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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1894-06-29, Page 2THE WINGHANI TIMES, JUNE 99, 1894. OSIER SCHOOL- MASTER: •BY EDWARD EGGLESTON. (eanixusm.) "ick fetus 'lowed Bud have their barns basalt ar Misses had been. e had -sense enough to s some people its it , t4et a body 'a self agin. he -didn't butt his t agla a lattel«,ye-tree. Not e was sober. And so they ged, dining Bud's confinement e houseto keep him well supplied all the ordluary discomforts of 7 Bat one visit from Martha Haw - sins, ten words of kindly inquiry 7om her, and the remark that his broken arm reminded her of some- thing she had seen at the East and something somebody stit the time she was to Boating; were enough to repay the champion a thousand-fidd for all that he suffered. Indeed, that sit, and the recollection of Ralph's saying that Jesus Christ was a sort s of a Flat Creeker himself, were manna in the wilderness to Bud. Poor Shocky was sick. The ex- • - titement had been too mach for lima and though his fever was very slight it was enough to produce just a little • delirium. Either Ralph or Miss Martha was generally at the cabin, 'They're coming," saki Shocky to • Ralph, ."they're eomiug. Pete Jones is a -going to bind me out for a hun- dred years. I wish Harmer would hold me so's he couldn't. God's for- got all about us here in Flat Creek, and there's nobody to help it," And he shivered at every sudden sound. Ile was never free from this • delirgus fright except when the master held him tight in his • arms. Ile staggered around the floor, the very•shadow of Shocky, and WAS so terrified lay the approach of dark- ness that Ralph staid in the cabin on Wednesday night and Miss Hawkins . . staid on Thursday night. On Friday, Bud sent a note to Ralph, asking him to come and see him. "You see, .Mr. Hartsook, 1 ha'n't forgot what we said about putting in our best licks fer Jesus Christ. I've been a -trying to read some about him. while I set here. And I read where he saki something about doing fer the least of his brethren being all the swat like as if it was done fer Jesus Christ himself. Now there's • ' Shoeky. I reckon, p'eaps, ef any- body is a lithe brother of Jesus Christ, it is that Shocky. Pete Jones and his brother Bill is determined to have hina back there to-morry. Be- kase,. you see, Pete's one of the Coun- ty Commissioners, and to-morry's the day that they bind out. He wants to bind out that boy jes' to spite ole Pearson and you and me. You see, the ole woman's been helped by the neighbor's, and be claims Shocky to be a pauper, and they a'n't no Inman seal here as dares to do a thing con- trary to Pete. Couldn't you git him over to Lewisburg? lend you my roan colt." . Ralph thought a minute. He dared not take Shocky to the uncle's where he found his only home. But there was Miss Naney Solver, the old maid who was everybody's blessing. He could ask her to keep him. And, at any rate, he would save Shoeky * somehow. As he went out in the dusk, he met •• Hannah in the lane, CHAPTER XIX, / FACE TO PAM In the lane, in. the dark, under the shadow of the barn, Ralph met tannah carrying a bucket of milk & (they have no pails in Indiana.) He , 7 could see only the white foam on the Milk, and Hannah's white face. ' Perhaps it was well that he could not see how white Hannah's face was at • that 3110010a when a sudden trendsl. ing made her set down, the ,heavy bucket. At first neither spoke. The •recollection of all the sjoy of that walk eame upon. thenebodr. And a great sense of loss made the night seem supernaturally dark to Ralph. s. or was it any lighter in the hope 10815 hart of the bound girl. The p„ presents: of Ralph did not now, as s". beforea Make the aarkness of her lifh "Hannah- • --" said Ralph present - and theiped. .er he could not the sentence. With a rtlih CAM upon him a consciousness sup -Mom that filled Hannah's And 'with it there came a cit get. He MW himself of • a heaven in bravely lifting, the load 1 one's own sorrow and