The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-12-09
ROBERT HsAXWEsE.I'S FEMPTA-
1KesS.

R0bert Maxwell let UoWils tAe p'tf,
for the tired oxen. with which he hlti
been plowing all day. to go through.
them. and seek on the cool hill sides.
their nights pastnfage.. They turiiea
their heads and looked ut him With
their great mournful eyes. aS ifeSpect-
ing Il word. for they were used to filS
voice, the slow. patient creatures. and .
liked il rs et.ch dumb brutes always
Go the voice ofI:l kind muster. But to-
night he had no voice for any OF them.
lie put mp tile bars after they ihsd
gone through, aud leaned heavily
against them. y Iay sunset WAS
flu hing earth and sky; the new spring.
ing grass looked fresh and green;
light. ftat.crF leatage was on ali the
trees. and q fev ot, them, pears and
cherry trees. Lad put, OH white bios
SONS. TIE we>tera SKY was piled high
with crimson clouds, with, close to
the horizons. Il bar Of gold. \ reelected
brightness flushed the east with soft
loScate i,Ie, which spread up to the
zenith. All was as still as the birth
OF a new world. a sense of wonder
FIJI beauty thrilled through Robert
MaXWe.l>S uiiedncatcI perceptions.
He had no words for such Il scene. no
c!ear.y defined tl,orghts about If even
FttA u 1i'NfA 1SNi'N't y ttii''
Ell his pulses, and seemed to Hood his
litr with Il rush ofdrpamS and lon@ings.
How beautiful the world WAS. There
We're some men he heard who had
pai;ittti such scenes az theSe-oth@rs
who had wrote poetry about them
others who set th2in to music, like
TIE songs of' the birds. ortha soft piaSli
al the waves What was hi part al
this . plowing to-;lav, plant to-lnor-
rev, WAS that ali lit;. lie.d for linn?
There must lie oti5er use. some other
meaning. II he could only grasp it.
II he had no part or lot iii all this
beauty. why did it affect him so: just
ther he heard the sound Of horses
feet, and looked i'll the distance whence
it came.
Maud im Pay was sweeping down
he hill. with gallant beside Ter.
low like Il part ofihe sunset beauty
she looked. with its rose upon her
check. it; radiance i'll her eyes and
hair. her long hIlie habit fallen low,
and swinging to the motion OF her
ni!k-wl.ite pony. her white plume
streaming back on the wind. her little
hands. with the dainty gauntiets on
then-So much youth, and grace a'!d
beauty. Aid the .'city clap," ;ls
Robert Maxwell called him, by her
side, dix! not nlar the picture. A hand
some, casaiierisA looking man, there
was no 6ieuyirC that he showed Well
l,e-ide Maud: but what was he here SO
much for They swept by. Maud's
low. siiyery laugh. tinkiilga a response
to sonnet hing her companion WAS say
ing: and Il ntfle cloud, which the hoofs
OF the horses bent up behind them.
filled Rohert's eyes. and choked his
throat, and added bitterness to his
mood. He glanced down to his hard.
horny hands. his coarse. toil-Stained
clothes. How we'll he would look at
Maud Du Pays side. And yet he had
loved her III a vague sort OF way,
whose meaning he had just begun to
find out. ever since he could r2nlenl-
ber. Lift, would not have such SAVIOUR.
he thought, withoutlher. And yet SHE
would be untitled for farmers wife.
and that's just what he was, a farmer.
Then the question came again which
had haunted him betore-couid he be
nothing else? Did lie doom him? Did
God ask him always to go in and out
Of these Old ways. plow and plant, and
make hay, and reap grain iii summer,
and 90 back and forth between the
homestead and the wood lot. all win
ltI FcOItlc otft ot>c NOiiiti NtO do wen
for them. and he-he believed he had
enough in him to 80 away and make
career Which Maud would not scorn to
share.
The crimson had died out of the
west. the rose hue out of the east. y
low wind had arisen, and blew morlrll
fully and slowly acrpss the fields.
Robert Maxwell s mood changed with
the face OF the night. The eAultation
forzook him, and something hard,
stern, s,llien, alien it seemed to his
S17->rouS. hearty nature. entered III
and took possessio.I of him. IIewent
home slowly, With heavy footsteps.
Tired, kolbie?'' his mother said
cheerily, a he came into the kitchen.
Somehow the words vexed him; she
had said them often enough before, but
they had neverstruel> him in just that
way till now. '.Robbie!' If she
would only remember that he was
twenty years Old.
s..1es, I'm tired, he answered dog
gedIy.
..,FeII, draw right up to the table;
I've got = nice cup Of tea already for
We; tllat II rest We, and brighten We up
II little
Robert Maxwell flung down his hat
impatiently. lea e What notions
Of life woman had. He looked at his
mother as he had never looked at her
before.
Mother said he, with Il bitterness
he hated himself for years aftcrward,
~ wonder if you ever had a trouble
that Il good cup OF tea wouldn't cure T?
Things don't go any deeper than that
with some folks.
Ills mothers eyes elouded. but she
answered him very gently. She felt
that tonight for some reason, lie was
not responsible for himself.
Il have had trouble that went deep
enough, Robert; six children that have
played round my knees. sleep yollder,
behind the old meeting house, and to
bear and nurse, aud then to loose
there's none knows what that Is, hut
Just them that's born to it. and G God that
made mothers with mothers hearts.
I've had troubles that creature COM
forts wouldn't help much; and yet
don't despise this worlds good things.
n Il