The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-10-16

"They eat like cannibals. There won't
be enough left to sweeten cup of tea. !"
The doctor sat at the head of his ia
BILE that night with thankful heart.
He was never SO happy as when he
could entertain there guest. use the
word entertain intelligently. Among
/ the tributes to his memory SO years aft
er was this: IA more racy and enter
| tanning talker in his best days is would
be hard to find His fund of anecdotes
was unlimited, and a book OF his stories
would be as rich reading as ever his
story telling profession produced. -
! When he was in the mood for it, no
one that ! ever met could provoke SO
much laughter. Doctor" gasped a
woman at his table, between her spasms
Of laughter, "please stop. If you do not
let me rest long enough to get my
breath, shall choke to death. -
! Opposite the doctor sat his wife, at
his right Mr.. Bingham, at the end of
/ the beard the venerable father. Large
candles in shining brass sticks illumin-
ed the scene. The doctor looked upon
his three children to command quiet.
! "Will you ask a blessing, sir?'
The doctor never talked while he
carved. He was an expert carver, and
the well filled plates went round with
dispatch.
| II hope Miss Lucy's preserves are
keeping we'll through the winter, ;" said
Mrs. Mollie, with smiling face, as she
handed her guest sauce plate of yellow
ounce.
! For our preserves, madam, we are
indebted to our parishioners, notably to
your generous remembrance after we
had the pleasure of sitting at your table
last Thanksgiving day, and they have
in fac, we appreciated them to such an
eAten5 that nothing now remains. "
/ The doctor burst into hearty laugh.
"Good for you! My Mollie's crooks are
full and she will see to it that you are
supplied. I"
Forty years after it was also said of
this lady by one who knew her init
mately: "She was always beautiful,
but never more gracious than at the
head of her own table, There I like best
to remembe her," Amid all the sor-
row that came to that home in after
years-sorrow- from brooding shadow
or death and deeper sorrow from the
shadow of life-hers is the one form
that shines out like a star, grand in the
love that "endured all things, hoped all
things, overcame all things, strong in
foif <b,%
II shall enter into no controversy
with you, sir, upon the subject of for
eign MISSIONS" said the doctor when
the conversation drifted, as was natural,
into that channel, 'but"-and hu-
morous twinkle came into his eye-''I
told my friend Tinker when he returned
that hundred or thousand of those
souls boiled down and simmered to-
gether would not equal the soul of one
man like him.
'.Lebbeus, said his father, rapping
on the table with the handle of his
knife, as was his won't when excited.
"you are wise above what is written.
Yea Are irreverent"
For a moment there was silence then
(, the eveSor pushing back his chair, said,
} with laugh, "No irreverence about
IT'LL
No one ever accused the doctor of
flial disrespect. There is an old letter.
carefully preserved, written by this half
blild old father, addressed to his son,
a. follows: Dear and we'll beloved and
we'll worthy son.
After supper the doctor and his guest
spoke of the first minister of the church.
"Ihis house was his home, sir, built
for him t.bou5 1869. Here his children
We're norm. This was his first and only
Dastorate. From here he was buried. %
lie chose the site of this house most
wisely 1t is beautiful for situation
trnly v
II have every reason to suppose he
planted the elm trees. He passed away
before n.y time, sir, but I believe him
to have been strong man, of dignified
presence. His children and grandchil.
dren have taken high rank in the pro
fessions--such l believe his descendants
will continue to do. There was unfortu.
nately one exception. y
The doctor nodded toward the south
bedroom.
"You have then his daughter under
yo,ir roof"
Under the roof built for her father,
sir; his youngest daughter. She was
hand cine, silly and unfortunate. Hel
husband was, 1 think, the first regular
ly settled physician in the township. y
"Sile married, them"
The doctor married her. sir What
els could ne do?' The doctor blew his
nosa gmously and poked the fire. "He
married her and killed himself
dreadful! Was it pistoi?"
No, laudanum.
In those faraway primitive times sui
cides in our country were happily rare.
We had not attained to the degree OF
refinement which fills every daily pa
: per with shocking recitals of self muir.
der. And when a poor unfortunate die
put an end to his life it was supposed
as matter of course, that if he had q
wife she ''was at the bottom of it,
only repetition of the same old wall,