Year: 1869

them! Far better to walk the rough
paths of the world alone, than to lean up
on aud trust in friends Of to-day.


Joe held up his hat, saying. ''see here,
Sis! See what have brought you"


struck down his hand. The berries
were spilled over the ground. He gave
me such look shall never forget it.
Never. In my dying hour those eyes will
be bent upon me.


He turned from me without word,
and went on toward the house. follow
ed very slowly. so as not to comesup with
him. I went straight to our play house.
With my scissors [ cut to pieces every
child. and strewed the ground with their
remains. I took bit of brick and pound
ed all my china to atoms. Then I tore
down the house. I left not one board up
on another.


When the ruin was complete, it was
dark. I went into the house. Joe sat in
a corner, eating bowl of bread and milk.
Mother asked me if wanted some too.


NO" I answered-''I' % not hungry"


[ brushed past Joe without looking at
him. and went up stairs. [ scrambled up
on an old high chest which stood by the
window, and leaned out, watching the
stars


[ can recall at this moment the sounds
I heard. An owl, hooting from an old
dead tree just in the edge Of the wood =
The sharp bark of dog mile away!-
The tinkling of COW bells, as their wear
ers munched the cool, dewy grass. The
murmur of distant brook, flowing over
its hard bed of sharp rocks. The cry of
a loon gone wild with sorrow for the loss
of mate. The faint cbirp of the birds
as they tucked their heads under their
wings. The shrill. grating voice of that
hateful thing. always threatening to ex-
pose Katy. Why don't she do it, and
have done with that ear splitting katy
did Katy did -


I sat there still, when I heard Joe come
creeping up to bed. did not speak to
him, though be spoke to me.


II am going fishing tomorrow, he said


Not till long after Joe was asleep did !
leave my perch, and seek my bed.


Sometime in the middle of the nighi I
was awakened by Joe.


ooh! I'm so hot" be said Il wish l
had some water"


I knew he was afraid to get up in the
dark and 90 after it. I pretended to be
asleep, and, after tossing and turning rest
lessly for awhile, he got up and went af-
ter the water himself.


In the morning father came to the foot
of the stairs. as usual, calling Joe to get
up and drive away the COWS, and me to
feed the chickens, turkeys and geese. l
jumped out of bed and began to dress
quickly. for my father spoke to be obey
ed. Joe did not move. but breathed
heavily, as though still asleep. I went
down as still as possible, so as not to a.
waken him. for 1 wanted father to scold
him, and should not have felt sorry to
have had him soundly whipped.


When father came in again, and found
he had not yet come down, he called,
Joe !" in a tone that brought him out Of
bed with bound. When he came down
stairs, my father turned towards him
with Well, young ma" but the last
word died on his lips, as Joe staggered,
and would have fallen to the floor had he
1ot caught him.


. He was soon undressed and laid upon
MS "mother's bed," his face burning with
fever, hands hot as fire, and eyes heavy
and dull. He lay in stupor, and no ef-
forts of ours could arouse him, only to
drink great draughts of water. The doc
Tor soon came, and pronounced the dis
ease typhoid fever.


Oh, the days and nights of weary watch
ing. by the sick bed But no one thought
Of me; no one knew why I haunted the
room night and day; why I called out
Joe's name in my sleep with such implor-
ing tones.


And the days and nights were drearily
away, and then came at last, the night of
leath. [ knew it was coming-knew it
from the first. I had heard the heavy
Zap of the wings of blackness through all
The weird hours Of the night, when they
thought me asleep. | bad seen the dark
waters of the river over which he was soon
to pass, when I sat on the stair, with my
face covered with my apron. listening to
every sound which came from the sick
room, till the morning came.


One night my mother did not send me
away, but held me closely to her side, and
Kept her hand over her face. My father
sat on the edge of the bed, and held little
Joe's pale limp hand, keeping his fingers
IN his futtering pulse. Two or three
neighbors-men and their wives-stood
round the room. -....,, S..


The hours crept on. Words are pow
erless to describe the terrible fear, grief
and remorse that possessed my soul; fear
that he would die without forgiving me;
grief, that he was drifting out upon that
lark and lonesome sea, and should never
see him any more remorse, that I had SO
cruelty repulsed him when he sought for
giveness and reconciliation. And yet /
feeling even then. in that
solemn hour of death, the old hurt throb
with pain. And I did not forget, if I
forgave.


Sometime toward the dawn there was a
stir-a hustle. My mother started up,