The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1860-10-18
not suspect what was the cause OF the

HOL Suspcct Wh"V was the cause OF inc
change.
One day George came to her, look.
ing 80 wretchcd and wo-begonc, that
she exclaimed, in alarm:
% George! what's the matter with
your
Nothing little puss,'
But, George, / know better; you
don't look SO miserable for nothing
What is it? Has Grace
Refused mc2 Yes; she says she was
only flirting, o woman"
% George, and you are sorry. Poor
George"
And she passed her hand, caressing-
ly, over his forehead.
"lcs; Lam sorry to find any woman
so hoarlless. Women should be kinder
and loving, shouldn't they, Sister An.
uic2 But never mind, man must not
give up to such things. And now 60, d.
bye, little sister; for | am going away"
80 George. do not go away-do not
leave us Pray do not go."
And the soft, pleading blue eyes were
lifted to hls, full of tears.
The strong man looked down into
them for II moment, and saw, for the
first time, Omen are so obtusc,) that An.
ME Gray loved him. He saw it, and,
still, he went away. Tie mere y press.
ed her to his heart very close, and kiss
ed her again and again-hcr eyclids,
her checks, and the rosy, quivering Ii ps
and then went away. a whole year
passed over the old red house, and the
school-master had not been heard from,
The long months OF winter came, piing
snow high over fences and windows,
and making the whole earth 50 chill and
gloomy; then came the sweet scented
spring and the apple blossoms, and the
li,acs filled the garden with their odor;
then the glorious summer, when the
earth hlaughcd haVcSts; then the autumn
again, when each wood lifted upits ori.
famine, and every tree hoisted tr.col-
orcd banners. And all this time Annie
Gray had gone about her accustomed
duties in the old red house, with cheer.
tnl hands, and Il willing, patient heart
Her voice still cheercd her parents witt
the accustomed song; her skilliul hand.
still fulfilled their wontcd tasks, and, to
all the ncighborS round. she was the
same gentle, patient, willing friend.
And yet her heart had lost its old light
ness; her blood its old bounding motion,
her puscits oIdrapid luttcring. Some
times she sat, just at evening, on the
vinc-shadcd portco, with her head lean
ING on her hand, and her cyclids half.
droo. ing, and gazed steadily down the
road for an hour at time, and then
would rise up and 60 in, with II tear in
her eye. Perhaps she thought Of the
schOolmaster \ Icttcrcamc, one morn
ing, to the old red house, in hand
writing, oh, so we'll knC WA; and Annie
Gray seized it with great, choHina
throb in her throat, and ran up to hcl
own little room. 1t ran thus:
MY DEAR ANNE GRAY: When first saw
you in your quiet, secluded village nome, |
thought you the inircst flower among those
rough hills. ! loved youus | thought | should
have loved sister if God had ever given me
one. | called you sweet Sister Annie, and Yves
growing to find pleasure only in your society.
Another camc--ohowy. and brilliant, and very
beautiful; and yet, think now, not half 50
lovely as yourself She daHzIcd me. | grew
bcwidcrcd, and forgot all else but her. |
thought she loved me; and grew to love her
not deeply and frrvcntly, but with brwil-
dering sort ct II passion, which lasted only for
II time, then dried out. In oar parting hour,
new revelation was made to me. | thought,
then, that you loved me; and there wa' bliss in
the thought, After that, | found how much |
loved you-how you had been in the depths of
my heart all the timc and have waited to
become worthy of you-to be- sure that my at-
icction fer you is deep, and abiding. May |
come to you now? and will you forget all that
is wrong in the past, and receive me aS your
own. GEORGE"
The lcttor dropped from her hand;
and she lucIt d0wn--swcct Annie Gray
by the little snowy bed, and thanked
God.
Very soon the old red house grew
gay with preparations for II wedding;
and good Dame Gray was once more in
her glory, as she tied on her long,
starchcd apron, and prepared to aston
ish the invited guests with the glorles
Of her cookery. Annie was sent to the
barn, more than once, for eggs, ana
more than once had to be called after,
in the old ladies highest pitch ofyoicc;
for George always persisted in going
with her to assist in the search; and !
presume by the length Of time they
were gone, that he grew extortionate
IN his demands when he found II nest
perhaps cnargedher more than one kiss
IL dozen.
They have given up hunting eggs in
the barn now. Their children do it tor
them, while they sit and enjoy them
selves in the old red house.
n,rnurp Whnt Z, chnn,,, has come