The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-10


named Ruin if appropriateness had
been considered" said Nan, medita-
lively surveying the fragments.
The business Of unpacking and ar.
ranging, being thus successfully inaugu-
rated, was carried steadily forward !;
and, indeed, though it seemed some
thing gigantic in its confused state in
the middle of the floor, there was mot
so very much furniture to dispose of,
after ALL" as Nan remarked in "A tone
half congratulatory, half pathetic,
while smile and tear battled for the
right of lookout from her brown eyes
Only little way back in the past taere
had been more, filling larger and pleas
anter rooms. Still, when all was in
order, even to the old sofa, charltably
covering the faded breadth in the car
pet, and the great Dictionary gravely
concealing the ink.spots on the table
cover, the place looked neither uncom
Portable nor unhomelike. Two pairs of
hands had wrought wonders, though
Mans, plump and dimpled, Helen's
slender and blue-veined, scarcely looked
the sort to wage any fierce warfare with
opposing forces, and doubled into fists
would have been positively absurd.
Settled and ready for work." Helen
said slowly. That was well, since short
counting would suffice for their availa-
BILE funds, and income and expenditure
could hardly be coaxed into meeting
amicably, but there were always disa-
greeting in the most fiat and uncourteous
manner possible. The work was making
designs for the prlnt-mills. Helen al.
ways spoke of it as the work, never as
her work-that expression meant some
thing more and different to her, and
was sacred to an old hope laid aside.
While the brighter days lasted-while
DR.. Mayne lived-she had found abun-
dant occupation that suited her. She
had delighted in his books and studies;
and the old physician, proud of his
young daughters clear head and quick,
intelligent comprehension, had encnur.
aged the taste, and given her every
assistance in his power talking at first
laughingly, afterward more seriously,
of time when she should be thoroughly
prepared to become his assistant in his
crowded practice. So, little by little,
the scheme had grown clear and well
defined, until it became TO the girl a
cherished purpose, and she looked for
ward with many a hopeful plan for the
busy, useful future. Then Dr. Mayne
died, dropped suddenly and forever the
countless cares he had not thought he
could relinquish for day, and the for
tune he had always been just going to
lay by was still in embryo. The few
months that followed ended Helen's
dream. No, not quite that, perhaps,
but sent it into an indefinite Danish
ment that was almost worse than execu-
ton. She learned then fact not
mentioned in history, or recorded in
the newspaper stories of A." self made
men," that there may be bravery in
surrender never dreamed of in the
stoutest battle, and that some contemp-
tuousiy pitied failures are nobler than
any lauded success.
All of which, however, did not make
her desperately in love with the work
of designing for the print.mills, and
her eyes would wander away from the
boxes of pencils and colors and the
blank, staring paper to the dear old
books beyond. Many things, had, per-
force, been parted with; but Helen had
chung to the books. They must be
kept, if only for Rue's sake. lie would
want them some day, she said; thoug
in truth that young gentleman's talents
seemed to tend more strongly in the
direction Of braking his own neck than
in that of repairing damaged bones for
other people. Removing the volumes
from the place where loved hands had
touched them, and arranging them in
these new, strange rooms, brought back
for little the keen, impatient pain.
1t was hard to take up the distasteiul
daily toll and turn from the study she
longed for. The years that must pass
before she could hope to resume it
looked so long-wasted years she felt
like calling them. "Not until the chill
dren are grown up-and ! shall be so
old then" she thought, drearily. Then
something-was it in the sunset, or the
rustling leaves of the solitary tree at
the corner, or some voice that reached
her through no outward sense?-whis
pered of the life that had thirty long
years of waiting and only three for its
work; and Helen grew strong again
with that breath of the "old, old
story" and the tears that had gathered
in her eyes did not fall.
Did those who escaped from the
burning, unshaded sky, ard tire dry,
hot bricks, to the pleasant shadow of
old trees, the waving o. green grass
and the soft ripple of cool water ever
really know how intense the heat was
in town that summer? Mrs. Grimp's
tenants could have told. The little
yard, visible from the back windows,
grew dry and baked, the dingy linen
on the lines ceased huttering and hung
limp and breathless, while on the street
in front the vegetables wilted at the
doors of the small groceries, the small
dogs lolled about with tongues hanging
from their mouths, and the small boys
forgot to torment them, and sought re.
pose on the shady side of sugar hogs
heads and molasses barrels.
A still, bright day had burned itself
through, and the long, soft twilight
came. At the little center table Nan
bent busily over her work, trying to
make the evening atone for the days
want of energy. Rue drew little Mar
gle to the most remote front window,
-, oro q Co;,t broot n of dir etola in opJ