werk, And it wag. a good thing for Rail that the danger banging over Slatelt from her stand -point, and felt a re morse almost as keen as it caul bare been bad he been a Crilllind And this sudden and morbid sense his guilt as it appoareil to Hanna paralyzed him, But when Hanna lifted her bucket with her band, an the world with her h twv heart, an essayed to pass him, Ralph rallie( and said: "You dou't belkfve all these lie that are told about inc." "1 doit't believe: anything, Mi Hartsook ; that 1s 1 don't want t believe anything' it :dust you. .An I wouldn't mind I nythiug they sa if it wasn't for two hings"—here sh stammered and loo sed down. "If it wasn't for what?" $ilk Ralph with a - s ee of mclignan denial in his voice.. hesitatel, but Ralph press ed the question with eagerness. "I saw you ei*s that blue-gras pasture the night --the nlght tha you walked home. S' with inc." • Sh would have, said t night of therohbery, robbery, but her mart smote her and she adopted ithe more kind's, form of the smite*. Ralph would hpve explained, bu bow? "1 did cross thdpaature," he began "but,-----" of ing that God hasn't forgot, after all It's made me cry 111003'n once," And $ Shocky kissed Mrs. Pearti011, and told. .y her that when he got away from Flat Creek bekl. tell God all 41b011t it, and God would bring Mr. Pearson back again. And then Martha Hawkins lifted the . frail little form, bundled in shawls, in her arms, and brew* hint out into the storm ; and before she handed him up- lie embrac- ed her and said : "0 Miss Hawkins ! GO ha,'n't forgot me, after all, • Tell, Harmer that He kia'n't forgot. I'in ili going to ask 11i1 to git her away from Means' and mother out of the poor -house. I'll atit,..tspli.ip just ds soon as I get to Lewisb Ralph lifted tl trembling form into his arins, and the little fellow only looked upa m the face of the matter and aid:!"You see, Mr, Hartsook, I thought God had forgot. But he hail." . And the word of the little boy 1. comforted the maser alto. God had It not forgot him, cities! FLOM the momec t that Ralph took b Shocky into his arlI1S, the conduct of s the roan colt underwent an entire d revolution, Before, this be had gone u over a bad place -qith a rush, as 11 though be were ,iambitious .of dis- y thignishing himself by his brilliant g execution. Now he trocl none the less surely, but he trod tenderly. The neck was no lover arched. He d set himself to his *irk as steadily as a though be were wenty years old. t For miles be trav41ed op in a long, t swinging walk, putyng his feet down t carefully and firty. And. Ralph 1 found the spirit f the colt entering t into himself. He at the snow -storm . -with his face, ' nd felt a sense of I triumph over allh s difficulties. The e bulldog's jaws ha. 1 been his teacher, , ;and now the stead!, strong, and cen- eI 'islciine,ii.itious legs o the roan inspired • made immediate action necessary. - 1 CHAPTER XX, id. I lam itisSUSSMERS snocKV. f At four o'clock the next mornin , It in the midst of a driving seow,littipli h went timidly up the lane towards d the homely castle of the Meanses, d He went timidly for ie was af s1 t. of 1 Ball, But he found .1 iud waiting for him, with* the roan oar bridled and. i s saddled. The roan olt was really a, . large three-year-old, 'full of the finest s sort of, animal lcife, ini having as o Bud declared "a m elt sight of hoss 1 sense for his age:" He. -seemed to y understand at once bat there was e something extraorc nary ou hand when he was brougl t oat of his -cow- 1 fortable quarters at our in the morn - t ing in the midst ;of a snow-storn Bud was sure that ithe roan colt fe - his responsibility, In the clays that 'followed,. Ralp s often had oecasionito remember tin t • interview withBad, who had riske e much in:bringing l.'s fractured ari oat intothe cold di, ip air.. sTonatha , never chive to Datid more, earnests s ' than did Bud this December mornin to Ralph, li t "You see, Mr. Itartsook," said Bud "I wish 1 was we I myself. It's bar , to sit still. But It's it -doing • me