Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-17
Sitting in Sunshine.

Sitting i'm Sunshine.
ITO sit in sunshine, calm and sweet, is
an excellent thing for an invalid"
These words met the eye of Mr.. Ste
phen Strongway, as he glanced over the
pages of book taken at random from the
center table in his wife's parlor.
ITO sit in sunshine, calm and sweet"
That would be a beautiful existence in
deed, even taken only in physical sense
of the words, while to sit all the time in
mental sunshine-Mr. Strongway dropped
his head upon his hands, and sigh stole
almost unoonsciously from his lips at the
thought.
He was worthy of his name-a strong
man, mentally and physically, and with
all strong mans impatience OF, not to say
contempt for, weakness in whatever form
it is manifested
Mrs. Strongway was a delicate creature,
loving trustful and timid. Sid was over
whelmed by her husbands contempt OF
weakness and shrank from exhibiting her
affection, toward him; and she and her
children dropped under the chill which
the shadow of stateliness constantly kept
upon her home.
But now Alicia, his wife, was ill--dying
and his thoughts were turned to softer
strains and the sentence, "to sit in sun
shine calm and sweet, is an excellent
thing for an invalid" struck home to his
inmost soul. His wife had never had any
sunshine of home or of love, in which to
bask but he resolved it should be so no
longer.
Alcia's early home among the noun
tains was for sale, and if she wished it, he
would purchase the old home as sum-
mer retreat in future years for herself
and children.
In future years! Nay, what had the
grave faced family doctor told him of that
very day He dashed the tears impati
emily from his eyes. The doctor must be
mistaken. Alicia could live 1t was not
yet too late to repair the ravages his cold
ness and unkindness had made.
Even as he thought this hollow cough
had struck upon his ear, and his W ife
crossed the hall and entered the parlor.
"Alcia," he said gently, "you are
very i'll. "
She looked up at him, and her soft,
brown eyes filled with tears.
"Yes, Stephen.
And the brown eyes looked into his
wistfully as if saying:
"Do you care? :"
"You know this, Alicia ?"
ct have known it for some time-long
| before he discovered it Stephen"
The question was on his lips now:
"Do you care, Alicia ?"
The soft eyes filled once more
"Oh, Stephen, dread to leave you and
| our dear children. / have loved you SO !!
L may say it without offending you now
that you know that l am dying"
"God forgive me !" he cried. Have l
then been so unkind that you have feared
| to tell me of your love until no" 7"
"You have not been unkind, dear Ste
phen," she hasteued to say oniy--
Only-I think men do not understand a
| woman's heart sometimes. 1t is 50 neces-
sary for us to love and be loved, and to
show that love, Stephen, and to have it
| shown that"
"Yes, see it all, my darling, and know
now exactly how great the mischief Is,
and how it has been DONE" said her hus-
band, clasping her to his heart Forgive
me, my darling. We will go from here
at once to your old home where we first
knew and loved each other, and will see
| if cannot bring the lost roses back TO
those cheeks-the lost light to those dear
! brown eyes. Kiss me, Alicia, and you
shall sit in sunshine, calm and sweet, in
future, if have the power to bring it
round your path"
He kept his word. And did Alicia die,
| no.
On the contrary, she disgraced her ply
sician forever, by growing strong, and
well, and healthy, and happy in the calm
sweet sunshine of her husbands love. 1t
never waned again. And she and her
children have lost all fear of him, in this
strangely altered state of things; while
all who have business dealings with him
of late, can scarcely recognize the once
stern, and naughty and masterful man.
I $40 sit in sunshine, calm and sweet,
} is indeed good for an invalid"-it is good
to all Reader, if in that blessed heart
sunshine you sit to-day, thank God, hum
bly,, for the gift; for some there are or
whose darkened path no ray Of radiance
no glance of truth affection, ever falls.
"LoNa JIM WILSON" IN THE House
Keene Sentinel has the following il
reference to the election of Gen. james
Wilson to the House:
Gen. James Wilson, who was recently
elected to the Legislature from this town
is the veritable "Long Jim Wilson" o.
half century ago. He was placed at the
head of the representative ticket at the
Republican caucus on Monday evening
by reclamation and amid great enthusi
, asm, and was elected on Tuesday by ar
unprecedented majority. Forty-fve years
ago he was elected to the same Office by
the voters of Keene, and there are those
, still with us whose eyes sparkle as they
speak of the eloquence of the youthful
orator and of the enthusiasm which his
words inspired among members of the old
Wing party in the days when party spiri
b. ran high. His popularity among the PEG
, pie of Old Cheshire has never been abat
, ed, although with the younger portion o
the community his personal popularity
and rhetorical eloquence are in a measur,
0 Evolutionary, owing to his long absence
r He retains all the intellectual viger of hi
5 youth, and his temperance upon tn
theatre of his former political triumph
is hailed with JOY by every citizen. Lon.
may he live to enjoy the confidence which
: they have ever reposed in him.