Year: 1870

''look at thatn' cried my grandmother,
striking an attitude worthy of Lady Macbeth
when she addressed the fatal spot on her
hand, this time, however, it was only the
scissors, which, in falling, stood upright in
the floor.


Il see. It's nothing uncommon, is it ?"


"Did you ever know it to happen that a
stranger didn't come before the day was
out 81


Il never noticed; somebody was always
coming, tor the matter of that"


II tell you that sign don't never fail" (my
grandmother always used double negatives
when shcmeant to be emphatic )''most others
will but that's true Us Il book. And another
thing, there was a stranger in my tea tonight,
Il long Onc-that shows It's aman that's com
in Some folks set a great deal by that
sign; but it amt TO he mentioned the same
day with the scissors standing up in the
Iioor.'


II hope he will come soon, for the storm
will, be here before him;" and with these
words the wind went wailing round the house.
and the first big drops beat against the
window pane.


Three score years and ten had not taken
the first bloom from the romance of my
grandmOther's character; il was fresh and
green as in her girlhood. Beggars heard of
her afar off, and ran to fall on the neck Of
her charity.


She followed the advice of Lamb without
ever having read it. When poor creature
came before her she stad not to inquire
whether the seven small children, - in whose
name he implored her assistance. had a veri
table existence, but cast her bread upon the
waters, and lived in faith.
| In fact, she had east 50 much bread upon

50 small a proportion had come back to her,
that she had nothing left for herself except
the old farm and the gambrel rooted house
Within its walls my father had first seen
the light, and lived till he went out to fight
the world. He fell early in the strife. and
my mother soon followed him; but not until
she had marked out my way i'll life, and so
fixed me in the groove of her ideas that
had no choice left went to a village acad
cmy till | was old enough to enter the "Nor-
NAL School,, for my destiny was to be 4
teacher My little income had TO be eked
out in some way; and OF all work to which q
woman may turn her hand, school, perhaps,
divides the burden most equally between
body and mind.


When | graduated, my grandmother left
the old @ambrcl roof to see me do it, and
carried me home with her for a ''breathing
spell" (as She said) before getting place to
teach.


As to my future, | was neither happy nor
unhappy, but rather between. At twenty
life runs on with very little friction; there is
excitement enough in mere youth to make
! living y pleasure.


| The evening drew on with ever-increasing
gusts Of wind and the old house shook to
its foundations but it clung galanty to The
great central chimney, which, being nearly
as broad as il was high, could afford to be
Indifferent, when wind and weather came to
blows and made u night of it.


IL hope you don't mean to sit up for that
somebody who is coming. All signs fail IN
wet weather.


| The words We're scarcely spoken when we
heard the tread OF horse running at full
oallop down the steep hill above the house,
then a crash Of the fence and all was still.


We held our breath and listened. Soon 4
mans step sounded slow and heavy on the
walk, and my Grandmother rushed to open
the door.


"Don't be scarf said the familiar voice OF
one of our neighbors, and he stumbled in,
| carving a man, pale and lifeless, in his
arms.


Lay him right on the loungc-get the
camphor rboltlc--herc's somebody sure enough
don't tell me again that signs ever fail.
Who is it, Joc?"


81 dunno his name; city fellow, reckon Z;
said he'd pay me most any price to get him
to Meriden tonight. The mare did well
enough until we got to that ERE hill, then a
flash scared her, and she never stopped till
she brought up agin your fence. If he
hadn't been a fool and jumped out, he might
n been Il spry as am; but some folks don't
! know nOthinN


"Ihal 5 so THAT The rest get a livin' out
of 'cm - said my grandmother Meantime
She was vigorously chatting his hands and
feet, while dashed the camphor in his face,
and bathed the broad white forehead, which
certainly promised well for the brain behind
it.


''IIe must be dead" said [ che don't
come to nj ALL


''No he amt. Folks can't be killed SC
easy. He'll give you trouble enough before
you're done with him. Now IH 90 after the


doctor; taint noways likely he'll know any
more what's the matter than we do; but he'i
pretend to- and if the man dies it's his fault
and not ourn."


The doctor found no bones broken, but the
head was in ured, and he must be put to bee
and kept rs quiet, rs possible Now was my
grandmother in her element.


..You couldn't work any harder" said
''if he were your own son.
''He is somebody's own son; we mustn't
never forget that. you know"
Our patient fell from his first fanting ii
into a fever; and from morning till night
, till morning again, he tossed and turned will
one continuous cry to drive faster, for h'
must be in Meriden that night. My grand
mother was nurse-in-chief but she Otter
) made me her deputy when the labor begal
I, to wear upon her,


T. The doctor had found some cards in tho
t notebook Of our patient, with the name
John Jacob Dcane'' engraved on them
but we had no other clew to his identity
f is impossible to watch over patient, da,
and night striving to be both brain and hand


to him, without growing into very strons
4 feeling towards him of attachment or dislike
e 1t was SO with me, though | scarcely dare'


whisper to myself to which order of feelin!