heap of good, r n like a _ boy a school, And I'n‘ a-findin' out Oa doing one's best icks fer others ain' all they is of it, ‘though . it's a goo part. I feel likeas if I mutt gi Him, yon know, o do lets for tile They's always s 1 e sums too ham • fer a feller, and hdj has to . ax : th master to do 'em, you.know. But see the roan's a-stom slug round. ' II !wants to be off. Jo -you know a think that hoss .k tows something' u.p.? I think be p ts in his best lick fer me a good ' de' I better than I do for Him." . Ralph pretsed. Bud's right hand. Bud rubbed his face against the colt's nose and said : .. "Put in your !best licks, old fellow." And the'colt r whinnied. How a .horse must 'want I'to speak! For' Bug was right. Men are gods to horses) •and they serve their deities withsit faithfulness that 1 Just here it o4urred to Ralph that there was no relison for his night excursion across! the pasture. Han- nah again tookiup her bucket, but he said : 1 "Tell me 'vhat 'else . yon have against inc." "I haven't nything m agast you. Only 1 am poo and friendless, and yon oughtn't •) make my life any heavier. Thes say that you have I paid attention it) a great many girls. I don't know Illy you should want to trifle with mer Ralph answered her this time. He. spoke low. He Yrspoke as though he were speaking te)God. "If any man says that 1 everi trifled with . any woman, he lies. have never loved but one, and yo know who that is. And God knows "I don't .kno what to say, Mr. Hartsook." IL mah a voice was broken. These slasann words of love were like a river .: in the desert, and she was like a isanderer . dying of thirst. ..1 don't 14now,Mr. Hartsook. 1 If 1 was alone, it wouldn't matter. But I've- got my lind. mother and my poor Shocky ta look atter. And I don't want to nrhke mistakes. And the world is s full of lies I don't know what to lieve. Somehow I can't help belies lig what you say. Yousseem to spea s so true. But," "But what ?" id Ralph. "But you knot how 1 saw you jest as kind to Marth, Hawkins on Sun- day as --as-s----" . "Harmer!" 1 was the melddious voice of the angLy Mrs. Means, and Hannah lifted her pail and disap- peared. Standing iii the shadow of his own despair, Ralph felt how dark a night eould be when it had no promise of morning. And Dr. Small, who had been stabling' his horse just inside the barn, came out and moved. quietly into the house just as though lie had not listened intently to every word of the conversation. . As Ralph walked away he tried to comfert himself by calling to hi aid the bulldog in his character. But somehow it did not do him any good. For what is a bulldog but a stoic philosopher? Stoicism has its value, but Ralph had come to a phice where stoicism was of . no Recount. 'The memory of the Helper, of his sorrow, his brave and victorious endurance, came when stoleism. failed, Happl- MSS, might go eat of life, but in the lig•ht of Christ's life happiness seemed but a small element anyhow, The love of woman Might be denied him, but there still remained what was infinitely more precious and holy, the love of • God, There still remained the possibility of heroic living. Work. ing, suffering, and enduring still re-, mained. And he who can work for God and endure for God, surely has yet the 'best of life left. And, like the knights who could find, the Holy Grail only in losing •themseives, Harts8f)Ok, took,. in throwing ids happiness out of the count, found -the purest happis floss, a sense .of the victory of the soul over the tribulations of life. The man who knows tliti victory acatedy needs the eneourag.ament of the hope, future happinelt There is a real s Shocky had n spoken. He lay. s listening to the pattering music of the horse's feet, doubtless framing the footsteps of . the roan colt into an ..:1. anthem of praise tithe God who had not forgot. But as, the da.Wn came '1. . f . on, making the now whiter, he raised himself and aid balf-aloud, as 1 he watched the fls ses chasing one, .8 another in whirlii 0. eddies, that thes' 8 snow seemed to e having a good sl time of it. Then d he leaned down again on the mast "• s bosom, full of a, .11. still joy, and ord roused himself S 1 from his happy I's verie to ask what 1.