Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1921-05-07
CHAPTER XIV.

Mr.. Sidney died between three and
four o'clock Christmas morning. He
passed so easily thnt Jed. sleeping
I'm the lounCe-Chair beside him. did
not know that death had gone through
the chamber until an hour after the
event Jed awakened me. In the case
OF such an expected happening as this,
the perceptions start slowly. The
fact that the benignity which so i'm
perccptibly had dominated the house
had ceased to exist took hours 10 as
sert itself.
Jed was composed when he aroused
me. Later when the sun came up to
make radiant all the white witChery
the storm left. his sense OF loss began
To assert Itself. and acute rs was the
grief in the house none WINS deeper
seated or more profound than that OF
the rascally old servant.
Mrs. Sidney accepted the event with
serenity which discovered after
ward was horn of lOng-fiXed resOlu-
ton. For years her life had been a
denial of ,-'erIry-' ''''''''' ..-;,5py,
in spite of that. because Of her great
devotion to the wonderful man she
loved. The chapters which he doml-
mated i'm her book were ended. With
tenderness She laid them aside.
IsobcI did not permit herself in
diligence in any weakness. What had
happened was written in the contract
Of life I'm later full knowledge of
Isohcl never ceased to admire the
wonderful aCccptivlty with which She
met her trials Nothing came to her
with catastrophe shock. She had
reality within her vision. and she per
Cpivcd.
For myself saw the end of n mode
Of life which. even when unhappy.
had been PcStntiCally so. My reason
for being in Hartley house lay dead
I'm bed.
should look back. I knew. many
times ms struggling practitioner,
possibly I'm poorer districts of the CITY,
possibly In n small town. to the
strange but beautiful time when I was
M Hartley. This experience would he
only an episode, remaining as the
memory Of n time when my life halted
for wonderful moment. satisfying.
rich and Joyful. and-having had this
momcnt-went on In the drab fashion
ordained for II. An occasional kindly
letter from Mrs Sidney, or possibly
from IsObel might quicken the mem
Ory hut | and this period would fade
from their lives as II never could from
mine. ! should be packing Mill
case on late and improbable rounds
I'm that sOul-destroying routine with
It's ccaselesS invasion Of the Intimate
personal economies Of unintprestinr
people, nbnOrmally eGOistic In the main
of small or large dlsorder-the
chccrIeSs life Of small physician
serving his useful purpose, have no
doubt. but how little serving his own
We got through Christmas day IN
- dnZed fashion. The necessary offices
for the dead compelled routine
which relieved tho tension. although
they contributed dullcd terror 70 the
day-thoSc terrible. cXuCtlng practical
<tnllS with which some one in thc
hcreavcd family must occupy himself
Mortunry details are Iocose to the pcs
Slmlst. ! know no more comic figure
than an undertaken. no more gigantic
shaft of human cgotism than tomh-
stone.
Mr.. Sidney. We found. had left hrIef
but explicit directions for his burIoI
This. In the case Of man with Iife
SO well conceived. was strnnge hut
his wishes, ms We found them. were
simple and startling. He wnS 70 no
buried by the river, close to the nooI
which had been Invested with the add
ed charm of II ghost-story. His grave
was 10 be marked by nm unostento-
tiouS stone The Inscription wos ia
10 ns he directed In a note In s,oI.d
enclosure to be opened at the time
Mrs. Sidney thought appropriate.
II might be. he Ind written that
Mrs. Sidney would not want the stone
erected during her life. Her wIsbe.
were 10 be consulted. When the rrove
was marked, II II ever was. tho In
-rription was to he rs he directed
Mrs. sidney. acquainted with the
terms of this extraordiuary morfupr,
note. said that Il was her wish ~ L.tn
"a" sealed envelope opened immediate.
L. l..