The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-04-09

I
gained five pounds in flesh since left
home Three days after writing this
lett r there came n sudden change OF tenn
pcraiurc he took cold, which was fol-
lowed by congestion of the lungs, and no
medical skill was sufficient for the case.
His body was not sent home for intcrmcnt.
| When the husband and father went away
two or three months before, his beloved
ones looked upon his face for the last
time in this world
Love and honor made her heart strong.
Mrs. Granger was gentle, retiring wo
man. She had leaned upon her husband
heavily she had clung 10 him as II vine,
Those who knew her hest felt most anx
ious about her. "She has no mental
siamina," they sadi "shc cannot stand
| alone.
But they were mistaken. As we have
inst said, love aud hon II made her heart
strong. Only week after Mr.. Sterling
read the news of the young III mister ;
death. he received note liom the widow.
/ "NIv hu-lmnl," she said ''was able
to 20 South, in the hope OF rcganing his
health, through your Kindness. Ii lac han
lived. the money you loaned him would
have been faithfully returned, for he was
II man Of honor. Dying, he left that
honor in my keeping, and ! will see that
the debt is paid. liut yon will have I"
be lttlc paticnt with me"
"All very fine" muttercd Mr. Stcr-
ling. with slightly curling lip. ''Ive
heard ot such things bctorc-thcy sound
well. People will say of Mrs Granger,
| 'Wlat noble womrn! What II line
sense of honor she has l'nt | shall nev-
cr see the 800 dollars was foolish
enough to lend her husband"
Very much to Mr.. Stcrlings surprise,
not II little to his pleasure. hc discovered
about three months afterwards, that he
was mistaken III his estimate of Mrs
Granger The pale, sad, fragile, little
woman brought him the sum of twenty
five dollars lie dil not see the tear, in
her eyes as he displayed her husband
note, with lis dear, familiar writing. and
made thereon, with considerable furnmlty
an endorsement Of the sum plid She
would lave given many drops of her
hear,t's blood to have been able to clutch
that document from Mr. S;cring'S hands.
/ His possession OF ii seemed like Il blot on
the dear lost ones memory.
"kuiic Granger is the uuccrcSt little
girl | ever knew" s,il Flora Temple to
her mother, on the evening of the very
day ON which this first payment was made.
Mr.. Sterling heard the remark. and let.
ting his eyes drop from the newspaper he
was reading. turncl his cars to listen.
81 ihink her II very nice little girl, -
replied the mother
$50 She Is NICE" returned .hc child
'but then she i, 50 queer.
"Nhat do you mean hy quccr7'
"Oh, she int like the rest Of us girls
She said the oldt,t thing to day-I al.
most laughed ont, but I'm glad didnt.
Three of Us, Katie, Lille Bonii-ll aul /,
were walking round the squire at rccc..
time when Uncle Hiram came along.
and taking ont three brinht ten cent
pieces, he said, 'hcie's dime for each OF
yon girls. to buy sugar plums.' Lille and
| screamed out, and were starting away
for the candy shop in an instant; but
Katie stood It'll, with her share of the
money in her hand Come aong.'
cried. She didn't move, but looked strange
and serious. 'Ain't you going to buy
candy with it asked. Then she shook
her head gravcly, aud put the dime in her
pocket, saying q don't think She meant me
10 hear The word 1T, for father honor; :
and lcoving Us, went back to tn, school
room. What did she mean 10y that,
molher' Oh, she i 50 strange
"llcr mother is very poor you know"
replied Mrs. Sterling, laying up Katic-
singular remark TO be pom lcrcd over.
''Shc must be-" sad Flora, ''lor Katie
has worn the same Grock To- school every
day for almost three months"
NJ. Sterling, who Iii not let single
wor ofthi conversation rs ape him, was
far from feeling as comfortable under the
prospects of getting back the money he
had loaned Mr., Granger, as he had felt
an hour before lie UNDERSTOOD the mean
ing OF Katies rcn.ark-"Its for father
honor;" the truth flashing at once through
his mind.
There was another period of tlycc
months, and Mrs. Granger called again
upon Mr.. Sterling and gave him twenty
five dollars morc.-lhc pale, thin face
made strong impression ON him. Ii
troubled him to take the money from her
small fingers, in which the blue veins
shown through the transparent kin, as it
was counted ont. lie wished that sho
had sent the money instead of calling
1t was ON his lips TO remark, "Do not
trouble or pirch yourself to pay faster
than is convenient, Mrs Granger" bat
cnPdity whispered that she might take
advantage of his considcratc kindness, and
50 he kept silent.
"No, dear, it's for fathers honor;
can't spend it,
Mr.. Sterling was passing fruit shop,
where two children were looking in at the
window, when this sentence struck upon
his cars.
SAN apple won't cost but penny,
Katie ; and | want one so badly" an.