The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-10-24

bank over the highway Patience wan
dercd on until she gained a lookoui be-
tween the houghs down the road that
wound upder elm, aud naples, L Was q
pretty spot, flll oftremuIou, green light
from the young leaves and musical with
the song Of birds There Patience sat
on the moss, waiting, she could not tell
how hong, such sweet fantasies tilled her
brain and spun themselves before her
eyes. Al length there came faint muir
mar of voices, and with her heart autlor-
ing she parted the bushes aud peered out.
Two persons were coming slowly along
the path, through spotted shadows aud
sun CLEANS, wholly absorbed in each 9th
er The young man was tall, with a
tanned, gaunt face, beaming now with a
look that made il handsome. He was
dressed in the faded blue OF the army
aud carried one arm in sling. His
companion, young girl as sweet and
pure as a rosebud, walked by his side.
She had taken oirher little browf That and
was letting it swing by the ribbon. Her
great, wondering, innocent eyes were
raised TO his; faint pink had Aattered
into her checks, naturally pale; the mild
breeze was uutanging tho braids of her
siken hair in tiny rings and curls The
young man held one Of her hands aud
was pressing the shy finger tips TO his
lips. They paused little, near where
Patience sat, and where the dogwood
seemed to make a white dritt against the
bank.
O, Hudah, Patience seemed to hear
her boy say, if You could know how |
used to think of you first and last on the
long marches! The remembrance of
what you had promised kept me up in
the wet and cold Most of the boys in
camp Ind sisters and lots OF relations, bat
you and mother were all | had in the
world.
II was her boy's voice. Patience rec
ognized the eager, frank tones. She had
carried him in her bosom as a baby; She
had worked aud saved for him; she had
lain awake nights to pray for him during
lonely months she had lived on the hope
of his coming back and now in the first
hour Of his return he thought only Of a
girl who had never borne pang for his
sake. lie had gone first to her and put
mother in the second place! ,s.
Patience would have moaued, but she
restrained herself, she took hold OF sap
ling that grew near, and unconsciously
crushed a clump Of ferns under her hand.
luldah was speaking now. | must turn
back, Alvin, said she timidly, for ! am
half frightened at the thought of meeting
youg mother. | have tried to make her
love mo sinoo you wont away; but she is
always cold. III 90 to see her she never
asks me to come again, ! have presen-
timent she will never consent to give me
a daughters place. ...' ."...#
You are trembling like little scared
bird, said Alvin, witha light laugh. Do
you suppose my mother is such bug
bear? Why, she is the dearest woman
in the world and she is so fond Of me
that she will have TO love you for my
sake. shall tell her all about it tonight
y meant to have told before / went
away, but you, timid little goose, would
MT let me. Come on up to the old hick-
ory tree by the orchard and / will let
you go back. s.a. .o9#. a.G
They moved past and Patience could
moan now. She sat there among the
brakes on the hillside, with her face bent
down to her knees. In the long, lonely
days, she had thought only of one kind
of floss that could come to her through her
boy; for moment Sue felt that it would
have been easier TO bear if he had been
brought home feet foremost into the old
red farmhouse. He would have been
blessed memory then, aud all her own;
there are momeuts when it seems less
heartrending to give up our beloved IN
death than in life Patience rose TO her
feet instantly and as she did 50, the baser
part Of her self-hood dropped off She
felt her way down the bank by the tree
trunks and bushes and new world of
reflection was opened 10 her mind. For
the first time it struck her as right and
natural that Alvin shosld have this beau
tiful experience There had been no
great bossoming time in her life; she
had married late, with respect and liking
but all the passion and romance of her
being lad come through motherhood.
She was old she had not thought Of the
intoxicating draught given young souls
to drink nor the bliss which narrows
the world over again 10 single pair,
aud makes q new Eden Of clasped hands
and meeting eyes,
Patience felt humble, almost remOrse-
ful, as she walked under the blossomed
trees, wayering and tottering a little.
She bad grown old in moment; her
senses, though remarkably acute, seemed
dull, The thought that she should not
last a great while longer came to her
with a sense Of relief Why should She
five now that her boy had no more need
cf hcr2 r. II not written man shall
cave father and mother and cleaye unto
his Wifey
An hour may have passed, ior Patience
sat down - rest once or twice; a. ,he
slowly approached the house, the lovers
sdH fingered in the shade Of the Old
hickory. Alvin heard a step behind him,
and turning round, saw his mother stan
ding there. Something like a blush of