fa
V43SEf -1 A '
VOL. XtV.
NT2W BLOOMPIKLD, 1., TTJKSD-AJY, OCTOBER 20,1880.
NO. 43.
i
THE TIMES,.
in Independent Family Newspaper,
IBPODLIBHEDBVBRTTUBSDAYBT
F. MORTIMER & CO.
, 0 '
,TKlt MH i
INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
One year (Postage Free) 11 50
Hlx Months " " . 80
To Subscribers In this County
Who par It AoTATtcw aPlseonnt of 25 Cents will
bemarin frnm I he ahnve rnrmt, making
subscription within the County.
When raid In Advance, $1.25 Per Year.
' Advertising rate furnished uponappll
utlon.
THE LOOM OF LIFE.
All day, (ill night, t can hear tho jar,
Of the loom of life, and near and far
It thrills with Its deep and mu filed sound,
As tireless the wheels go always round.
UuBlly, ceaselessly goes the loom,
In the light of day and the midnight's gloom i
And the wheols are turning early and late,
And the woof Is wound on tho warp of fate.
Click, cllckl-tbcrc's a thread of love woven ltif
Click, click (another of wrong and sin ;
What a checkered thing this life will be
When we see It unrolled In eternity I
When shall this wonderful web be done t
In a thousand years, perhaps, or one,
Or to-morrow I Whoknowetht Not you nor l;
Hut the wheels turn on and the shuttles fly.
Ah, sad-eyed weavers, tho years are slow,
Hut each one Is nearer to the end, I know
And soon the last thread shall be woven lu
God grant It be lovo Instead of sin.
Are we spinners of good In this life-web say t
Do we furnish the weaver a thread each day ?
It were better then, O, my friends, to spin
A beautiful thread than a thread of slu.
An Unexpected Guest.
"I
DON'T believe Hiram's folks are
going to invite us over to their
Thanksgiving, this year," said the
Widow Rolling as she solemnly moved
her knitting needles one gusty autumn
twilight.
" Lor', well, what If he don't ? I guess
we kiu be jest az thankful ter home,"
replied her siBter, Miss Debby, an ener
getic Eplnster, who was always happy
as long as there was a plenty of sickness
in the town to talk about.
" I dou't care so much on my own
account, and I know you don't mind it,
Debby, but I am sorry for Emily. It's
dredful dull for young folks to be forever
at home, 'n' never go out Into any kind
of company. But folks that don't eveu
own the farm they live on can't expect
to be noticed. I don't suppose there's
anything talked of in the village nowa
days but that Squire Jones is going to
foreclose the mortgage, and turn us out-of-doors."
"You need not be sorry on my ac
count, mother, I would rather not go to
cousin Hiram's, I would rather stay at
home than to go out anywhere," said
Kmily, a tall, slender girl, with a pale,
pretty face, who was gazing dreamily
tutothe fire.
" Cat's foot ! I don't believe Squire
Jones (wlll foreclose the mortgage, any
how," Aunt Debby blurted out.
" Hiram's Kate got home from the
'ity yesterday, I suppose," pursued Mrs.
Rollins, utterly regardless of her sister's
speech. " Hhe didn't answer the letter
that you wrote her so long ago, did she,
Kmily V" : 1
Emily shook her bead, while a little
scornful smile curled her lip.
"And you used to be suuU great
friends. . Well, since old Mis' Totter left
all the property to that family, they
have put on airs in the most extraordin
ary manner; but it wasn't so very
much, after all."
" No, an' Squire Jone9 says they're a
xpendiu' it awful reckless. , There won't
be none of it left in a year or two.
What with Kate a-goln' to the city to
take mubio lessons, an' hevln' two silk
dresses. She didn't hev that last one
trimmed with fringe after all. It was
all klvered with knife plaitin' ; Mis'
Jones went an' asked the Port dress
maker, herself. They say neither Kate
nor her mother scarcely speak to the
neighbors now,"
" But Hiram's good-hearted, an' I
think he's kind of ashamed of their
action," said Mrs. Rollins, presently.
Emily, I wish you'd light the lamp;
It's going to be an awful dark night."
Emily arose and did as she was re
quested, theu she drew the curtains,
bolted the outside door, resumed her
Beat by the fire, and taking a book from
the table, was soou absorbed In its con
tents. Miss Debby commenced to con
verse on the subject of fevers and sick
people, half to herself and half to her
sister, who did not seem to be in a talka
tive inood, but knitted away in pensive
silence, every now and then raising her
head to wistfully regard her daughter.
" Emily," she said, after a long, long
pause, "I don't think Kate Sawyer's
friendship is any great loss, after all.
Do you know I have always cherished a
suspicion that she was the cause of Joe
Ash ton's strange behaviour V I think
that she spread the report of your flirta
tion with John Foster on purpose to
put an end to everything between you
and Joe. She- wanted him herself;
everybody saw that."
