Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-06-24
THE GRAVES SECRET.

knitting. Inc TWO were alone III tue
room. They sat at the left hand of the
fireplace, opposite the windows, near
three legged stand containing basket
full of bright colored pieces. The sputter
of the fire on the broad, deep hearth,
the pur Of the cat, the clicking Of the
needles, the loud ticking of the clock in
the north bedroom, were the only sounds.
"What are you going to piece now,
Aunt Docia?"
ga cover for holder"
"For Libby-in the kitchen?"
"No, for this room. 1 always smudge
my fingers when I poke the fire"
ST wouldn't poke it, then, and if you
smudge your fingers wash them off.
"Water always makes me cough"
"Talking makes you cough too.
Don't talk"
Everything makes-me-cough. Oh,
dear, have coughed all my life. am
worn out coughing"
Any one looking at the emaciated old
lady would have said that she told the
truth. Life to her for the past 30 years
had been burdened by a cough. 1t was
said to be the "old fashioned kind, a
kind which in these latter days, when
people make haste to die, as they make
haste to do everything else, has become
extinct. The clock in the neat room
struck Q.
"Time for grandfather to waken, and
am through with my stint for today.
Now I will get your wild turnlp. !"
Roxy Ann folded her knitting and
brought piece of wild turnip with a
little bottle and a knife to the old lady
and stood by while she scraped and
mixed it.
"Brindle has been trimming his
whiskers. That means that we are go
ing to have company to tea, and here
comes grandfather. :"
Aunt Docia, feeling the soothing in
fluence of the morphine and wild tur-
nip, took her basket and went off to the
south bedroom. The little girl gave
bop, skip and jump toward venerable
looking man. who came out from the
north bedroom, his head turned slightly
to one side, as is common to the aged
when their hearing is not what it used
to be-. and when "they that look out
at the windows are darkened. Grand
father, I'll have your flip ready in no
time"
"That is right. Give me my flip.
Has Lebbeus Gomez"
"No, grandfather. Mother went with
father. They won't be home till night. "
"Where are the boys?"
"Boiling sap under thahll. WANTED
to 20 with them, but they said it was
too sposhy for me. The Alderman boys
are with them"
81 am glad you did Lot 60; better
stay at home. "
81 would huve gone, though, if l had
cared about it. They are going to bring
it up and sugar off in the kitchen"
Meantime she had wheeled her grand
fathers chair before the fire and the
stand, on which had been deposited a
quart bowl and a very large silver spoon.
She filled TIN basin with cider and
poured into it cup Of molasses. Then
she took large iron and thrust it into
the burning Goals. While the iron was
heating she toasted slice of bread.
turning it carefully when it was
Drowned on both sides. She broke it
into the bowl; then taking the redhot
iron from the Goals she held it in the
cider, sputtering, kissing and smoking,
till the cider was hot, when she poured
it over the toasted bread and with q
"Now, grandfather, your flip is ready, "
seated herself in satisfied manner at
his feet. The old gentleman took his flip
with great gusto. When be had swal-
lowed the last mouthful, he said:
''It is such fine afternoon you may
get my hat and stick. I will 60 down
the hill and have talk with Deacon
Ford. He is mastery hand at Scrip
ture. No newfangled foolery about
him. He believes as the tree falleth SO
it shall lie. " 1t might have been the
flip or the inspiration derived from the
immutability of the eternal purpose
which gave unusual elasticity to the old
gentleman's step as he paced back and
forth across the long room, repeating,
"Chained to the throne the volume
lies" Presently he burst into strain
familiar to octogenarians so years ago,
marking the time with his hand:
son cherubim and seraphim
Full royalty he rode,
And on the wings of mighty winds
Came flying all abroadl'
By this time he had evidently forgot
ten all about his projected visit to Dea.
con Ford and was ready to embark on a
longer voyage. Adapting his step to a
martial beat, he burst out:
"We're marching, marching to Quebec,
And the drums are loudly beating!"
Roxy Ann knew all that, word for
word. She laid aside the stick and join
ed her grandfather in his triumphant
march. Finally he sat down and began
amore plaintive air, bending his body in
regular rhythm to the music:
"When Wolfe's breast first felt the ball.
He said, I'm sure that l must fall
he spoke to his men, both one and all,
Saying, The cause Is right
And while his reason did remain,
And blood ran gushing from each vein.
His tongue rolled forth the lofty strain,
The Lord the battle decide ,"