The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-05

tience met the overture rather coldly;
still she was obliged to confess that the
sweetest voice which rose above Dea-
con Spicer's wheezy bass viol, was HUI
dab Rays.
Once when Patience was sick with
and Huldah came to offer
her services, bringing a loaf of her .
mothers snow white bread done up in 4
the cleanest of towels, she had turned /
her face to the wall, and spoken but n |
few words in q rather repellent tone. /
Then if any one had peeped under the |
brim of the little brown hat as she went |
off the stOop, they would have seen a |
dimness about Huldah's lashes. There |
were things which the neighbors sus-
pected, if they did not know for certain,
and there were things which Deacon
Spicer, being postmaster, thought he
knew, for he peered at every letter that
came in the lean mailbag from High
lands.
Rachel was blind, but her blindness
had both pathos and dignity. Such
tall, straight, large-eyed woman could
not be easily approached by the gosslps,
so they left her alone with the music of
the pine trees signing around her lonely
house, thinking of her boy, getting him
closer to her intense, strong heart, and
skipping all the interval, and living in
the time of his return when they should
grow each to the other as the acorn
grows to its cup.
1t was a leafy, blOssOmy day i'm May
when the lilacs were out, and the snow
balls were beginning to bleach, and
birds trilled in the bOughs, and the sky
softened over the young woods. The
great parti-cOlOred balls of carpet-work
lay at Patience's feet, and the Bible,
with its worn, leather covers open at
the family record, and date OF her boys
birth, was placed on the stand by her
side. With his dry, peculiar ahem!
and the shuttle and stumble by which
he was wont to mount the steps, Dea-
con Spicer got upon the stOop, and
pushed at the half-Open door. He was
a shambling old man, dressed in a bag
gy suit of butternut brown, that seemed
to have been cut by accident.
"GOod day, widder, good day" There
was a half-tremble in the old mans
voice, that made Patience invOluntarily
ask, "What is il ?" as the work dropped
from her hands.
"Now DON'T" said the old man, in a
coaXing tone, as he reached out and al
most touched her gray hair. "GOOd
news never killed anybody as Pve heard
tell of, and l guess you can stand this.n
He fumbled in his capacious pockets, in
an aimless sort of way; but every heart
beat seemed a century to Patience.
''You see there was a scrimmage tOther
day, and Alvin run right into the mess,
Just like such hair-brained young fel-
Ter; he must have fit with all his might
and main. You see the Cap'n he has went
home, and Alvin has got promoted for
| gallantry. And the boy, you see-bless
my soul, it beats all what I've done
with that letter-the boy got a scratch
on his arm, and they've give him a dis
charge, and shouldn't a mite wonder
if he was home here by tomorrow"
Patience turned upon him trembling
and pale to the lips.
"You are not deceiving me-" she
: gasped; "my boy has not been-
shOt?n
"Deceiving of you, wilder? Why,
no." responded the old man in extreme
, astonishment; "D'ye suppose I'd have
the face to show myself here? Any
thing unfortunate that way would stick
. in my throat, and choke me TO death.
, l tell you he's on his way home, and in
fortnight will be as hearty as ever he
was in his life"
1t was indeed true; and Patience put
] her hands before her face as if the bliss
coming so suddenly was almost toe
much to bear. The old man wandered
on. "I mistrust there's somebody else
over the hill yonder will be glad to get
the news" But Patience scarcely heard
him when he took his leave. She sat
there in the red light of sunset, with
tremulous shadows spotting the coarse
plaster wall, her bosom heaying, heI
eyes dilating, a glad young look glow
ing in her face. She was dreaming OF
the time when Alvin was a baby; how
he played around her chair, and plucked
at her gown, breaking out into bursts OF
infantile glee. And now he was coming
home, tall young soldier, and would
kneel down at her feet, and put his head
i'm her lap as he had done n hundred
times She could almost feel her fingers
i'm his crisp, curly locks touching his
forehead, and caressing his cheek. And
she sat there in blissful dream until il
grew dark, quite forgetting she had gone
without her supper.
That night Patience scarcely slept at
all for joy. She was up betimes in the
pale dawn TO busy herself getting ready
for the homecoming of Alvin. She
swept and busted the old house. She
could almost see the grass grow where
the motherly punches of purple lilacs
. pushed into Alvin's little room window
! Everything had been kept sacredly, just
rs he left il, the fishing tackle on tho
{ wall, the few books on their swing-shelf
l the empty squicrel-cage on its nail, ant
= even an old tattered straw hat hanging
beside il. There was cookery to busy
{ Patience's hands; she remembered al
a her boys likings, the seed cookies anC
] favorite pies. But when these wer,
: despatched great margin OF time re
e manned, and Patience was too unquie
e with happiness to sit down to any worl
in the house. She went out into tn
y pine grove, where the tassels on the oil,
{ trees all wore a fresh, new green; th
# housitonia and wild columbine wer
{ blowing at her feet; and she could no
n help lifting up her voice in a deep, gla,
e chant, "the Lord has been my dwelling
:, place in all generations"
d The path led quarter of a mile be
: yond the grove, through leafy copses
5 where the dOgwOOd here and there ha
pitched its snowy tent, on a hangin
= bank, above the highway. Patienc
e wandered on until she gained look-ou
: through the boughs, down the road tina
2 wound under elms and NAPLES. 1t wa
Y a pretty spot, full of tremulous gree
e light from the young leaves, and musi
: cal with the song of birds. There Pa
e tience sat on the moss, waiting she coul
: not telAhOw long, such sweet fantasie
!, filled her brain and spun themselves be
[ fore her eyes. At length there came
, faint murmur of voices, and with he
l heart fiuttering, she parted the branches
a and peered out. Two persons wer
e coming slowly along the path, through
: spotted shadows and sun CLEANS, who'll,
H.N.r -. oh 81