The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-04-04
"GLD ROBIN GRiY.'
BIZ MRS. NJ. L. sASCSTER

In at the oIen kitchen window
came The sweet May air, full Il lila
fragrance. The great bushes OF
either side of the door were II mas
Of purple bloom, the grass was star
rcd with dandrIion8 and snow
clover, and the meadow in the dis
tanco was 80 covered with butter
cups, that it made enc think Of The
"FIcld OF the Cloth Of Gold"
Mrs. Duff was ironing, and the
clothes-horsc was covered with hcl
shirts, aud collars, and cuffs, anc
pieces of household lingerie all done
up to the highcs. ideal pointof per
lection. AS she took the lust piece
from the basket she half.sighed, and
said under her breath:
"WelI. Daisy, you do make u heap
OF work, to be sure!'
1t was a lovely white dress, all
pui1s, and mlles, and frills and the
mother fingered over it, till it was
fit, in it's smooth and shining dain-
%tiness, to adorn a queen. Il Was
her queen, for Daisy Duff, at eigh-
teen, reigned without IL rival in the
house where she was born.
A weary step camo along the lit,
tie paved walk that led from the
garden rate M to he house and
Nh. Duff camoin and threw himself
into his lcatbcr.cushioncd armchair.
81 see no other way out OF it,
mother" said he, us hiy wife looked
up al HIM, an eager Questioning in
her cnrcworn racc. "lIl have to
nav it, for Vests cone, and Lett
nothinr t. settle with. And thu
house must be sod, MEG, there's no
other way, unless God works q mr.
acle FIR nur benefit, in the next
three months"
",I{o thai is surety for u stranger
tnalI sma,t for it," quoted Mrs.
If 81 warned Won, Eben, bat Won
wouldn't listen. II don't do for
folks TO 80. Themselves no TO b.
wiser than Solomon"
"Thcr.. Nee" said Mr.. Duff, with
n depr eating little wave If lis
hand a pcstnre habitual with him.
81 know Pyc been n fool, but its
late IN fine day fr Won TO t,rn
against me. It's bad enough, to
think o, this old place under the
bommor-why" with o~uiycriny lin
ave olayoi in that garret M stairs
raipv dav., when | was A. b,y. I've
male fences, I've cleared fields, I've
put nv fifty wears of life right into
tho soil, audit won't be long before
the soil wi}l hold all there's left of
me. after other hands till it."
"WplL. husband. msybe GolIl
opcp a wov." said the wife. irving
t5spcnk cice,ily. and true to wo.
mans instinct in the honr of neel.
tHe can Won know. So don't be
lowp-bearted, dear"
"Thera c,mes n way" said he, in
nnturn, cloomily, 'but / think it's a
nav of the devils choosing, not of
Gods"
The gate clicked, and II large,
he'd bearded man, with a slow step,
and awkward appearauce generally
c,me in with the mir of one who felt
At homo. He was Doctor Sinclair.
known tho country round as Doctor
Boil. from the fact Of his having
40 been in partnership WITH
Ms father, also II physician. Doctor
Rob was onlv Il lew wears Younger
INN Mr.. Dnf but he had never
married., and now he had appeared
n tbe character of Daisy's sutton.
7ery mucL in love was the worthy
ocior, as men are apt to be, when
\ tho middle of life they bestog
hair alJeotiops on some youthful,
and to cain her hand he was
renared to pars with much that
itherto made life enjoyable. His
,cholor ease md freedom, his be-
we'd cigar three or four times q
az, even the old brown coat which
had worn till it was threadbare
, the elbows and white about the I
,ams, and whom he loved as if it {
ere a friend--lhose hs would viii s
ngly resign. HIS money, too. was :