Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 9.djvu/109

 The Doctor^ s Granddaughter.

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��the " promised land : " she had talked to him like one inspired. But he found that she grew weak, and her breath came short ; rising, he took her hand once more, bowed his head over it, and said, " God be with you." — " Amen," said Mrs. Pendexter ; and the minister passed out of the house over which the Angel of Death hovered.

After Mrs. Pendexter had been made as comfortable as possible in her bed, Dr. Carwin came in ; when he stepped to the bedside, he noticed a great change. Looking up, Mrs. Pendexter said, " I know it, doctor, call Susanna."

Susanna came in ; and Mrs. Pendex- ter said to her, " Break it easy to John. Poor boy ! " Susanna felt the tears filling her eyes, and she turned away.

Ere morning Mrs. Pendexter's soul had been released, and only the shat- tered tenement was left.

A hard task was before Susanna. Daily she asked herself, " How shall I write John ? " The posts were slow and uncertain : many weeks perhaps would pass before the black-winged letter would reach him in his desolate condition. .

Many' letters she wrote, and then watched them grow white and crisp between the andirons. Finally she wrote and told him of the time when his mother passed away, how happy she was to go, her loving message to him. She even told him of the snow- birds his mother had spoken of; and how the soft snow fell on the third dav, and covered her grave with a fleecy covering. She carefully avoided telling him of the suffering his mother endured, and made her death seem like a happy release. Susanna carried the letter to her grandfather in his office. The old man looked up from his battered lig- num-vitae mortar as she came in. She

��said, " Grandfather, I have \vritten to John about his mother. Will you read it?" Without speaking, the old man reached out his hand ; and leaning on the table littered with books, herbs, bottles, and a skull, he read slowly the written page. Once he took off his glasses and wiped them, and then read on. When he had finished, he said, " Susanna, you have done well. John is fortunate to have one so kind to break this sad news to him. Come, get ready and go with me up to Joel Heard's : the old man has got bad eyes, and has sent for me. I have got some medicine fixed here for him." Susanna said, " I will be ready soon." She took the letter, and went out to direct and seal it.

Dr. Carwin said to himself when the girl had gone, " How sad Susanna is ! She has had so much trouble in the last year or two. I shall be glad when John's time is out, and he gets back. There ! I believe that is fine enough. Now I will get the saddle-bags, and tell Peter to put on the pillion. A ride will do Susanna good." When Peter led Sorrel round to the horse-block, Susanna came out. Peter grinned and showed his white teeth, he was so glad for Miss Susanna to ride once more.

When they started off, the doctor said, " What did you do with your let- ter?"

" I left it on the table in the hall, for Peter to post," answered Susanna.

" Well," said the doctor, " I am glad that you have got through with that task. You mustn't dwell on these sad things. Cheer up, and be the bright girl you used to be." Susanna smiled at her grandfather's earnest words, and felt a relief herself that the sad missive was off her hands.

After a short ride over the sloppy

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