Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
STEPHEN,

Died, Aged Six Weeks,
God be merciful to me, a sinner! "
Nov. what does that mean? Did you
ever hear any one say?"
NO. was his old wlfe's answer. Perhaps
she was one of those Calvinist folks who
believe babies go to hell If they are not
baptized"
but her children we're all baptized. I've
been told so; some of them before she was
well out of her bed. God be merciful to me,
a sinner And the chick not six weeks old!
Something queer about that dame, if 1t did
happen more than thirty years ago
What did you see over the grave of the
child who was killed by lightning in her
arms?"
This:
And he was not, for God took him."
Farmer White had but one word to say.
"She came to me when my Sissy had the
smallpox; the only person in town who
would enter my doors. More than that;
when Sissy was up and l went to pay the
doctors bill l found it had been settled. I
did not know then who had enough money
and compassion to do this for me; now l do"
Many an act of kindness which had been
secretly performed in that town during the
last twenty years came to light on that day,
the most notable of which was the sending
of a certain young lad to school and his
subsequent education as a minister.
But other memories of a sweeter and more
secret nature still came up likewise, among
them the following:
A young girl, who was Of a very timid
but deeply sensitive nature, had been urged
into an engagement with a man she did not
like ThOuph tho condint this OnnaaiOppn
her and the misery which accompanied it
were apparent to everybody, nobody stirred
in her behalf till Agatha Webb took II up.
She went to see her, and though It was
within a fortnight of the wedding, she did
not hesitate to advise the girl to give
him up, and when the poor child said she
lacked the courage, Agatha herself went to
the man and urged him into a display of
generosity which saved the poor, timid thing
from a life of misery. They say this was no
easy task for Agatha, and the man ives
sullen for a year. But the girls gratitude
was boundless.
OF her daring, which was always on the
side Of right and justice, the stories were
numerous; so were the accounts, mostly
among the women, of her rare tenderness
and sympathy for the weak and the erring.
Never was a man talked to as she talked to
Jake Cobleigh the evening after he struck
his mother, and If she had been In town on
the day when Clarissa Mayhem ran away
with that Philadelphia rascal many said 1t
would never have happened, for no girl
could stand the admonition, or resist the
pleading, of this ohildless mother.
1t was reserved for Mr.. Halliday and Mr..
Sutherland to talk Of her mental qualities.
Her character was SO marked and her man
ners so simple that few gave attention to
the intellect that was the real basis of her
power. The two mentioned gentlemen, how
ever, appreciated her to the full and 1t was
while listening to their remarks that Fred
erick was suddenly startled by some one
saying to him:
You are the only person In town who has
nothing to say about Agatha Webb. Didn't
you ever exchange any words with her, for
l can hardly believe you could have met her
eye to eye without. having some remark to
make about her beauty or her infiuence?"
The speaker was Agnes Halliday, who had
come in with her father for a social chat.
She was one of Frederick's earliest play
mates, but one with whom he had never
assimilated and who did not like him. He
knew this, as did every one else in town, and
it was with some hesitation he turned to
answer her.
II have but one recollection" he began,
and for the moment got no further, for in
turning his head to address his young guest
he had allowed his gaze to wander through
the open window by which she sat into the
garden beyond, where Amabel could be seen
picking flowers. AS he spoke Amabel lifted
her face with one of her suggestive looks.
She had doubtless heard Miss Halliday's re-
mark.
Recovering himself with an effort, he re-
peated his words. 81 have but one recollec-
ton of Mrs. Webb that l can give you.
Years, ago when / was a lad ! was playing
on the green with several other boys. We
had had some dispute about a lost ball and
| was swearing angrily and loud when l
suddenly perceived before me the tall form
and compassionate face of Mrs. Webb. She
was dressed in her usual simple way and
had a basket on her arm, but she looked so
superior to any other woman l had ever met
that l did not know whether to hide my
face in her skirts or to follow my first i'm
pulse and run away. She saw the emotion
she had aroused, and, lifting up my face by
the chin. she said: Little boy, / have
buried six children, all of them younger
than you, and now my husband and myself
live alone. Often and often have | wished
that one at least OF these darling infants
might have been spared us. But had God
given me the choice OF having them die
young and innocent or of growing up to
swear as | have heard you today / should
have prayed God to take them, as he did.
You have a mother. Do not break her
heart by taking the nahe of the God she
reyeres in vain And with that she kissed
me, and, strange as 1t may seem to you, in
whatever folly or wickedness l have in
dulged, i have never made use of an oath
from that day to this-and / thank God
for it."
There was such unusual feeling in his
voice, a feeling that none had ever sus-
peoted him capable Of before, that Miss
Halliday regarded him with astonishment
and quite forgot to indulge in her usual
banter. Even the gentlemen sat still, and
there was a momentary silence, through
which there presently broke the incongruous
sound Of a shrill and hooking laugh.
1t came from Amabel, who had just finished
gathering her boquet in the garden out
side.
CHAPTER 4.
AIAan.,LsIa To-