The Republican journal., 1908-12-10

unexpected and it sobered me right
down. - ~.
"You don't mean to say that Mirandy
her head. t'No."
'.Dropsy?" She shook her head again:
I tried hard but l couldn,t think of
any other hidden complaints, til remem-
bered about Jud Perkins's anerlsm. 1t
must be that.
'Anerism?" says l.
She shook her head and this time the
tears actually came in her eyes:
Gland o. Lorimy, Persist" l cried,
EDO tell me what is the matter with
Mirandy. | am all of fidget..
s'Nothin' now, Celia" Persis replied,
s.but I know there will be soon. I've
been a lookin' forward to it for years.
Wbv Mirandy was only ten years old
when | first began to have the feelin.
| remember that day as well as though
it was Yesterday. was slttln' by the
window a watchin' Mirandy comm home
from school. She came runnin' up the
street a swingin' her strap OF books In
one hand and her hat in the other, her
hair flynn in all directions. My heart
seemed to stand still, for it came to me
like flash that when child was SO
beautiful and the very embodiment OF
health and spirits there must somethln'
happen to her; and l think L may truly
say, Celia, that have buried that dear
child every day since. j"
l couldn't say word, but just sat and
looked at her. She wiped away a few
more tears and we finished our supper IN
silence. After that she showed me over
~, Io,,,o Joo1aro If was a real castle
| told her so when | came to go to bed.
yes says she; sit is about the size
of our old home in the west; but | don't
never allow myself to take any pride in
it, Celia, things is so uncertin' in this
life. William has always been favored
somehow, but it isn't to be expected that
things can 90 on like this always; so l
don't let myself notice all these beauti-
full things any more than as though |
lived in hut. There can't anybody &C
cuse me of havin' taken comfort in them
since we owned them"
When Persis had shut the door, took
bit of paper out of my Boston bag, for
| had little calculatin' l wanted to do.
| had pencil in my pocket. She had she
said she began to bury Mirandy when she
was only ten years. Mirandy is twenty
two now, so / reckoned up Three humid
red and sixty-fve days in year, not al
OWN for leap years, and twelve years.
That would be twelve times three hundred
and sixty-fve-fo four thousand, three hun
bred and eighty! Accordin' to Persists
own statement she had buried Mirandy
four thousand, three hundred and eighty
times. Set down on paper in black and
white, it looked somethin' awful!
Now | knew had been in the habit of
worryin' eighteen hours out of the
twenty-four, still there couldn't anybody
say that | had buried my Bert or Carol
inc four thousand, three hundred and
eighty times. Why was it that Persis
could not be contented to live in the
sweet, happy present? Why could not |?
l turned out the light and pulled up the
curtains and sat down by the window to
think it all over. The moon was shinin
soft through the clouds that were driftin'
across it. There was breeze gently
playin' in the tops of the trees and l
could hear the waves peacefully break.
in on the shore. They WASH fussin'
an frettin,' thinkin' about the time
gave up thinkin' of Persis and sat there
and enjoyed it all for fifteen minutes.
And when l went to retire l didn't look
in no closets nor under the bed, as was
my usual won't. If anyone was there
waitin' to modest me, l wasn't goin' to
spoil my peace of mind by fndin it out
beforehand.
Well, needed all my strength to meet
the blow that came to me the next morn
in Before / had finished my breakfast
letter was handed me tellin that our
tannery was burnt and a timber had fall
len on my boy, my Bert; and they were
afraid he might be goin' to have brain
fever. | sat as still as stun when l had
read the letter through. Persis sat look
in at me, her eyes big with sympathy.
She was real comforter at first for she
didn't say no useless words. But when |
had come to little so | could talk about
when the train would leave for home, etc,
| saw that her mind was wanderin.
Then she fixed me with her eye.
"Well, Celia, suppose you know the
sorrer that will come to you next. ;" She
turned her head and looked at picture
of Bert that was sittin' on a table near
by. eff Bert does have brain fever, he
will never pull through"
was so taken aback, | couldn't speak
for moment. 1t seemed to me that
Persis had got warnin' sure, and at
that moment Bert appeared. l felt
that crushed, l didn't see how l could
even get home. Then somethin' in me
in horror, and rose right up on
my feet and stood confrontin' her.
''You amt nothin' but pauper, Persis,
if you do live in this elegant big house,
and you have buried Mirandy four thous
and, three hundred and eighty times, l
reckoned it all up on paper, so l know.
1t is most the population of our town. l
haven't buried Bert yet, and don't in
tend to. No, l don't know the sorrer
that will come to me next, and what is
more nobody else in this created world
does. The clouds of sorrer may be all
ready to burst above our heads, but
there can't anybody tell whether they air
goin' to burst in Maine or Californy.
l suppose it is no wonder Persis was
frightened. must have looked so fierce.
Her face worked all over. l felt almost
guilty, still couldn't regret my words,
and did hope they might lead her to see
the error Of her ways.
81 don't know but what you are
right, Celia" she quavered at last, still
l can't help feeling that if Bert doesn't
die your brother Tom will. You don't
seem to remember that he was hurt in
the fire too, Celia"
Slinparlands. N. Y.