Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-24

grow 50 1am1llar tnat tney would seem
more than any other details of his Dress
white neckcloth and black vest----a part OF
the man, as he would come to her every
second day and stand patiently while she
!, removed and replaced them for him.
The minister wanted his tea, and tried tc
speak on Indifferent subjects, on the long
drought and burned-up pastures, but
stopped abruptly because he could not put
back the thought. and he knew that Jess
shared it, that Mrs. Stewart not ten days
ago had been lamenting the drought in that
room, and had been making her arrange
ments to send out the servants every even.
ing with their hooks to cut grass at the
ditch-sides, and bring back their aprons
full of fresh, green supper for her beasts
He walked to the window and looked out
beyond the fowery garden, where the
evening wind soughed sadly in the grass
Of the kirkyard. Then he turned and said
emphatically, "Our wound is deep, though
we need not let it be seen. But, Jess it is
not by gloomy token like that that she
would like us to mind her not that it is
not good IN It's way, everything is good or
changed to good, even parting and death,
when they are but stage to meeting and
everlasting life. But, Jess, we must take
care of her beasts and birds and flowers,
that they may never miss her as we shall
do always Though we troubled the last of
her days with our discord). Wemust keep
up her habits, that every day may have its
trace OF her." He went on speaking with
unusual openness for strong, reserved
man, on the sweet and winning morning
light which had fingered with his wife and
Jess's mother amidst the dust and clouds
of the heat of the day on her love of ami
mails and plants, quaint books, plaintive
old songs, primitive sayings her walks to
the kames to see the sun set her reveries
| looking upon the blazing Goals on the win
ter hearth. And Jess knew she was her
fathers trusted friend, and that he saw in
lifelong loss and sorrow.
IH-THE PICTURE.
For some time after her mothers death
Jess was thrilled with a nervous expecta-
ton that Sandy would "cast up" as she ex.
pressed it, in the cleaning OF the dawning,
any day, to take his part in their mourning.
The news of his mothers death would reach
him through friends or the announcement
in the newspapers. But as months passed,
Jess was forced to renounce the expecta-
ton, and submit to the obscurity which
hung over Sandy.
The minister and Jess lived together in
strict seclusion, until the sharp edge was
worn of their sorrow {; and then the minis
ter had grown quiet, absorbed, gray stu
dent, whom Jess could only vile from his
household gods-the books-for the benefit
OF his health, by Ingenious stratagems and
unremitting pains. And Jess was fine
looking, composed woman, with the eye
and the hand of a mother and the carriage
of duchess.
1t was summer again at Clovenford, and
the whole place and people were pervaded
with grave, shaded sottened brightness,
not wanting in flashes of mirth, relieving
what was pensive in domestic life,-for
both Jess and the minister possessed the
composite quality of humor, and not only
raised the laugh in others, but were subject
themselves to sudden ringing peals of
laughter the wisdom being as old and
common as sin and misery, which the wit
of Grizel Baillie set in one memorable
line
''Werena my heart icht would dee"
The month of May, with its lilac-lily-oak
they called it at tClovenford-and hawthorn,
was about its CLOSE, and the General As
sembly of the Kirk of Scotland was about
to conclude for the season its ime-honored,
pious, benevolent virulent squabbles
The minister of Clovenford was not a
member this year, but he took it into his
head late one evening that he would like
to be present at certain debate next night,
and, with constitutional rapidity, fixed that
he would go the Edinburg next morning by
the early coach which passed through
Woodend, take Jess with him for treat,
be present in the gallery of the Assembly,
spend what was left of the night at Jess's
Aunt Peggy's, and return by the late coach
the next night to Clovenford for there
will be nobody setting up for US at home"
he put in, with an involuntary touch of pa
thos, when he found how easy the scheme
was. But the minister had not been in
such good spirits for a long time, and it
was with something of his old animation
that he entered into the details, congratula-
ted Jess that she would have an opportun-
ity of seeing the Lord High Commissioner,
and graphically detailed the marks by
which she might distinguish the leaders of
the Kirk
Jess was glad that her father should feel
able for the excursion, and soberly pleased
with 1T on her own account. She had been
in Edinburgh just once before, and had seen
the Castle, Holyrood, Princes Street, George
Street, and st. Andrews Square already
Two days in Edinburgh were of such rarity
and Importance that few country women of
her circle attained them more than once in
their lives, and then it was ON such momen-
tous occasions as the celebration of their
marriage in the capital, or the scarcely less
serious step of going with bridegrooms,
mothers, and matronly friends, to buy their
marriage things" out of metropolitan
shops, gloriously combining love and ad-
venture, pleasure and profit. Jess, though |
far behind in other respects, felt little
elated at the double feat
The minister and Jess were on foot by
five o'clock next morning found even the
end of May rather raw on the top of
coach at that early hour; spent the greater
part of the day on the road, indefatigably
enjoying the scenery, and sheltering them
selves under cloak and mantle from pelting
showers alighting and swallowing slices
of salt beef from perennial rounds, glass
fuls of sherry and tumblerfuls of porter,
leisurely, while the coach was changing
horses in the inn-yards of country towns