes, repeat W at you've said. It--yes--
in one point of view it does credit to
your feelin IS. But the Lord he--yes, as
you may say, he rules the world his
own way-yes.
~ dunno whether he does or not.
Humphrey Lavender amt the first of
his people on the mother side that's
ben beside themselves, and he wouldn't
"a been the last of Polly'd been spared.
To look at that dear baby, with her lit
tie rosy, smilin face, a-squinnyin up
her sweet eyes, laughin and shown her
pretty white beads of teeth, and to think
she's got to go through the same thing
wal, eff there's anything makes you
doubt jestice =
"There ain't, I" said Mr.. Hodge, tax
ing up his hat and looking into it, lift
ing out the length of his handkerchief
and putting it carefully back" there
there amt. l DOM want no better-yes,
argument, for another life than the
way-yes, the way Sally Lavender's bein
trained for it, as you may say. And of it
amt the sperit of the Lord that makes
her keep that mailman from doin her q
mischief, then there amt no sperit of
the Lord. And there is, Mis- Mather--
yes az you my say, there ist'
Mrs. Mather was silent, the strips Of
her rug braiding hanging Imply over
her fingers. 81 don't myself. began
Mr.. Hodge again--''I don THAT is to
say, myself, believe in no evil PRIMER
pie. It's contrary-yes, to my idee of
the power of God. Yes. But aim {