Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-04-11


ward the hOmely lit,le house, over whose
door, poor snd lowly though " WIS., the
hOnpysnckle wandered, fun OF SWEETS,
'If ever did Here's deacon Gray q
coming r. cried Joe's maiden sister,
smoothing her hair.
~ don't wasn't TO zee him. cried Joe,
moving uneasily on his bed.
Good morning, and how are yen
all 2"
II was Martha's cheerful voice, and
Joe cOuld nor choose but turn, and when
once his faded eyes caught sight Of the
deacons altered face they stayed there,
hstfneG by the new expression of palior
%. tenderness that rested on those
weather beaten features.
Joe, ! didn't know as we two SHOULD
ever meet again." said the deacon, hold
ing out his hand. 1--WE thought Of You
every day since ! was laid on 10y sick
bed, How hard it must be for you to
stay there month after month"
Joe's lip trembed little. These
words coming from man who had more
than once reprosched him with shift
lessness and shamming touch his heart.
well, yes, it's sort o hard, he an
swered, "but spose III have TO bear it.
There's them that are wuss off, guess"
"What can do for you, Joel' asked
the deacon, his voice still soft with that
strange tenderness. "ls there anything
YOU'D like. Is this bed soft enough
Perhaps you could use my sick chair it
wheels about and you could go to the
door, or even outside in it,. You are
welcome to it, Joe, only say the word.
And anything In the way Of jellies or
delicate things that you'd fancy to eat.
Don't make stranger of me, Joe, send
TO me as you would to brother,
"But you know l amt brother, |
amt one O your kind, deacon l."
Never mind, said Deacon Gray, as
sedulously avoiding an argument now,
as before he had plunged into one,
! "never mind what your opinions are jest
now; the Lord sees and may be He will
bring you round to my way O thinking
yet. What / am after now is to make
the body comfortable. And | jest want
to ask your pardon for all my hard ways
and ungenerous speeches. l know I've
done wrong, the Lord forgive me. l
couldn't tell what difference sickness
makes in body and mind then, but | do
know. Come, Marthy, We'll be going,
and Joe, I'll takeit herd ifyou don't tax
me for something. God bless you, Joe.
Good morniog.
The two had vanished, but it seemed
some way as if the sunshine streamed
more genially over the place they had
left.
"Well, 1 never !" cried Joe's sister,
Joe was silent a long time.
What allied the deacon?" he asked at
last, as his sister came back to his bed
side.
"Diptheria, they said,'
Putty sick, want he7"
"Thoughtshe'd die folks said so.
"Well its done him more good than all
no matter" said Joe ending abruptly.
ITO think how he used to fret and
fume!" muttered Joe's sister. And
what q blessing that chair will be, and
how you've wished you could get one,
an he comm and oferin it himself
Well, I'll never say Deacon Gray amt q
Christian again, never I"
Meantime the deacons wife was lift.
ing the attenuated frame Of her husband
, into the carriage again, her vigorous
shoulder his main support. There were
tears in her eyes, but she hustled about
looking this way and that, tHcking tbs
big shawl over the deacon's knees, and
pressing him snugly back as if she fear
ed gust of the strong wind might blow
him away. 0 but in her heart it seem
ed as If she had never felt such wealth
, Of tenderness. The one thing this good
- but severe man had lacked was now al
4 most by miracle it seemed, wrought
into being, and had taken its lodgment
= In his heart. In his face new anC
holier beni9nty shone, even on the
Il strongly scanned forehead, in the deer
lines that toll, and thought, and cart
e had worn in his cheeks. The eyes, thu
grey eyes, that only on extra occasions
had lighted up with human beauty
seemed now to have gained an almos
!. unearthly softness.
"Marthy, Christ knew, didn't He :" h,
asked In quiet, tender voice.
KNEW what, dear 2" the good woman
startled at her own gentleness, st thu
Y unusual term of affection.
i Through suffering" and he turned t,
@ his wife.
8 Chow to pity us o yes, and he tool
G it all on Himself"
" sit wasn't put on me, thank God
s wouldn't have taken it, no, no. Human
s ity shrinks-shrinks from the suffering
from the cross. Forty years of health
o Marthy, is a fearful test. II don
r, know, looking at the past as do now
d feeling what / have lost and what
d have gained, don't know as | haC
a grace enough to save me, Marthy. l
IL didn't seem to me once as If anybod
/ need to be sick. Many time though
folks gave up because they were veal
!" and lazy. l don't know but it seemeC
d sort of sin to be sickly and ailng-
.r But you see God knew what | needed
&c Stop Dobbin, Marthy, there's poor Ste
phen's little lame boy. | wonder
,r something can't be done for him Z"
It So Dobbin was stopped and the chilC
re eladdened with kind word and hand
re full of coppers that set his face to shiniD
Dr. with what delight and surprise, bring