Arizona republican., 1899-01-16
THEY CHEERED
 THE INVALID

l beginning to recover from a serious i'll : ness. At the door she met Mrs Fore
 man bent on a similar errand. and to- P getEer they entered ;he dim bedroom
 for the first time since Mrs. L-2m.s
 passed the critical point Of her indis- position.
 Mrs. Loomis, lying back upon her pillows, extended her hand with a fee
 ble smile, and tho two neighSors set tied comfor -ably down in the odor of steaming teas and pungsnt drugs and prepared to encourage the sick woman. well, Nora Loomis." began Mrs. iSwatson. "You don't eyer msaa to tel me that's you Why. child, there's
 nothing left of you but skin and bones. Did you ever sse anybody look so bad
 out of their ccfln, Mrs. Foreman"
 No, indeed said Mrs. Foreman,
 seizing the opening. except it was my
 cousin Annie just before she died. Her sickness was just like yours, Mrs. Loomis, and wa all thought the poor
 girl was going to get well. Began to pick up and be real chipper. Got so
 she could receive callers and all that when all ct once she up and died one
 day before her children could get home
 from school. I tell you you can't be
 too careful, Mrs. Loomis, even if you
 are convalescent, because with your disease q relapse is liable to come any
 minute. Now there"
 'Yes. indeed" broke in Mrs. Swat
 sen. T was just saying to John this morning, says I, I really must run over and see Mis- Iloomis today, because I might never have a chance to see her again in this life, and is my bounden duty to go an cheer Nora up bit, if
 can, because says l, while we all hope for the best, still Dr. Stevens has lost an awful lot of patients this year land there's TO telling the day nor ye- the hour you know. Dear me it only seems a little while since Miss Peters stood in my house, in the flesh, to
 borrow two tGasPOOnfuis Of baking powder, which the poor woman never lived to bring back, but my goodness, ! I'd give that a dozen times over if it could only bring her back, although m2ny's the time she was-thOugh not meaning to speak i'll of the dead-un- neighDOrly about that gC05eDsrry bush | that hung over the fence in our back ! yard, and the children would pick them i off, the little dcars, in spite of all I could say or do, and such tantrums as that woman would go into I never hope | to see in all my born days, not being given to qUarreling or pickering as you well known Mis- Foreman having lived ! on the other side now for going on six years, or is 1t seven, l forget which, i anyway l know yCu moved in just a year to the day after Aiis' Johnson run | off with that piano tuner that got | drunk and nearly beat her to deith, ! and served her right within Q month | and excepting the time your Johnny ] slapped my little ElOise and our chick ems scratched up your garden because <. you didn't keep your feEce mended, and ! that time your Sadie cut down my i clO hes line with the wash just hung | cut because ! ordered her cut of tIe yard for calling my Ollie names, be- cause Ollie broke her dou, which, fl you remember. Mis- Foreman, 1 re- placed with one that cost 43 cents, and was brand-new down at the bargain store that time just after they had the big fire. whsre Mis- Pc CTS Annie had her face burned SC bad that her young man, who, if you remember, was Bob Parsons, that aflerward joined the r. circus and got arrested for sxindling people selling tickets. refused to marry f'
 
 heart, coming so close as it did to her poor mothers dea h, and I'll never for get the way that T5Or defOrmed cre3- ture took on a the funeral, and Mis- Peters lying there just as natural as fife, as though she might almost speak to a body, with 3 smile on her face 2s -hOugh she saw the angels, though l noticed that the embroidery or her , shroud was tore some which was q , ', embroidery, about like the pattern yOu , Ire wearing there, Mis- Loomis, and, !, come to think cf it, you seem to fa- gCu her 9 great deal since your face , md your hands have got so thin, and \ TOUT hair is about the same shade, N md you was both sick about the same \ ength of time, and they do say that if \ )r. SteVcnts Lad only allowed some Of fer old friends 10 drop in now and then \ Q cheer her up a bit Mis- Peters might \ rave had a better show. but. Gs said ' o John, says 1, If she'd only had a \ better doctor she'd a had a better ' harce yet although I'm not saying \ ut what he's good enough dOcI0r for \ but he has never had any \ uck with your class of sickness, Mis- \ 4COmis, as Mis- Foreman well knows, & nd if--'' \
 ''Yes, indeed" said Mrs. Foreman, at the opportunity, there s vas Mandy Totten that he lost after unnirg up a S75 doctor bill on her 3lks. tha1 was able to pay it, and z wouldn't even though pr. Stevens threatened the law on them, an was ' ven mean enough to say that Mandy committed suic.de by getting out Of bed )ng before Ea give her leave, wanting f couis to keep her there as long as ; Ossible, to run up a bigger bill. And X here was old Mrs. Parrish that died = n him before she ever had a chance t0 ear that new black alpaca dress she ad made with the shirred V-cut O odice, and the passen6nterie trim ,ings and buttons that cos $5 9 dozen. nd there was Tasac Po,imln's wife (,