Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-03-19
stIett Storp.
o y + + Y f. n IN G..
ny MRS. JULIA c. II. DoRR.

Faith polished the last teacup, counted
the spoons. brushed little lint from the
tumblcrs. and then, arrangin. them up
ou the closet shelf 10 her entire satisixc
ton. closed the door upon them with an
air of relief. Then she Strengthened the
! Crumu cloth, spread the crimson table
cover, placed the lamp upon it ready for
/ lighting. and laid hor fathers daily paper
/ beside i. This done. she went TO the
door and looked out
/ II bad been SUltry summer day. The
/ heated air in thc meadow had seemed to
NiurSte vlsihIy; aud the COWS had stood
ali day knee.deep in the water laxily
brushing away the hios. and browsing
/ thick heritage upon the bank. aud the
tender shoots of the overhsnging willows.
/ Faith was tired. The children had been
/ troublesome and her Young step-mother
herself only ten years older than this
girl OF eighteen of whom am writing
/ had had = headache. To tell the truth,
shc always had ons-or ,ome other ache
whenever il was hot, OF the children
we're cross. or any unpleasant domestic
exigencle, arose. Miss Opheiia might
have pronounced heI "shiltIcss." She
declared herself u martyr 10 ieehleness
and TO her nerves.
But now the sun was lying low in the
west; bright bleeze Sas dimplIsg the
river, aud The Tree tops nodded AM
becAoned inyitiugIy. Tom and janet
would moi ant 10 20 10 bed Tor an hour,
and Faith caught her little white sun
bonnet from the peg behind the door
She wanted To &c alone Tor awhile. TO 6s
tree. 10 think her own thoughts, and tc
open her heart To ihe sweet ministries o
nature. She needed rest and medicine
such as she could find nowhere else. No
l am not speaking at random. | NEAR
Just what say-such as she could hnt
nowhere else God reaches young
L
, girls heart more nearly through hi
woods. his flowers. his dews, his stars
his sacred sOlitudes. his holy calms thar
through the lore OF books, or even th'
revelations of his Word. These thing
touch it as with human tenderness. ant
the closed doors hy open at their ap
proach.
She had inst got to the gate.
Faith Faith! Tom says he wants 4
90 TO bed" called Mrs. Harris. "Com
and get him. He is driving me crazy.
Faith went back TO the house. an
hung up her bonnet again. casting on
lingering glance at the cool, lsafy n
cssses beyond the river.
"Ycu will not 90 to sleep yet, Tom'
she said. 1T is whole hour bsfoi
your bedtime. Where's JanetP"
But Miss Janet was not ready TO 60
bed. She wa, slowly shaking tho saw
dust out of her dolly, sitting with hi
face 10 the wall in dark corner.
"Ohi leave Janet for the present
:, said Mrs. Harris. "She's quiet enougl
and I'll send her up by-and by. If Tol
- doesnt want to go TO sleep just yet 20
can tell him stories"
J, Tell him stories Faith knew Ju
what that meant She repeated "hioth'
10 Goose" aud the "House that Jack Built
= and London Bridge and "Who kiii'
Cock Robin ?" until her head swan
Then she began with ''Noah's Ark" M
| went straight through to Malachi" o
ali 10 no purpose. The great bro"
eyes still looked at her unwearying
es from over the low oot-bosrd, and I
ny persistent little voice still pognced up
~, every omission, and demanded the CT
rection of every blunder.