Emily colored violently, but made no
reply. Joe Ash ton's name had hardly
been mentioned in the family for years.
He was an old lover of hers, but she had
not seen him for eight long years. She
was twenty-six now, and he had left
the place very suddenly and mysterious
ly when Bhe was only eighteen, and she
had never heard from him since. There
had been no actual engagement between
them, but they had been lovers ever
since she was a little girl of five and he
a boy of nine. He drew her to school
on bis sled, he whipped the boys who
teased her, he brought her big red apples
and many a hoarded bit of candy. As
they grew older, be escorted her to and
from singing school, be waited for her
in the church porch every Sunday ; he
chose her as his companion on all the
sleighing parties and picnics which
were held in the town. They took long
walks together in lovers' lane. He
always spoke of the future as if they
were to share it; indeed, he had often
spoken of the time when she should be
his wife, and they had planned what
countries they would visit together, for
he was a sailor. Bhe loved the hand
some, manly fellow with her whole
heart, and trusted him entirely, and
everybody said, what a fine couple they
are, and what a suitable match it will
be, or at least all but Kate Sawyer, who
was a second cousin of Joe's, and Emi
ly's neighbor and friend. Even in her
little girlhood she had been exceedingly
jealous of Emily, though as she grew
older she tried to bide this feeling. But
she ofteu said, " I dou't seen what Joe
finds lu Emily that is so fascinating.
She is a dear girl, to bo sure, but she
never w.ill have a cent of money of her
own, and she is so pale aud quiet. I
call her plaiu, and he is so smart and
handsome."
The summer that he went away he
had never been more devoted. Emily
saw him every day. He talked of giving
up his sailor life because he could not
bear to leave her, he said, and was look
ing for a situation in some mercantile
house in the city. Then all of a sudden
he disappeared without one word of
good-by. He left no message behind
him. He wrote no letter of explanation.
His grandfather, with whom he had
always lived, for his father and mother
died In his Infancy, merely said that ho
had gone on another foreign voyage.
In lees than a year afterward the old
man died. There was none of the Ash
tons left in Bloomvllle, aud people
ceased to talk of Joe.
For two or three years his name was
scarcely mentioned. Then there came
a rumor that he was with his uncle, a
rich old bachelor In the West Indies.
Some sailor from the Port had seen and
talked with him there, but still Emily
heard no sound. She had up to this
time believed him dead. Other lovers
sought her favor, but all In valu. She
would never marry, she said. She pre
ferred to remain as she was. She was
too busy to Indulge in any vain regrets,
for great misfortunes had come to the
family, and she was obliged to teach
school to keep her mother, Aunt Debby,
and herself from actual want. In the
.first place the bank at tho "Port,"
where all their possessions, with the
exoeption of the rocky little farm upon
which they lived, were plaoed, failed.
Then the crops failed entirely one year,
the best cows sickened and died, and, lu
the midst of it all, Mrs. Rollins fell ill
of a fever which lasted two or three
weary months. The farm was mort
gaged in order to pay the doctor's bill,
and since that time everything seemed
to go wrong.
" Bless me," said Miss Debby, sudden
ly rushing Into the room, "two men are
a-comlti' through the gate bringin'
somethin' that looks like another man ;
vz like as not somebody's got hurt."
And she flew to open the outside door.
"Man hurt, got run away with,
Debby, an' you'll hev to take him In,
seeln' this Is the nearest house," said
Mr. Harding, one of the neighbors, who
with bis son, a stout lad of eighteen,
was carefully bearing a limp and seem
ingly lifeless body.
" Good grashus I he's dead, I kin see
by the looks of bis face that he's a
corpse." exclaimed Miss Debby, while
Emily hastily led the way to the best
'jedroom.
"Lor', no, he's out of his head,
though, and dangerous, I'm afeard. It's
the stranger that came to the hotel ter
the corner day before yesterduy. He
brought a perfect devil of a borne with
him from the city," said Mr. Harding.
" Tom, you stay here with the wlramen
folks, they might get scart, you know,"
turning to his son, " while I'll drive
after the doctor as fast as I can."
Emily regarded the man with a
strange, half-romautic interest. His
features, though bronzed to such an
extent that at a first glance she suppos
ed him to be of a dark colored race, were
singularly handsome. He was, appar
ently, about thirty years old. A dark,
curling beard adorned his chin and half
concealed a rather obstinate, determined
mouth. A quantity of loose, dark hair
fell over a broad brow, which was
moulded after a different pattern from
those of the slow, unambitious young
farmers and rough sailors whom Emily
was accustomed to Bee. His eyes were
tightly closed, the Jet-black lashes sweep
ing his brown cheek. Upon one of his
long, aristocratic looking fingers glisten
ed a brilliant diamond in an odd setting.
