Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-09-28


suddenly and noticed that strange ex-
preston came into her eyes and she
spoke with curious eagerness.
Mamie" she said, tell me true
don't | hear as | used to-"
Nannies face flushed; with a sudden
lgppulsive gesture she threw her arms
about her mother, sobbing bitterly But
in her mothers eyes the strange ex-
preston grew into glad light.
Don't feel So Mamie" she said.
IL guess I'm almost glad. m 60
ing TO tell your father.
Mamie went home the next day sore
ly against her will She told her
husband that it almost broke her heart
10 think of them so; If it wasn't for
little Mamie she would go back there
and stay but she couldn't take the
oaild-it might hurt her throat seri-
ously 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 delicate 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 slfi}d there, ~..9ftaI.~a..And Mamie
mustn't worry-they could get along
all right as long as they could hear
each other. Indeed it seemed as If the
bond of suffering drew them closer to-
gether. 1t was beautiful to see the
old mans care for his wife and his
tenderness in speaking to her. The
neighbors who had pitied at first talked
often of it; they said they never saw
two deaf people take such comfort in
each other Often on summer days
the two old high-pitched voices would
be heard, and people passing would
smile at each other and sometimes
finger a little. otis kind O. social to
hear them" they said.
SO the winter passed and the sum-
mer, and quite suddenly, one night
when the earth was lying hushed and
silent under a soft fall of snow, the
old man passed from the silence of his
life into the greater silence that is be-
yond the reach of human voice.
The neighbors for miles around came
to the funeral, and the house was full
of grave, decorous whispers, broken
strangely when any one spoke to the
wife, She was pale and silent; only
once did she speak OF anything that
she wanted done, and then she called
Mamie hesitatingly ITS about the
minister" she said. Tell him | don't
want him to speak SOS l can hear. 1t
it wouldn't seem proper, somehow
1t won't make any difference to Ezra
now, and L" she faltered a moment
and a tender light came into the faded
blue eyes-'I guess he can't say any
thing about my husband that | don't
know a hundred times better than
him"
III tell him, mother said Mamie
gently
Her mother spoke slowly, choosing
her words. "And tell him." she said,
that we've lived together 80 years,
and it don't seem more than 80 weeks
as | look back And tell him that in
it all was never an angry word, never
anything but love | can't speak Of;
and tell him" she was crying a little
now, burt her face was still touched
with the wonderful light, "tell him that
the only thing I'm sorry for now is
that there wasn't more | could do to
show my love for my husband
Il will tell him all, said Mamie.
That was strange funeral--the
neighbors spoke of it afterwards. The
still figure that sat dead to the words
Of tender healing spoken by the min
lister seemed to lend an element Of
mystery to the scene, and the con-
trast between the darkened room and
the brilliant, sparkling world outside
flashed upon their eyes like a miracle.
They spoke of it on the way home
and said that Ezra had been a good
husband to her, and no one would
fill his place Mamie means all right"
Mrs Tarbox said smoothing her black
dress, hut she hasn't time to set down
and make a work Of entertaining her
mother"
It's so, answered Mrs. Slocum,
"and Hester'n miss entertaining Ezra,
too faint as though she wasn't
afflicted either way. She's young and
spry enough yet, but It seems most as
If it's no use"
Il shall sort o. miss hearing them
summer evenings" said her friend.
I'VE was 50 near, you know-lt seemed
almost like company"
81 guess Wen all feel bad to see the
house shut up" responded Mrs. Slo-
cum her voice full of the solemnity Of
the occasion
And Mrs Banks, all unconscious Of
the talk, was being driven over to
Nannie's. She was so quiet that her
daughter did not disturb her. Il don't
feel as If knew what to say to her.
though she is my mother?' she whis-
pered TO her husband.
They helped her tenderly into the
house and Mamie put her into the