The mountain Democrat., 1864-11-19

dslirou = sotasH heqe sd - Phynk
leian Raye hia Oo1senL thOQHb The, recoE'
e7F n kigpaIisat Was sEfll t6h6tft fie
cCdVtssed AhI litaIe, except Upon he 6llb-
let Ofretnyning heaAs ;aea tho @Utnihk
That ha was to BE- FsmoUed he eQmgoqe
bic hostess to bis bsdsidA and aid - heF
tiMFa TayleF, + know I'll that FoR apa
your son have done for me and, Whether
/ live or die, Isball not forget ~ That
was ali be said ell the thanks they ~
ceiFed, saving from the farmer's oldest
son.
A month had gone by. It was Just 10
the opening Of July-one Of those vivid,
afluent, tropical days hAthang like ru-.
bies in the thread Of the year. Reuben
Taylor came in ct noon from cutting hay,
wiping the thick perspiration from his
bronzed forehead.
who do you think has sent for you b
come right ever there, after dinner 2 ash
ed Mrs. Taylor. -.t
Il can't tell, am sure throwing him.
self down on Q chair by the window. Its
too hot to 20 anywhere Afore night
Able Ross, has sent for you, Reuben.
The hired man says he's able to set up
two or three hours every day, and the
doctor says he's out Of danger, though
he'll never be the man he was before bin
fall
I'D calculated on getting through With
the south field this afternoon said Reu-f
ben, irresolutely.
Hadn't you better let it lie over, my
dear boyr timidly interposed Mrs. Tay-
lor, as abe placed plate Of young eOrh-
on the dinner table. .---!
The young man pondered awhile, and
at last audibly Concluded Well, reck.
on may ~ veil risk t. !"
Farmer Ross at by the window If his
great white farm house, 20 that the slug.
gish wind from the.s which cooled .
little the hot heat Of the afternoon, could
wave to and fro through his iron gfay
locks. The strong, muscular frame hsd
fallen away greatly and the sunken cheeks
and the deep rings around the eyes told
their own story of long, slow, physical
suffering.
The farmer nodded to Reuben a. he
entered, and motioned him to chair he'
had always been man of deeds rather
than words, and those hard, selfish, grind
ing, cruel deeds to many who were in his
power. i+<
Reuben Taylor said Farmer Ross.
looking with his deep set eyes full in The
young mans face, do you know that you
saved my life, the other dayr Ia n,
Il think did SIR answered Reuhen,
in his straightforward, Outspoken wsysf
'And you know that probably laid
your father in his gravef' And this titpe
swart color crept slowly up into the
ghostly cheeks of the old man. i104
Il believe you did, SIR No wonder
that Reuben's voice faltered little now,
as the memory of his father flashed over
him.
Farmer Ross WINGED under The words
q moment as though 4hey panied him. {;
and there was no sound ia. The room save
the little ril Of melody which the summer
wind made as it came in through the WIN
dows. At last, Farmer Ross spoke again,
taking folded sheet Of pAper from tho
table beside him. erj 2ce
well, Reuben Taylor, I've thought this
all over in my sickness, and It's laid 90
my conscience o nights to think that I'd
been the means of killing the father, aSaa
the son had saved my life. So resolved
to make you and yours all the repArntiNn
in my power; and there's the deed to the
old Brook Farm, without flaw or mort
gage
'Sir-sir + muttered Reuben, rubbing
his hands across his eyes, and staring d
the old man, for he thought he must BE-
dreaming. p,
There it is, safe and sound, and no.
bodyll be smart enough to get Il sway
from ye or your heir, this time reckon.
Then the truth dazzled and broke into
Reuben's heart. He thought Of his old
child home with its low, pleasant, dess
old rooms, of the great garden at tho hAck,
with its plum-trees and currant. bushUS
he thought of his mother, Of her faEorite
seat by the kitchen window, just over
which the white doves cooed Gll summer;
be thought Of Amy's brown head with
the flicker Of gold IN 1t flashing In and Nut
Of the old rooms aud he thought Of an.
other sweet face, dearer than all the 9th
ers, fitting from room to room, the blue
eyes full Of smiles, and the small mouth
full of snatches of old tunes-he thought
of all this, and it was too much-he bow.
ed his head on his hands and burst into
tears.
'Reuben'-the voice Of Farmer ROss
certainly had a quiver Of feeling in it,and
the hard scrawny hand was laid trem1.
lousy on the youths thick hair-'ars you
sorry to get the old place back ?
Sorry 7 he was answered when Heu'
ben lifted up his face. 'Oh, Farmer Ross,
how can thank you p
You needn't try. It's only making
amends, you know, for although, the law
was on my side the Lords shown me that
I never had any right to the old Brook
Farm and l hope you'll forgive me for
tukin' it from you e..,s -
And Reuben Taylor took the old farm
er's hand, and answered solemnly, The
Lord is my witness that I do from this
hour
1t was an evening full of the glory Oi
stars, and the crystal lustre Of moonlight.
The full clear, silvery light lay in riVefa
and lakes, over the meadows, and sheath.
ed the limbs Of the orchard trees. and
slept in long glittering spears on the low
roof Of the yellow-brown cottage. Char
ity Ames sat under the porch, on the loN
sill Of the front door. and her sweet iaaG
looked out sadly on the night. No won
der her heart was somewhat heavy as h6I
thonghts slipped the CABLE and went cot
sadly to the f1tHrss .,ShS thought Of he's
father, who had complained that very af'
ternoon that the crops didn't promise over
smart this year, and be didH't'SSS hte WY
cIeartO pay dollar "a the. morteAga-
! She thought hoW old ageywex oe0inNlpl
70 creep more heavily Ipo1 hin, end Rnr
dens which only hi: strong 9 @aF .l heed Il sS1l,