- 1 s "See, Mr. Har that big, ugly -loo i land bow little an. 'is! And the bo - I over it, and the shames us. Then Ralph sprang into the saddle, and the Sean, as Us wishing to sin,* Bud his willingne , broke into a swinging gallop, aaid was soon lost to the sight of his master in the dark- ness and the now When Bud could no more hear the hound of the roan's footsteps he returned to 'the house, to lie awake picturing to himself the journey of Ralph iwith Shocky and the roan colt. It i was a great coin - fort. to Bud that tui roan, which was almost a part of himself,. represented him in. this ride. 3-Saisi • ho knew the ,roan welt enough tp • feel sure that he would do credit to hit master. "He'll put in hisi best licks," 13ud whispered to himieIf many'a time before day -break. Thesground -wasi, but little frozen, and the snow ma dp the roads more slippery than ever But the rough- shod roan handled his feet dexterous- ly and with - a playltd and somewhat self-righteous air, * though he said: "Dicha't 1 do it ihandsomeiy that time ?" Down slippery hills, through deep mud -holes f covered with a slender film of id,e he trod . with perfect aSSill'allee. t And then up over the rough stones f Rocky Hollow, where there was n road at all, he picked his way tin ugh the darkness and snow. Ralp could not tell. where he was at est, but gave the reins to the roan, who did his duty • bravely, and not without •"' a little flourish, to show hat he had yet plenty of spare po vex. A feeble candle ray, snakin,g' the dense snow -fall v sible, marked for Ralph the site of t 0 basket -maker's cabin. Miss Mar in had been ad- mitted to the start, and 'bad joined in the conspiracy heartily, without being able to meal . anything of the kind having met 'Ted at the East, and not rementherisig having seen or heard of anything , of the sort the. Shocky all ready, i aving usedsome l time Bile was to- B sting, She had of her own capes and shawls to make him Amin. Miss Martha, .cal ie out to meet Ralph when she lierd the fesst of the roan before the doara "(1 lir,. Hartiam ! is trust you?' What a storm 1 Ids is jest the way it ARMS at the I, at, Shocky's all a ready. He dida t know a thing 1 about it till 1 wit ,,d him dila inorna .ti ing, Ever since bat he's been says t • - • - the elderberry bushes, past the fan jar red -haw tree in the fence -64a over the bridge without regard to threat of a five -dollar fine, an( last up the long lane into the villa where the make from the Chitral WAS caught and whirled round m the 8110W, CHATT-ITIR-XXI. IdISS NANCY SAWYER, In a little old eottagc in Lewisln on one of the:streets svhieb was Ile traveled except 11 s a solitary c seeking pasture on a eouutryn bringing wood to some one of halfalozen amities lying ill it, d Widen in summer IN g decked wit profusion of the y no* and wl blossoms of the d -fennel—in unfrequented .street, •so generously and so unnecessarily' broad, lived Miss Nancy Sawyer 'and her younger sister Semantha. Asiss Nancy was a providence, one of lose old maids that are benediction to the wh town ; one of th e an whom • mother -love, wand g the 'natu objects on which to „ send itself,. over-. flows all bound s am lavishes itself on every needy thing, and grow richer andmore abundant with the spendin 0. a fountain of' inexhaustible bless' There is no • noblea, life possible any one than th an unmarr woman. no more shame that some choose a selfish o4e, .and thus turn gall all the a,ffect,f,on with which th are endowed. arts Nancy Saws teacher, and it w s precious little, i bad been Ra h's Sunday-sch far as informatian went, that learned from he ; for she nes could conceive , ef Jerusalem as place in any. essential regard ve different from Lekisburg, where s had spent her life.: But Ralph lea ed from her what n ost Sunday-sch teachers fail to teach, the great less of Christianity; by clic side of whi all antiquities and. geographies a chronologies and exegeties and oth metes are as nothing'. And now he turned the head of t roan toward tha cottage of M Nancy Sawyer qas naturally as t •oan would ha e gone to his et tall in the stab (3 at home. - T now had graciu1Sy ceased to fall, ai Sas eddying rou id the house, wh 19 Salph sitting:mt. St from his foami orse, and, carr, ing the still form hocky as revel ently as' thongh tad been something heavenly, knee d at Miss IS 4110N, 8awyet‘ s door. With natural semsinine instict that achy started back when .she, :saw Hartsook, for :51.