Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-11-28

q w o Will take OteAkldN Win hef AZ Qulfttr
9 seven in the morning, Poor Fnnk--it's a ten
rible blow p
b Then she came back to me.
g Shall stay with you tonight, Or would yo
:, prefer to be alone she asked in her gentle, low
u toned voice.
4 "Alone, if you please" said "but oh, May
], shall never forget how good you were.
: II was long before | slept, and thought o
r first that could not close my eyes at ALI but
:, remembered that must rest, or after my mex
days journey should be useles. to her; an,
t somehow my physical being obeyed at last m
t minds bshesi, and | slept until they called me
six the next morning.
All the family were up at breakfast The old
fashioned, neghbory kindness ofother days whict
after all lay deep in their hearts, came TO the sur
face, and know their sympathy and interest wert
genuine.
Breakfast over my bonnet on, my shawl anC
bag at hand, Tom came to me where ! stood
alone at the window watching for John.
cannot bear you should 60 without me, he
said. 81 wish might 20 with you, suppose Il
would not do now ''
| looked at him moment then with eyes thai
seemed, somehow never 10 have Sc en- him before
! What was there in him on which could rely In
perilous times2 Gay, graceful, gaant-wbat
aflinity was there between that surface nature and
the sober yereties OF life ? felt instinctvely how
soon ho would tire Of grief and its demands. Was
he one to share long vigil over my fick-to
mourn with me over my dead Would he not
be totally out OF place 10 the farmhouse kitchen
out Of which my mothers room openedP liow
impossible felt it to turn TO him tor sympathy
Nhat bad been going TO rely on in the stress
and strain OF LIES great crisis, with h-.- a.Es for
my husband | do not mean that all these
tho houghts were clearly defined but they all swept
through my mind, aud the impression they made
was strong and lasting. Yet | answered him,
quietly.
You are very kind, but ii will not be best
that you should go. Ia few dsysyo shall hear
how she ls."
"And at the very earliest moment possible you
must let me come. You must not forget what
you are to be in the spring"
No. shall not forget" ! wonder if my
voice was as devoid Of nope and interest as my
heart was
Just then carriage stopped, and The bell rang,
and We kew II was John Colman. Then all the
family gathered round mo and babe me good-by
hurledy, but with ptying tenderness. 1t was
John for hurrying me away.
What care he took OF me in that long days,
journey! He seemed to understand everyone o.
my moods and wishes by some mysterious instinct
lie did not talk to me, except to answer, always
patiently, my too often-recurrng questions" DO
you think she will know me P" and" DO you
truly believe it is possible that she may live for
yearsP"
AT last, when it was almost night, the cars
stopped at Sayvills station, and | was in car
rage with John beside me driving home. How
strange the country stiffness seemed after all the
whirl OF city sights and sounds A light snow
had iallen that morning and rested motIoness on
trees and fences Our feet made tracks in it as we
went from the gate to the house. My father
opened the door, looking twenty years older for
these two days Of sorrow.
How is she ?" asked eagerly.
Bad enough" he answered "One eide is
paralyr.d-shs will never use her right arm or her
right limb again but she can speak, thank God
and she will know you"
| took of bonns! and shawl hastily, and then
went in where she was-my mother who had
watched me down the path when | went away
With the November sunshine ginting in her hair,
the fond smile on her lips, the hope and the
prayer in her eyes. She lay now on her bed,
bolstered up with pillows, and again she tried TO
sme but the muscles of the right side Of her
face were powerIess, and that one-sded smile was
more pitsou, than tears.
"Oh, my child my child !'' she cried, in her
strange, changed voice, "thank God you are
come. did so long for you."
| knelt by her sdeSand pressed my lips to the
right hand that lag there so numb and powerless
kissed il, as the old crusaders used to kiss the
cross, making a VOW and pledge, taking up so my
life, work. Then said
Yes, mother, here | am never, please God,
to leave you again so long as you need me-
Towards midnight they sent me to my room.
Mother was not in pain, needed little care and
father insisted that should rest.
put shawl round me, and drew away the
curtain from my window, and sat there, just
where mad sat that June afternoon, six months
and ten days before. Now how changed my
views Of life we're had tested the metal which
glittered sc th,t day-,hared the gay, bright,
pleasure seeking life. And now | coveted it no
longer. had come back satisfied, That stately
house, on which the winter moonlight shone,
could never be the house of my heart. Oh, i'll
God would but let me atone to my mother for
scorn Of the dear homely works and ways Some
how scarcely thought OF Tom at all that night.
1t was only OF my mother, and the sad, changed
face on the pillows down stairs.
When the doctor made his early visit the next
day mansged to seek him alone. lie only con-
ftmed what John had said, She might, very
possibly, not have another shock for many
ysars-her LIE was 10 no present danger-she
might even be somewhat stronger aud in better
health by-and-by-but she could never, never be
her old self again. She would be from hence |
forth as helpless for all practical purposes as an
infant. SO everything combined to make i clear |
to me what my ie-work was. But said nothing
as yet to my mother about my plans and pur'
poses-indeed did not talk to her about the
future at all. She was in no pam, and found It
interested aud amused her TO hear about my viz.
it to New York: so reproduced it ior hsr-told
her OF all the bright gay scenes, the music and
the merrimeat. Ones she looked up with such /
an expression Of love struggling through the numb
linesmont, OF her face, aud shining out OF her
eyes, and said, sotlyi
"And you LEFT all this to come homo to me
good, dear child
The next morning after that was Christmas
that Christmas had planned to spend SO differ
emily. wondered il they we're keeping high
holiday in the house had lelt--ii the CHRIST.
mas-treo slttered with It's costly gilts-if
should be missed. Asd then, for part answer
to my questions, package csmo-the Christ
mas gilIs they had previously prepared for me.
There we're choice books-a lovely MadOna
in simple lrame-and from Tom, the dantiost
of nlad wrtng-desks. With them were two
notes-from Ton, q little sheet OF tender phra-
ses, and entreaties that he might como and sec
me soon from May a lew words of earnest
sympathy, and an apology for sending the gifts
at such a time, because they had been meant for
me, and il would make them all 30 sad to sec