The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-03-22

eyes, and imagined that il was my own
studio, and that my wife came in and
out.
thought this was going on forever,
when the light changed, and Molly
came and looked at my work, and said
it was wonderful" and said, " Don't
touch it again another touch would
hurt it. | think you almost know
what they say when they whisper to-
gether."
| shook my head, looking up hap
PLY into her face, and then / ven
tured to tell her Of the wild-roses ] had
for her.
She went to the window and pulled
aside the white curtain, showing me the
road outside, and their old horse,
Steady, harnessed into buggy, stand
ing patiently by the horse-block.
"Does it tempt you ?n said Molly. ~
thought we'd 20 to drive"
"Thy thoughts are ever an inspira-
ton, Molly" | thought, but need not
tell you that | didn't say it.
Never had the peculiar beauty Of the
scenery so moved me before-the wild
ness and the cultivation. Some fields
of wheat, very light and wavy, standing
up against the dark blue of the noun
tains, were a color. study to be remem-
| bered.
When we got to the long hills we let
the horse walk, and Molly sang me
some quaint little songs with her sooth-
ing, beautiful voice. So we went
through woods and through villages
until the darkness came upon us. 1t
was very happy, then, TO sit there 81
lently and hear her soft breathing at
my side, while held my own breath
to listen. | remembered my dream Of
her, when ! sought for her in the dark
ness, and | knew that the darkness
would be light about me if she were
with me ever.
at has been pleasant day" said
Molly, as we got out at the gate, and
gave the horse to the farm hand,
who was waiting for us at the horse
block.
| ventured to take her hand and
draw il through my arm. We did not
go in at once, but walked down the
road and watched q break in the dark
sky grow ming wider and wider, and gold
and more golden, until the half-moon
came through, and we walked home in
path Of lght-our two shadows run
ming before us.
Was the night or the day best, Mol
! ly? The day when | saw and heard
you, the night when ! dreamed of you,
and there were no limits to possibili
ties?
Molly's morning. glory voice at my
door walked me TO the sense of another
day. Alas | thought it was to be the
end. No matter! | would forget that
and live in it. 1t was Sunday. 1t
rained hard, but the rain would be sun
shine for me if Molly and | watched it
together. There was something pleas
ant and quiet about it all day. 1t
seemed to shut us out from the outside
world and make US little solitude.
We had a wood fire on old-fashioned
andirons, and sometimes Molly knelt
before the fire and blew up the flames
with a big pair of bellows. The sound
of the church-bells came to Us through
the rain, but poured out the thanks
from my grateful heart, while | looked
at Molly on her knees before the fire,
with the freight on her hair and face,
and tried to make me little sketch
of her to carry away with me on the
morrow.
Later, we all stood about the door
way watching the clearing off of the
rain, and after tea we sat on the porch,
Molly and one of her sisters close to-
gether, making picture--Molly in a
dark green dress that was perfectly
charming.
Up in the honeysuckle a bird had
built its nest, in which the mother-bird
sat, and the little husband stood on the
edge Of it and sang TO her, just as if
there wasn't party Of people watching
them.
The peonies down the path looked
more bacchanalian than ever. Outside
little hare ran across the road.
| looked at Molly imploringly, and
she understood me, and went with me
down the path and down the road, and
last of all through the wioket-gate, UNI
der the grape.vines into the garden,
where we walked and picked the wet
roses.
"Has it been a dream ?" | said.
" And will it be all over tomorrow p
She said very softly:
ats absurd, Joe, that you should he
going away alone again. You need some
one to take care of YOU"
/ looked at her with a questioning
face right into the depths of her gentle
eyes, A mist swan before my own, so
that | saw her family as in a vision. A
great tide of JOY flooded my heart. |
think ! said:
Will you gowith me, Molly?"
knew that the pansies shut a sweet,
sweet secret tight into their silent
hearts. | knew that the foxglove bells
were ringing our wedding chimes.
A little while after, we stood in the
twilight parlor, and received the bless.
ing of Mollys people. We, who needed
so little any other blessing than that we
had just found