$ had jest built a fire -1 the stove, in d she now stood at "Why, Ralplt Itartsook, where did he door with tn• washed. facc and un - embed. hair. * a . ou drop down Tram—and what have ou, got ?". ' "1 :came front Flat Creek this miming, and I brought you -a little agel who has got out of heaven, nd needs _ some of' your motherly ) are." A Shocky was brinIght in.. The chill look him now by fits only, for' a Isms lied spotted Ins cheeks already. "Who are you ?1 said Miss Naney, as she unwrapped llim. "I'm Shocky, a l'ttle boy as God forgot, and then , hought of again." CHAII:ATNIA-ZicuXsX. IL - warm,,,baths and4 sinaple remediet 1 . Half an hour la er, Ralph, having en Miss Nancy Sc wyer's machinery fely in. operation,1„ and haviter seen, e roan colt comfortably stabled, d rewarded for lis faithfulness by bountiful supply.iof the best hay d the promise -of Oats when he was ol---balf an hour dater Ralph was e, satisfactory, to Ids Aunt . heat-eakes and mu coffee. And later his life in at Creek, Aunt 1114tilda's house did k like paradise. How white the de-eloth, how bri, ht the coffee pot, v clean the iood-work, how stoning the brass door -knobs, how Ness everything I, that enllle under • iifl staid at home longer than was neces- ter, • sary. Tier husband found his office the ; --which lie kept in as bad a state as 1 at possible in order to maintain an ge, equilibrium in his lifeasameh more eys comfortable .than the stiffly' elerui 'hit house at home, From the time that Ralph bad come to live as a ehore- boy at his uncle's, he had. Mr eroSsed the threshold of Aunt Matilda'a temple of cleauliness with a horrible seas° of awo, And Walter johusen, um her son by a former maridage, had--. "' poor, weak-willed fellow! --a- been OW driven into bad company and bad n habits by the wretchedness of extreme 111(7 IV:tat:14; tiAatintc,1 t3;:r.n; lio 8tbIrgcceintilirs h a which Mrs. White consecrated to the lite glorious work of making her house this too mat in be habitable, her • son Walter gM'e to tying. exquisite knota in Ms colored cravats. and combing his oiled: locks so as to look like a dandy barber. And she had no other children The kind Providence ole that watches over the destiny of Om Children takes care that very few of ral thein are lodged. in these terribly 010•1831:ultimil'rhl.er was not at the table, • and Ralph had so much anxiety lest his absence should he significant of ng- evil, that he did not venture to in- to quire after Well Os he sat there be- jed twecn Mr. and Mrs. White disposing of Aunt Matilda's, cakes with an ap- petite only. justified by his long' morning's ride and the excellence of the brown cakes,* the golden honey, and the co-ffee, • enriched, as Aunt Matilda's always was, with the most generous cream. Aunt Matilda was so absorbed in telling of the doings of the DoSeas Society that she entire- ly forgot to be surprised at the early hour of Ralph's arrival. When she had described the manlier of the to ey ,er ool so be 'er a, ry 1)0 sin ool garments finished to be sent to the. 011 Five Points Mission, or the Home for 01) the Friendless, or the South Sea Is- nd lands', I forget which, Ralplothought er he saw his chance,while Aunt 'firtilda, was in a benevolent mood, to broach a plan lie had been. revolving for some time. But When be Jooked. at Aunt Matilda's immaculate—hoaribly himmenlate—house-keeping, Ids heart he iss vu. lie failed him, and he would have said id Mottling had she not