Emily, who was as full of romance as a
very young girl, and who had been
reading Eastern poetry, thought that be
looked like an Eastern king. A terrible
bruise revealed Itself on the left temple,
aud being placed on the back of his
head, he turned it quickly with a moan
of intense suffering.
" He don't b'long nowheres round
here, but, somehow, he looks dretful
familiar, don't you think so, Emily V"
said Aunt Debby.
" I fancied that there was when I tlrst
glanced at him," replied Emily, "but of
course it was only faucy. It Is evident
that he Is a gentleman."
" Yes, some great gentleman," said
timid, little Mrs. Rollins, regarding the
diamond ring with a sort of awe.
Miss Debby hurried to make a fire on
the hearth, while Emily proceeded to
bathe the stranger's -head very gently
with cold water. This seemed to soothe
him for a time, for be became immedi
ately quiet, then he commenced to mut
ter incoherent words, and to make
startled exclamations.
" No, no, she won't see me ! she won't
speak to me I It is too late!" he cried,
looking Emily full in tho face with his
wild, burning eyes.
The doctor came bustling iu, bearing
his huge medicine chest.
"I don't think you cau do anything,
doctor, the man's in a dretful way.
Complected like a furriner, ain't he?"
said Aunt Debby.
" What is it t Got his head broke V"
inquired the doctor..
" No matter, it wasn't good for much,
it led its owner into the wrong track,"
said the patient, regarding the doctor
fixedly. Then he commenced to rave
and mutter again.
. " Lor', did you hear what he said
about gettin' onto the wrong track V"
whimpered Miss Debby. " Like ez not,
he's a burglar, a reg'lar cut-throat. I
ain't sure it's safe to hev him in the
house, if he is o-dyin', but lor', he's a
human bein' an' wo must do all we
ken."
"Too many people in the room,"
growled the doctor. " Miss Emily, you
come and help me with these baudages.
If you would leave the room for a while,
rnarni," turning to Miss Debby.lt would
be better for the patient. Talking ex
cites him."
Miss Debby Indignantly remained at
her post, but condescended to keep
silence.
" What kind or a fellow Is that hired
man of yours, Beth, I mean V" inquir
ed the doctor.
"Rather stupid, but faithful in the
extreme," replied Emily.
" Wouldn't fall asleep at his post If he
eat up three nights running V"
"I think not."
" Then have him sent for at once."
Seth appeared, a huge man who had
the faculty of moving like a mouse.
" You are not to take your eyes off this
man one moment until six o'clock
to-morrow morning I If you see any
change In him, come for me at once.
Miss Emily will watch while you are
absent." And the doctor, having mix
ed his medicines and prepared his ban
duges, pinned a long list of directions on
Seth's coat, and prepared to take his
departure.
"Do you think he will live?" in
quired Emily, following the doctor Into
the hall.
" Tell you better to-morrow. The
crack in the skull ain't so much as the
hurt in the temple. Much depends on
the nursing."
' S'posln' the furriner should die in
.the night," shuddered Seth, who was as
timid as he was huge. Emily smiled.
" I will sit up too. I Bhould not sleep if
I was In bed."
No change was detected lu the condi
tion of the patient during the night.
He was quiet and delirious by turns.
Emily slept at Intervals. Seth obeyed
the doctor's orders literally, never dar
ing to move an Inch from the bedside.
In the morning the doctor pronounced
him better, but not out of danger.
Emily felt a strange Interest In the
sick man. She was filled with anxiety
if she left him If for ever so short a
time. She cared for him with a sisterly
tenderness, and though he seemed un
conscious of everything else around bim,
he was evidently soothed by her pres
ence and missed her sorely if she was
not always near to minister to his
wants. He would take his medicine
from no hand but hers, and still, at
times the mere sight of ber face would
set him into the wildest excitement, and
he would rave about some mysterious
she in the wildest and most incborent
manner.
" What if be a'u't good, 'n your folks
don't git no pay fur his keep'n' nus
sin V said Seth meditatively, on the
third day of bis Illness.
Emily had just entered tho room, and
was standing by the bedside.
" Hush, Seth 1 How dare you talk like
that?" said she, hef eyes flashing with
indignation.
"You don't even know his name any
how. Jones, over to the hotel, says 't Is
registered Black, or suthin like that, he
couldn't tell 't was slch blind wrltin'."
The sick man had opened his eyes and
was looking Emily full in the face. The
fever seemed to have left him for a time,
and his gaze was calm and Intelligent.
Emily started and grew deadly pale.
What was there In those eyes which
awakened bo many memories, which
brought back the old days with such a
thrill ? "Joe," she half whispered with
stiff, white lips.
" Emily dearest, can you ever forgive
me? Say that you will do so. I went
away because I thought you were golDg
to cost me off and marry John Foster.
