Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-12-07


allow my silly tears be seen; but there was no
need, for his Mother replied grandly, and did
think sternly, "No wise man buildeth house
without first sitting down and counting the
cost, and no woman hath right to marry I'M
less she is willing to leave all and cleave unto
her husband. His home is hers, and whatever
strangeness there may be, a willing mind soon
overcometh. All back looks and longings are
weakness"
'But surely, Mother" said Esther firmly,
"they do seem very natural in Margaret's CON
dition. She hath never been so long away
from home before, she tells me-"
but not the less weakness because natur-
al, and the pity that helps to confirm it is
false kindness" said the Mother, giving the
sign to rise from the Table. 81 speak but for
your good, Children" she went on : "Life is
no soft dalliance of the Senses, but mighty
Trial, and tears are the poorest of all armor
to meet it in. Let us seek for strength where
it only can be found"
She took her place in her great Chair; and,
the servants coming in, she read a chapter
from the Scriptures, and followed, as is her
Custom, with long spoken prayer, after the
manner of the Puritans, for both she and Es-
Their are of that way Of thinking, l think, and
as "the weak one Of the flock" was specially
remembered.
l suppose l ought to have been grateful, but
there, to the youngest servant, must have
known whom she meant,-so angry that tar
ried not to look in Philips face, when she
ceased, but ran to my room swiftly. | was
leaning my head on the table, crying when he
came to me, and seeing | did not look up, he
lifted my face in his two hands, and kissed me
on my cheek, and looking at me long and ten
derby, said-"Is it so, dear Meg are you truly
homesick, pining to go back Is it true that
l-thHt tba
Love, the worship, for oft times DO think it
a kind of worship, dear wife, of a true
Heart, could content your
could not hear his voice or look into his
sad, Pleading eyes, and keep my anger, and
said humbly enough, "Truly, no; but it is so
different here, so still and dreary, that when
you are gone, | get mopsh. can't help it if
it be weakness" | added with some temper,
''for | am neither stock nor stone g"
His fnce lightened and he said kindly, "No,
indeed if you were, you would not feel my
Mothers words so keenly; but you must for.
give them, Meg, for they are most kindly
meant. Your liking for her will increase
when you know her better If the tender
Souls do not always possess themselves in all
things and under all circumstances so fully
L do know that they possess the hearts
of the Strong all the more absolutely and thus
keep the eternal Balance of things even: and
knowing you to be so throned in mine,
sweet Wife, have been too happy to mind
some things as ought. l told you that had
lived alone besides, some men are by nature,
miserly of their treasures, and often, when l
reflect how God has enriched me in giving me
your fresh heart, [ can not speak my Joy even
to you, scarcely to Him. Forgive me, then,
dear Meg, for any seeming short comings and
when you think of those you love at Ryal-side,
as it is right GU should remember, not one of
pDn hpl bolf
doth your Husband, much as he may lack the
grace of speech to express it in words" Then
he babe me bring my hood, saying he must
show me if Suffolk was of softer Aspect. Not
tinghamshire had some sights worth seeing,
even though it did seem bare and drear to
strange eyes. 1t was unwise to speak against
the gods of the Hills, for l must know that
with the Philistines of old, he did hold them
stronger than those of the Plains.
We went up the Hills and over the Moors to
where a pleasant little Beck fed by the Mists
and Clouds that almost always seem to hang
above these Hills, came leaping over the rocks,
all i'll white foam like Lamb fresh from the
has seen much sorrow. The cloud and thick
darkness came upon her suddenly but she
met them with brave face, though the sun
and earth could never be the same to her
again. But she is wise and good, and it COM
forts me to think, should anything happen to
me, she will prove like the Shadow of the
Rock in weary Lande to you and EstherP
was minded to tell him | liked streak of
bright sunshine better than all the Shadows
whatever, but feared to dtsplease him, know
ing he meant most kindly yet | do some
times think he would be the brighter if he did
not feel the Shadow Of her presence, for often
when he is dscoursiug most pleasantly with
me, to me, for since I came here l feel my
lack of learning mere deeply, and so keep 81
lence to hide it. l note, if she comes upon us,
he drops the subject; or, if he keeps on, there
is change in his tone and manner, as if q
cold wind had come between us.
washing. We had much pleasant converse,
and he told me of his Mother her troubles
with her first Husband, Mr.. Sharswoode, who
was very gay man, and how after his death,
and after many years waiting-even until
Richard, whom she seemed to worship, was of
age to send away to School, she married his
Father, who had known and loved her in her
youth. AT the end of the third year of her
newly welded life, his Father was killed in
stantly, by vicious horse, and when she saw
him brought home and laid down before her.
dead she fell down in fit and though she re-
covered her strength of mind and body after
time, she lost all power of speech for many
months. 1t was only when the dreadful illness
and pain which left Esther such a cripple,
came, that she suddenly spoke again as by
Miracle. Therefore" he went on, drawing
my arm more closely through his, eff in the
shadow of these awful visitations, ordinary
troubles do seem of small note to her, you will,
remembering this, be patient with her, dear
Hearth
81 will try" l said, "but-"
"But what? Why, so often, of late, stop
short your speech with that but?"
"To my ignorance then, what you call small
troubles, seem to such as have known no great
er, just as hard to bear"
81 know there are those who hold this of
the griefs and troubles of childhood but |
think they are wrong; for the child hath little
commerce with Memory in a brief space his
grief is forgotten. But the very Memory of
past bliss may have power to sharpen agony
by contrast, and the sorrows of mature years,
like the poisoned arrows of the Indians, leave
wounds that rankle until Death"
Thursday, Oct. 5h.-Company to dinner to
day,-the Harrisons of Caldersfell and some
visitors Of theirs. Thinking l might be of
some use, and that time, at least, would fly
more quickly, if | had some work to do, l of
tered my services to our Mother. She look
ed me over from head to feet as if to see
what / might be good for then, said with
grave cool courtesy 1.-THE servants have
each his or her allotted work it is unwise
to disturb the Established order of the
House so l turned away thinking sadly of
the busy days at Ryatside where l really
seemed of some use in the world, and was
going back to my room, when, passing Esthers
door, heard low moan as of some one in
distress She keeps her room, which is on
the ground floor opening out of the common
sitting room, all the mornings but as she has
never asked me to sit with her, had some
misgivings now, about opening the door.
eaI 4 o1 10