Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-17


with three young children in it. Susan
had no intention of keeping her children
from noisy play, or sending them to bed
early to suit his whims. If he had always
spoken, and it was done, then a little
change would be well with him. He
thought a little discipline in the way OF
suppression, would be good for the young
ones.
In half year there was open warfare.
Mr. Powers had learned to dislike, almost
to hate, his step-children they to dread
and dislike him.. Their mother to compare
her life with what it might have been, had
she struggled on alone, or more dangerous
still, with what it might have been had
Henry lived. And one day in the course
of some dispute, she said the bitter things
that she had thought. From that day
they lived over smouldering volcano.
Jealous sense of wrong on one side, self
assertion, in spite of shame and humil iliation,
on the other. Susan affected to be fighting
her childrens battles, when she opposed
what she considered tyranny. Her hus-
band fei.rthat all which he had tried to do
went for. nothing, and that the children
whose bread he earned, were taught to
despise him. This was not the truth for
Susan, though she was tinjust, never said a
word against her husband save to him, or
before his face; there was left this little
spark of truth and honor yet. There were
occasional traces and attempts at peace
until the little girl was born, then the
worst of this divided house appeared. The
| father was constantly on the watch, and
/ the thousand little nameless ways in which
own pareDtage shows itself, awakened Su-
sans jealousy for her fatherless ones. And
once, when Mr.. Powers struck Harry be-
cause the baby was hurt in their play, the
mothers anger famed out What, is she
better than my boy7 l wish that she had
never been born And never in her
fathers sight, would she bestow a caress
upon his child. When he was out of the
way, she made up for all.
! At fifteen months old the child fell i'll.
1t was a bad summer for babies, and she
was teething; it was only weeks sickness,
and she died. AS they were putting her
into the little easket, her father turned to
his wife, and said, This is as good as what
you wished Susan dared not ask if the
grave were to be made in her lot, but she
1 hoped, till the very moment when the car
riage turned to the opposite path and
the whole breadth of the cemetery lay
| between.
Il will never 90 there when he can
know said Susan to herself. And in this
frame of mind, filed with anguish for her
loss, with remorse for what she had allowed
herself to say and feel while the child
lived, and with anger toward her husband,
she went to church, on the Sunday after the
funeral, more for the sake of getting away
alone than for the hope that any word
could help her there. She had never been
in the same place before
/ 1t was Friday morning, and the Rev.
Mr.. Stanfed sat in his study, attempting
to write sermon of consolation. Two
lof his parshioners had died that week,
one old, the other in the prime of life. He
must say something of comfort, something
of Heaven to the mourners.
He had the text written out Ye be-
Iieve in God, believe also in me. In my
Fathers house are many mansions But
that was as far as he could go the word:
that he wanted would not come Ht
walked out to try and work himself int
the mood, when instead of it there fell up
on him such a sense of the worth Of maj
as man, such vision of his capacities, sucl
wonders at his possibilities, there CAM
, upon him such realization of the soul
/. apart from conditions, that he felt it mus
|, be written. What a waste of time Will
the work which must be done yet on hi
, hands But he put at the top of his pa
Of
sparrows,' and For we are also his Oh
spring Writing was no labor then, AM
; before he thought of it, there was ser
mon. L must pick out an old one fo
Sunday he thought; but on Saturda
: night he determined to preach that. 1t
: the word of the Lord to me for this houl
: and I will say it,
Susan Powers heard that sermon an
it was the word of deliverance and peac
!. to her soul. She sat like one in dream
: till the services ended; then rose and wer
out of the house, just casting one bach
4 ward glance at the man who had spoker
to see if he was not indeed an angel, the
. with fixed purpose in her heart, turne
toward her home L will try and kee
\ my sight, she said, i will not becom
blind again For she Was like one WI
= had Just received his sight How all hC
life. to this hour, ste herself had been Il
= center around which the universe revolvec
= her rights, her comfort, had been the II
3 portant matters, and people were good
! bad according to their treatment OF he
= And vet life, her life, had seemed on
ar poor and mean.
Of rr1TI
~ or threatening could have touched her
this thought of the value of man hi
r. done.
n But how can | let him know of tt
DO new light that has come to me she as
ed ID herself. LII l were to begin talkl
OF kindly, he would think there was Sol
ct purpose in it and despise me. Ii l t
as MIN that l have been wrong, he will +
ed listen, or will say, some cutting thir
ed What shall | do p She thought of t
nd children but since the baby's death
he had never spoken, not even to scold the
le- He went in and out just as though th
te, we're not in the world. At the tab
on their mother gave them food which
de money had purchased, knowing that
en hated them, and feeling as if each NOR
SO they ate was choking her. Then
nd thought came of the little grave, and b
Mt. he would 90 there alone at sunset wol
IRE she dare offer to 90 with him? No,
rs, courage was not equal to that. But tn
is, was something she could do. She fou
st. that her husband was busy writing in
he own room and quickly gathering
zee best, loveliest autumn flowers, she went
let the cemetery; tenderly, with tears
m fell not merely for her loss, she laid
offering on the new grave. The little moi
aer was an altar, and this was an offering
to love and peace, and of hope too.
asst That night, when Mr.. Powers ca