Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-02-03
GALES s sheteees.
Robert MaxweII's Temptation.

Robert Maxwell let down the bars for
the tired oxen, with which he had been
ploughing all day, to go through them, and
seek on the cool hilsidsss, heads and look
ed at him with their great mournful eyes,
rs if expecting word, for they were used
to his voice, the. slow, patient creatures,
DO, the voice of kind master. But to
night he had no voice Tor any of them. lie
put up the bars after they had gone through
and leaned heavily against them. a May
sunset was flashing earth and sky the new
springing grass was fresh and green !; a light
feathery LEAKAGE was on all the trees, and a
few of them, pear and cherry trees had put
on white blossoms. The western sky was
piled high with crimson clouds, with close
to the horizon bar of gold. y reflected
brightness flushed the east with roseate
hue, wh.ch spread up the Zenity. All was
still as the birth of a new world. a sense
of wonderful beauty and mystery thrilled
through Robert MaXwell's uneducatcd per-
ceptions. lie had no words for such a
scene, no clearly defined thoughts about it
even but it moistened his eyes and quick
ened his pulses, and seemed flood his life
with rush OF dreams and longings. How
beautiful the world was. There were some
men he heard who had painted such scenes
Others who wrote poetry about them
Others who set them to music, like the song
of birds, or the sOft plash of waves what
was his part of all this ploughinS to-day,
planting tomorrow was that all life held
for him 7 There must be other use, some
other meaning, if he could only grasp it.
If he had no part or lot in all this beauty,
why did it move him SO? Just then he
heard the sound Of horses feet, and looked
in the distance whence it came.
| Maud DuPays was sweeping down the
hill with a gay gallant beside her. How
| like part OF the sunset beauty she looked
with its rose upon her check, its radiance
| in her eyes and hair, he long blue habit
fallen low, and swinging to the motion o.
her milk-whitc pony, the white plume
streaming back on the wind, her little
hands, with the dainty gauntlets on them
so mnch youth, and grace and beauty
And the 'city chap" as Robert Maxwell
called him, by her side, did not mar the
picture. a handsome, cavalierish looking
man, there was no denying that he showed
well beside Maud but what was he here
50 much for? They swept by Maud'i
low, silvery laugh, thinking response t
something her companion was saying !; anC
a little cloud, which the hoois of the horses
beat up behind them. filled Roberts eyes
and choked his throat, and added bitter
ness to his mood. lie glanced down to his
hard, horny hands, his coarse, toil-staineC
clothes. How well he would look at MauC
DuPays' side ? And yet he had loved he
in vague sort of a way, whose meanin:
he had Just begun to find out, ever sine
he could remember. Life would not have
such saver, he thought, without her. An1
yet, she would be untitled for a farmer
wife, and that was just what he was-a
farmer Then the question which haunted
him before-could he be nothing else
Did He doom him Did God ask HIN
always to 90 in and out these old ways
plow and plant, and make hay, and rea
grain, in summer, and go back and fortl
between the homestead and the wood lot
all winter ? Some one could be fouEd t
do as well for them, and he-he believe,
he had enough in him to 90 away and max
career which Maud would not scorn t
share.
The crimson had died out of the west
the rose hue out of the east. A low win
had arisen, aud blew mournfully and slow
ly across the fields. Robert MAXWELL
mood changed with the face of the night
The exaltation forsook him, and somethin
hard, stern, sullen it seemed TO his geneI
Gus, hearty nature, entered in and too
possession of MIN. He went home slowly
with heavy footsteps.
Tired, Robbiel' his mother said cheerily
g" he came into the kitchen.
8 soid I ,hemG the words vexed him she ha
had never struck Ralgh before, but the
!, now. Robbie Ii she wtSt. that way I'll
= Der that he was twenty-five yeafy remeh
s 'Yes, I'm tired, he answered doggeu..
well, draw right up to the table (; l.,
got aice cup of tea already tor ye that
!. rest We, and brighten ye up little
r. Bobert Maxwell flung down his hat in
70 patiently. Tea! What notions OF II
b women had He looked at his mother {
C, he had never looked at her before.
Or Mother said he, with bitterness
70 hated himself for years afterward. Il VOL
der il you ever had trouble that goc