Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-03-05

Kuhn Of whatW said the wife, eager
ly and earnestly, with her arms about her
husbands neck g Are we not richer
than we wero when we were SO happy in
our morning of life ?-see our children"
Ono, no" cried chorus of voices !;
and more warm arms were about his
neck
"No, no. repeated Alice. "Neyer
so happy as now if they can but help you
to happiness. You have worked for
years to rear glittering pile, and what
was it worth after it was done? 1t was
worth to us only our sustenance. 1t was
not worth the love Of one Of these chill
dren--it was not worth the smiles of
peace that shall still be ours"
4" But no house no homev p groaned
John Brodie. This place is already
seized"
But we would not stay here if we
could, my dear husband We have a
better home. Come with me-with Your
children, to our home in the country"
John Brodie started with new life.
would you-would these petted chill
dren-be content in that far off place :"
All, John, the children of your Alice
are not petted, | have taught them to
love the home of my childhood, and in all
their education they have not learned to
love the gaudy show and empty fashion
by which they have been surrounded
lGhn-.you shall find your children wor-
thy of you"
The stout man wept when this soft in
tiuencc of devotion bcamed upon his soul,
and ere he retired to his sleep he knew
that his wife and children were anxious
to get away upon the quiet farm
As soon as possible John Brodie settled
up his affairs. lie gave up everything,
and his creditors, when they saw that he
had no more, set him free.
But John Brodio could not go without
one more attempt to regain his fathers
love. He went to the home of his boy
hood, but the stern old man would not
see him. The long cherished enmity
lad become a part of his very soul, and
he would not relent
80 John went away and was unhappy
for while, but the smiles of his own To-
we'd ones soon brought joy to his heart.
In due time John Brodie reached his
wife's farm. 1t had been well taken care
of, and was in excellent condition. A
neat white cottage, with green blinds,
halfhidden by huge cherry trees, long
succession Of sheds and wood houses, and
carriage houses led thence to white sta
bic, and beyond this is the huge barn.
The surface of the tillago land was smooth
and free from stones, while the rest of
the farm lay in beautiful swells, partly
covered by wood, and in other places dot
ted by grazing herds
Now if we had only little money
to begin with" said John, after he had
been over the premises.
81 guess we can raise enough" re-
turned Alice, with smile.
-" How? Where p
"Why-what do you suppose this
farm has been doing for the past five
years p
The husband gazed eagerly into his
wife's face, but made no reply.
81 have received five hundred dollars
a year for it," she resumed, and have
the money in my pocket now. / drew
it out Of the Savings Bank two weeks
ago, thus, suppose, doing my share
towards creating panic"
Alice drew out twenty-six hundred
dollars and handed it to John. He
looked at the money, then into that still
sweet face-and then his head was pill
lowed on her bosom.
John Brodie's farming progressed ia
mously, and he soon assured himself that
the place would more than support his
family. In little while new strength
came to his old frame; new color came
to the rounding checks of his children,
and to the face Of his Alice came back
the old joy and smile of other days.
:" What would induce you to 20 back
to the turmoil e inc great city, John p
Ice asked when they had been year
in their new home.
Only one thing in all the world,
could induce me, the husband answered,
while he stood with both his hands upon
Alice's shoulders, and gazed into her
still handsome features -" Only one
thing in the world-thc happiness Of
my wife and children"
And if VIC were happier here ?" Alice
said with tears in her eyes.
"Thcn notall in the world beside would
hire me to leave this happy retreat"
Time passed on. John Brodie's head
became gray, but his step was firm and
his frame strong. His daughters were
all married and doing well, while his
son, now grown a stout man, had taken
wife and assumed control Of the farm.
The silver upon the head Of Alice now
seemed rays Of glory about her brow,
and the few burrows upon her face were
only lurking places for smiles and happy
joys.
And the farm had been productive too.
A railroad had brought it near the city,
and in the ono item Of fruit much money
was every year realized over and above
the expenses Of the family. \
Twenty years had John Brodie lived
upon his farm, and then came another
cloud, lightning bolt, and crash upon the
financial world But not upon him--no,
not upon him. He sat in his cosy library
with loved Alice by bis side and read in
the papers ofthe terrible wreck Of fortune
10 the world about him. His thoughts