They said so." And then his mind
commenced to wander again, and, In
broken sentences, Emily detected the
sound of Kate Sawyer's name. But be
held her hand inacloseclasp,and finally
fell into a quiet sleep in this position,
and if she tried to -withdraw the hand
held bo closely in his own, be would
move uneasily and grasp it all the
tighter.
Seth, whose ears, eyes, and mouth had
been wide open during the whole scene
came near falling head first Into the fire
which he was mendiug.so overcome was
he, 60 weak had he grown with amaze
ment. He immediately thought of
some pressing errand which would take
bim to the village store, and before nine
o'clock that night, there was hardly a
person in the whole town who wag n't
aware that Joe Ashton was the man
who was ill at the house of the Widow
Rollins.
The next day, in tripped Kate Sawyer
all smiles and cordiality, so glad to see
her dear cousins, bo rejoiced that dear
Cousin Joe was better, and that be was
at home once more. She had not been
In the house before for nearly a year.
" I shall remain here and take care of
him to-day," said she, addressing Mrs.
Rollins. "I was always his favorite
cousin, you know, and of course I could
care for him as no strangers, however
thoughtful, are able to do."
" CaJ'a foot I" ejaculated Miss Debby,
sharply, " he's a dretful nigh cousin,
a'n'the? Anyhow, we've hed Btrlct
orders not let bim see nobody, I an'
Miss Rollins ain't 'lowed into the room
ourselves only once In a great while.
The doctor Is dretful partlckler, an' Joe,
hlsself don't seem to want to see nobody
but Emily. They've been atalkln' over
old times this mornln' ; his head 'pears
to be all right."
Kate grew scarlet with indignation
but she choked down her anger as near
ly as possible.
" The doctor means that he shall not
see any strangers, ot course, but in this
case it Is different. lam a dear friend
and relative. Ma's coming over to watch
to-night."
" Dretful dear, I should say. If yer
ma comes over, she'll come fur notliln'.
Joe sleeps most all night, now, an' Beth
lays down on the lounge in the same
room, an' gives him his medicine at the
right time. Joe an' the doctor both sez,
they wouldn't change Seth fur a perfea
sional, he's so awful faithful, an' so aw
ful still."
Kate made no reply, but marched to-"
ward the door of the forbidden room,
with a very erect bead and flashing
eyes. v .
"Sorry I can't 'commerdate yer, Miss
but I've hed strict orders not to let a liv
in' soul but Miss Rollins an' Emily,
cross that there tbreshholt," said Seth,
appearing In the passage-way Just then.
" Wouldn't dare not to 'bey the doctor
more'n I'd cut my head off. And he
made his huge arm a barrier in her
way.
"This Is some of Emily's doings,"
said Kate energetically. " Where is she
I wish to see her I"
" Well, I don't jest like to disturb her -jest
now,fur she an' the gentleman seem
to be sayin' something awful important.
They are old friends, you know, only
she never knowed him at first, the cli
mate of the West Injies had darkened
bis complexion bo. He was jest a red-clieeked.smooth-faced
young chap when
he went away. I remember him, my
self, an' now, he's come back with a
dretful sight of whiskers, as well as a
pocket full of money."
" Impudent creature 1 you shall pay
dearly for insulting a Sawyer In this
way," almost screamed Kate.
' Can't help It. If yer waa moie
Sawyer an' you be, I couldn't let you
enter that room."
That afternoon all the Indignant Saw
yers appeared in a body, but the doctor
happened to be paying bis daily visit at
that time, and informed them, as he de
clared once for all, that they could not see
Mr. Ashton for a week at least.
"I thought he was out of danger,"
said Mrs. Sawyer trembling with Inward
wrath, for it was know all over town
that Joe had inherited nearly half a mil
lion from his eccentric old bachelor an
cle who had gone out to the Indies when
a boy. And here he was being petted
and cajoled by the artful Emily.
" He wouldn't be out of danger If I
should allow the whole town to pounce
upon bim ; however, I tell you he must
be kept perfectly quiet, marm."
A week passed away. Joe had gained
strength very rapidly. He was able to
sit up all day now. The fever had left
him, his head was clear, and he was out
In the family sitting-room for the first
time this morning. He was seated In
the chimney corner looking somewhat
weak and bruised, but happy as a boy
on a holiday. Emily, who was engaged
in tidying up the hearth, had grown ten
years younger within a few weeks in
spite of all the care aud wakeful nights
which she had experienced. Joe was
just praising the sparkle of ber eyes,
when In tripped Miss Kate Sawyer once
more, taking him quite by storm with
congratulations and affectionate greet
ings. Joe smiled somewhat grimly, but suf
fered himself to be gushed over, while
Emily looked on with quiet amuse
ment. " I bear that you are going out to
morrow, ousin," she said, " aud I came
to invite you over to our house. Of