Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-04-15
scenes for rest and healing to her bruised

| scenes Tor rest anu 1eaifng TO her bruised
heart.
Reuben Kane heard the story of her return
| with ealmness. "She is not the simple Quaker
maiden knew" he said to himself, "and it can
make no difference now to He." Had he
known how little changed, at heart, was Martha
Bentley. think his judgment night have been
different
On the frst Sunday Of tie fich widows re-
turn, she was seen IN her old seat in the hum
bic nesting house on the hill; and she went not
thitller in her elegant carriage, but walked
slowly along the country road. clad in plain
mourning attire pausing now to pluck wild
rose bloozning by the path, now to look around
ON the calm landscape bafhe3 in the blessed
Sabbath quiet, and to thank God that here,
once inares the white dove Of peace might en-
ter her hczrt.
And that twilight, while Reuben Kane wsH-
dered slowly in the old village burial grould he
once again stood face to face with Martha be-
side The elders grave.
"Friend Reuben, am glad to see thee she
said, turning from plucking q white rose from
the bush the Quaker's hands had planted there
by the headstone.
"And, Martha, / am glad to learn that thou
hast come to take up thy abode with us again."
replied the Quaker, kindly reaching forth his
brown, toil-hardened hand to take the ladys
fair, delicate, pro6ered one.
There is but little more to be told. 1t is no
high-vrought story of romantic wooing we
have to record quiet narration, how that
deep abiding love of years. which had sluniber-
ed bat not died, in Reuben Kane's heart, and
which be had thought never to have felt again,
was still destined to be crowned with successful
reward
And vet, this came about so naturally and
simply, that 1t seemed as If all those interve-
ming years had been stricken from his memory,
and again he were q frank, pleasant1eatured
youth, and Martha were not the city widow,
but Elder Grants rosy checked daughter, go
ing about her home duties there in the old farm
house.
Whenever Reuben called at Martha Bent
ley'-as latterly he had fallen into the habit OF
doing-he rarely seated himself in the splendid
old familiar sitting-rooua, where he had been ac-
customed to sit for hours and hold converse
with the elder.
"Nay, let me sit here, friend Martha" he re-
piled to her invitation to enter the parlor; "this
seems most like home to me, and can almost
see the elders white head leaning against the
back on the high armchair yonder. Thou
keepest his kafie in its place in yon corner, /
see, and his Bible and spectacles on the table.
These must seem like the old days to thee,
Martha
And Martha's softlyspoken reply, while the
quick tears sprang into her brown eyes, scented
to satisfy Reuben that the old times might re-
ttith again, also, for him; for somehow the
grate.fsced man found courage to repeat sto-
ry that hsd been spoken in that old sitting
room twelve years before, when both were
younger, but one was less wise, than them
And Martha's reply must have been very diff
feFent than fell on Rc;iben's ears those twelve
years agone, for a tender light crept into the
Quakers blue eyes and overspread his face, till
its gravity vanished in an expression of pleas
ure and happiness. ....
"Thou art quite sure thou carest more for me
than a common friend, Martial" he said look
ing earnestly into her face.
"Yea, Reuben, quite sure! And 1 have
thought sometfttes, Reuben, that I might have
been happier perhaps if / had not said nay to
thy love once" she added. "Philip was kind,
and he loved me; b,lt, Reuben, I have learned
that the spsl.row or robin should not go to live
in the hifg birds fies but sit at home ara sing
in its owts humble fields efh not so young
or light-hearted as 1 was then, ReHbcn, but I
shall not expect too much; l give you a true af-
fection, and think we may both see something
of happiness yet"
"Tea, Martha, believe this also. We trsat
both be very happy. Martha, am glad thou
canst love me even little: We will trust
in the future, and thank God because he has
permitted our lives at last to meet in one!" and
there was something like tear on the Quaker's
sun-browBed cheek, as be lifted her SOFT white !
hard to his lips.
There was great surprise in the fashionable
world Martins Befstley had left but satisfaction
and approval among the Society q Friends in
hey native village sid, best Of all, quiet, full
happiness in her own heart, when, standing up
one fair October Sabbath, in the ola Qasker
Westinghouse, on the hill she joined her hand
and life with Reuben Kane's, and thus reward
ed long years of devotion and the early sacrifice
of "'The Quaker's Love-"