Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1855-09-13
From the National Magazine.
THE ST.
BY ALICE CAREY.

hills of Clovernook. and where they lately shone
the darkness is falling and unfolding very fast
The chickens are gone to roost among the cold
comfortless boughs of the trees nearest the barn;
the cows are MIXED and in most places the work
horses, feeding IN the stable, have had an extra
currying, preparatory to Sunday morning, when
they are expected to walk soberly and straightly
to the village church, drawing after them, in the
newly-washed and ar-smelling wagon, father and
mother and all the children, from the eldest son
las proud ofhis darkening beard, and 'boughten'
coat and hat, as he will be in years to come, of
more stylish appareling or senatorial honors and
the little girl on her mothers knee, more pleased
with the brass buttons on her fathers coat, aud
her OVID red shoes, than she viii be, perhaps with
her point lace and shining hrocade, when a few
years hence she shall dance at the presidents ball
Another week has gone; great, IN its little events,
to the unambtious people who are now done with
its hopes and fears, its working and planning
with their tending of sick beds, and making of
wedding gowns-as great to them as the largest
experience to the largest mind; and who knows
but that in the final summing up of good and evil
the highest glory win be set down to the account
of those who have tho't always of the pride-and
place of this world as the child does of the maryels
of the fairy story for what, after all, can be got
out of this life but uscfulness With all our rack
ing of the soul, we cannot solve the problem of
fore ordination and freewill, of good and evil, of
life and death | am not sure that they are not
wisest as well as best who are 'contented if they
may enjoy the things which others understand
in part, and let alone the mysteries which all eff
fort to unfold but folds anew.
1t was about the middle of February, and along
the northern slopes of the hills at the roots Of big
trees, and close in the shadow of the fences, lay
parts of the skeleton of the great white winter
snow. For all their searching, the sheen had not
found single patch of green grass as yet and the
mother cow had brought home to the stable her
young calf, without waiting to be invited so sharp
ly went the winds along woods and meadows
The smoke issued briskly from chmney-tops,
and the heaps Of dry wood near the doors, and
the lights shining pleasantly out along the frozen
ground, told of quiet and comfort within. Here
and there an AK was busy at the woOd-pile or a
lantern shone over the dry sunfiower stalks by
the garden fence as some less orderly farmer than
the rest went from house to barn, for the doing Of
some little chore forgotten or neglected.
Mostly, however, it was quiet, and cold, and
dark, except at one or two windows of the house,
and the snow and frozen earth ground together
powdered the lonesome road before the late trav
elcrs. Of these there was, probably, on the night
| write of, not more than one to be seen; If there
were Others 1t is with one only my story has to do
If you had seen him you would not have noticed
him much, suppose; they who saw him did not;
and yet he seemed very tired, and he bent under
the bundle hung across his shoulder as if he had
trudged long way; for this bundle was not large,
and it could not have been the weight oft that so
crooked his shoulders. You would have tho't him
old, doubtless, for his face was Drowned and care
wornand an old slouched hat & tangly hair and
beard gave him the air of years. You would prob
ably have said, if you had CHANGED to look out of
your own room and observed him shutting his
tired way tllro' the gray, chilly moonlight, There
goes a man with sack on his back; l wonder if
he knows where he is going and what after! 2 for
so we our fellows, brothers and friends in the
great circle ofhumanity going burdened and bent
past our warm hearths every day, and to us they
arc only as men with sacks on their backs.
Once or twice he stopped where the lights shone
brightest, as if he would 90 in; but having cut the
air with his disengaged hand, as if he were done
with some Yagary, he went on, his heavy feet
leaving 4 traiLin the snow and dust, crooked rs
if he were purposcless. And so, alas he was and
wondered as much as any one when he slouched
his hat lower 81 turned thot retrospective where
he was going, and what for All, that was the
worst of it! footsore and burdened as he was he
had no object not even shapeess outline for his
future. lie might be going into the lap of the best
fortune in the world; such things have been done
ohe has heard and he smiles at tho bright surpes-
ton; but reduce to where, and when and how
the possibility loses all probability it is not at
all likely any good luck will happen to him; cv-
cry6ody says he deserves no better fate than he
has, and he supposos he docs not He had an OBJ
lcct once, which was to get away from everybody
that knew hin-from his mother who sometimes
cried and sometimes seeded about him, from his
father who said he was going down Hill as fast as
he could, and the sooner he got to the bottom the
better for his family and liimseftoe; and from the
black eyes that looked proudly and scornfullv rp-
him the last time he dared to look up into .!lsir
sin-searching and sin-hating brightness.
The last humiliation, more perhaps than any
thing else made him rise in the middle of the night
some weeks ago, bundle together few necessary
effects, and steal Ike thief away from the house
where he was born-unblest of his mother, and
with no Godspecd you from his honest old father
But back of the scOrn of the black ewes the COM
planning of the mother and the sentence Of the ia
Their, there arc intemperance, and ideness, and
ofligacy, that brO't all about; why these should
have been he don't know, he did not mean to be
a bad son nor an untrue lover he don say he was;
he don't really thinl1.he was; but he knows other
folks say so, and so, trying to be Indifferent to
what men and women think of him. to all the
past and all the future he changes the load on his
shoulder, and trudges on.
About halfa mile down narrow lane, that turns
out from the main road, he sees a house, small and
apparently rude, but with light shining so bright
~ and cheelfully thro' all the windows, he Is al
most persuaded to turn that way; NE don't know
why nor what for, only itseems for n moment that
he has got home. The watch dog sees him from
his post a 1.-THE gate, and sends him forward with
suspicious and unfriendly growl. He fancies he
hears song in the Illuminated cottage, it may be
the wind in the tree tops; however, be WON'T stop
to see, for what songs or lights to him! He is
half disposed to lie down on the frozen ground at
the waysde; but it is so cold and so hard; and he
has ALWAYS known the comfort of q warm bed
he cannot quite do that yet. He passes a good
many snug farm houses but the front doors are
close shut, and he feels just if they had been
closed to keep him out. But by and by he is very
tired and his diffidence grows less and less under
the necessity of rest he don't much care where it
is nor who accords it, but he must have rest some
| where: that is the strongest feeling he has. The
1 wind blows against him harder and colder all the
/ time and he concludes that has become his enemy
too as long ago he was settled into the conviction
that mankind were leagued against him. IT'S a
pitv that he himself is his own worst enemy; but
he cannot see it. and that is pity too. Presently
| he sees commodious house, brightly painted, and
with lights streamingfrom the front windows right
before him. the curtain is drawn aside, and he dis
covers man in black and goodly apparel, read
ing in large book it is likely the Bible he thinks;
but more than that he is sure he is very tired and
hungry and must have food and rest. Without
more ado he approaches the door and thumps with
his stick confidently and boldly. Nohearty voice
answers, Come i'm and as he crouches in dim
expectancy. he hears the cracking of the wood
in the fireplace, and the prattle of children. The
door opens soon, very carefully and very narrow
| w. and the man in the black coat looks out dis.
I baA 40,