inadverteutly en o sen ,d 1 s ng "How did yon get here so early-, a Ralph ?" and Aunt Matilda's fact it was shadowed with. a, coming re- k- buke. "By early rising," said Ralph. I3at, seeing the, gathering frown. on his atint's brow, he hastened to tell the story of Shots- asavell as he, could. Mrs. White: lid not give way to any impulse to vard sympathy until she learned at Shocky was safely housed asi. I Miss Nancy' Sawyer, sang house was. 0 sook, how big it is, -, ugly the windows 'ds is peeling off all • logs is right hi the 11 front yard. It s n't look just like a hoase, It. looks dreadful. What is 0 11 Ralph had diaded this question. Y He did not ans -er it• but asked Y Shocky to ehang his position a little, . and then he qui kened : the nate ,of 11 the horse. Bat shocky was ti, poet, a and it aaet under. -tands silence ;more a quickly than he oes speech. The c little fellow skive ed as the truth came to him.. .sl "Is that the poo -house ?" he said, fe catching his breat . "Is mother in that place? Won t you take me in there, so as I can tat kiss, her once ? 'Cause she can't seOmuch, you know. And OM kiss from hie will make Iter feel so good. Aral Ill tell her that God ha'n't forgoti He had raised up and -caught 141 of Ralph's coat Ralph had great Wilieultss in quiet- se ing him. He told km that if he went of in. there Bill Jones might claim that sa he was it ranawa; olid belonged th there. And poor Simeky only shiver- an ed. and said he sy0 cetd. A minute. a later. Ralph found khat he was slink- an co mg with a chat, an& a, horrible dread came . over him. ?What if Shocky should die? It wieli only a minute's work to get dowial take the warm horse -blanket from kinder the saddle, wa and wrap it aboutP the boy, then to Fl strip off his own 0 moat and add r loo 1,. that to it. It was n w daylight, and 1 tal finding, after lieja d mounted, that hos Shocky continued he roan to his best' A the 'fray, trotting up and down the the lippery hills, and alloping away on WI. Ile level ground. tow bravely the as I get Are km tors for sets( bur tpped 0110 ear hack dir word of command,' exti doing the most am and amazing fustic Matilda's hot bucks to shiver, he put speed for the rest spo roast kid himself tellus work, making the fettee-corners sfly' past in a long procession 1 But 'Poor little Shocky was too 'cold. to isnotiee them, and Ralph shuddered Test Shocks. should never be warm gain, and spoke to the roan, and th roan stretched out his head, and di th hear the first istfill for fidligCr, tad then flew with nue lid stretched th other forward to Wh splendid speed own the road, past in s he patchea of blackberry briars, past Inc sovereign swak of Mrs. Matilda lite! For 111 every Indiana village arge as Lewl.• urg, there are terally a lutlf-city n women whp atbnitteci to e the best house- pers. All oth.. 's are only finites . And the stri :is 14tsven ethese the pre-ea-tine1. cc. Et is t least : to say that ijo otter ill `Lewis- g stood so high tila an enemy to t, and as a "rat, roiteln'and mouse ,rminator," as rlid Mrs. Itfatilda, • Ito, the wife of Thiiph's maternal le, Robert White, Esq., a lawyer i accts.:stet practiec, Of comae sus : mber of Mr14. White'a family over ; (To nn CONTINUED.). If you are as good a jadge, ot; human nature as a child or a dog you won't:Climb into the wrong. lap ss, or gross,' at a. goo friend. -h-- • A¢ EAKg oshaw,a, on/ t.. Pains in the Joints* Caused by Sw Inflammatory Wing A Perfect Cure y Heed's Sarett- • pa Mei qt arforde ine much neagn.re to retontgentl y sott ns dffloted l•It/r flood' Satsagatlfla, great gain In the jol th, aedereptinled with swelling go bad that In add not got up AIM. to bed Without eratvlin oa hands and knees, X Wag very anxious abot hiss Dad haling road 00 S 31) so inneli about Ilootra mined to try It, and g tour r5f addelt entirely Tax, Olativa, Ontario od,18arsapartga. Xt, fle lure to got lly, yet promptly anti bormatt. yin" -ures Sarsaparilla, X lider- a hat )own Softies, retl !dm." IAEA. (LL 14004vPIlla act thloty, on the Um, 1