Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1869-01-15
Farmer Heath DesesmInes - Cat eff
ssA0 Extrn.n

The old farm house wore quiet, pleasant
| look, as The setting sun gidsd its small win
dows, over which the luxuriant grape vinei
we're carefully trained. In the open dool
sat the farmer, with little morocco coyeret
book in his hand, on which his attention bed
been fixed for the last hour. He was mai
Of method and order-o.d Richard Heath
and, aside from bis regular account books
which he always kept with scrupulous care.
be always set down In the simplest manner
possible, all his expenses (not very compli,
Gated amount BY the way), bad I'll he had
received dn'ing the year, in the metal, ~ be
said--not by way Of trade.
The last account be bad Just rcconed up,
and TIE result was highly saiif Glory, il
one might Judge from the pleasant expres,
sion Of bis face - he turned 10 his wife and
addressed her BY hse pretty, Old fAshioned
name:
.'Millicent," said be, ".his bas been lucky
year. How little We thought when we NOV,
ed to this place twenty FIVE yean ago, tha,
We should ever Gst I've hundred dollars .
year out Of the rocky, harrsn farm."
''lt does pay fos . great deal Of hard work, y
said she, TO ses how Different things look
nov from what they did ihen."
"Now, am going to figure up bow much
We have SPENT" said M. Heath "don't
make . noise with your knitting needles.
'carse it puts me out"
The wife id BY her knitting in perfect
good humor, ard gascd over the brood, rich
folds of wsving grain, which grew 90 tall
around the laden apple trees that they look.
ed Ike massive piles Of foliage. Hearing
her name kindly spoken, led her own
thoughts far back to the past; for after the
lapse of twenty five years, The simple sound
more, to wife, than all the pleasing epui
thets Of dearest, darling, 70 lawfully offered
in . long>past courtship.
Very pleasant was the retrospect to Mil
licent Heath. The picture Of the past had
on it some rough places cad some hard tn
ais, but no domestic strifs or discomfort
marred its sunny aspect. There were faces
on it, happy childrsa's : faces without which,
no life picture 10 beautiful. Soft, blue eyes,
shown with unclouded gladness and wavy
hair foated carelessly over unwritten fore-
heads. She forgos, for mon ent, how they
were changed, and almost fancied herselt
again the young mother, and tiny hands
stole lovingly over her b.som, ssd young
heads nestled there % Of Old.
The illusion vanished quickly and she
sighed she thought Of her youngest born
the RECKLESS boy who bad left her three
years before for . ho0e On the sea. Once
only had sidings reached her Of the wandsrer.
The letter spoke Of hardships and home>
siSkress, in that light and careless wsy that
reached the mothers hsart hore surely than
repining or ccmplaint. To know that he
suffered with strong heart, with noble and
uuyielding resolution-gave her feeling ol
pleasure, not unmingled with pride. "He
will surely come back" murmured the af-
fec,iona,e mother to herself and read the
paper SO carefully every week, that il saya
anything about the ship Alfred sailed in.
shall be sure to see il.
"Mrs. HEATH" said her husband, inter
rupting her meditati0ns somewhat rudely
I'VE have sp, Mt thirty dollars more than Us,
ual this year, where can il have gone tor
The new harness, suggested Mrs. Heath
that don't come every year you know"
"Wellthere is twenty dollars accounted for. '
I'VE had The carriage 6xed up whom yov
bought the harness. continued his wife.
| "Well, that was eight dollars; that
twenty eight we don't spend every yeai-bu
the other two, where can they have gone ?
Glancing his eye over the page Of bi.
memorandum book, be exclaimed
"l'll tell you what It's, the newspaper
costs just two dollars, and we can do with
out it. 1t isn't anything to eat, drink, Oh
wear. don't do anything with il, and you
only lay it away up chamber. II may n
we'll b left out - not, and III stop my sut'
scription right away"
"Ob," said his wife, "you don't know how
much l set BY the newspaper. ! alwayl
have . sort OF . feeling when you take il
cut of your hat aad lay il on the kitches
mantle-piece, just - l do vixen some OF oul
children come hone; and when l am tired
sit down with my knitting and read
caa knit Just - we'll when I'm reading, and
feel SO c0ntented. don't believe Queen
Victoria herself takes more solid comfor,
than l do sitting By the east window, on Z
scmmer afterpo0W, reading my newspaper. y
"But you ass jsse - we'll o. without il, :
answered her nsband. for want Of something
to say.
II never neglect anything else for read
ing, do 7" asked Mrs. Heath, mildly.
mo, l don't know as you do," answered
her husband "bst It seems an extra, like
shall stop H." he added, in tone tha,
showed plainly enough BE wished 10 s.oF
the conversation.
II shall take the paper," remarked
bis wife. il have 10 60 out washing to pay
for it,"
This was not spoken anrrily, but 20 firmly
that Nr. Heath noticed Il, though by nc
means remarkable Tor discernmeut in mos,
matters. II sounded SO different from heI
usual quiet sas you think BEST" that be ac>
tually stopped : mf ment to consider wheth-
er il was as I'll like : she would do as she said
Mr.. Heath va : kind husband, a. tha,
| indefinite description is generally understood
he did not beat his wife, and always gave heu
enough to eat. More than that, he had .
certain regard for her happiness, which al
ready made him feel half Ashamed Of his de-
cisioa but, like many other men Who have
more obstinacy thaa wisdom, be could moi
bear to sstract anything, and above sll, to
be convinced Be was wrong by woman.
However, With . commsadab!e Wish 70 ~
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