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

amp had sisters and lots of relation;
you and mother were all l had in the
world"
1t was her boys voice. Patience knew
the eager, frank tones. She had carried
him in her bosom as a baby; she had
worked and saved for him; she had lain
awake nights to pray for him; through
lonely months she had lived on the
thought of his coming back; and now
i'm the first hour of his return, he
thought only of this girl, who never
bore a pang for his sake. He had gone
first to her, and put his mother into the
second placel
Patience would have mOaned, but she /
restrained herself; she took hold of n /
sappling that grew near, and uneon- 4
crushed a clump of ferns under 4
her hand. Huldah was speaking now: I
al must turn back, Alvin" said she I
timidly, ''for | am half-frightened at
the thought of meeting your mother. l
have tried to make her love me since
you went away; but she is always cold. |
If 1 90 to see her she never asks me to |
come again. / have a presentiment she /
will never consent to give me daugh-
ters.plaee."
"You are trembling like little scared
bird" said Alvin, with a light laugh.
"DO you suppose my mother is such
bugbear? Why, she is Just the dearest
woman i'm the world; and she is so fond
of me that she will have to love you,
Huldah, for my sake. / shall tell her
all about it tonight. / meant TO have
told her before | went away; but you,
timid little goose, wouldn't let me.
Come on up TO the old hickory tree there
by the orchard, and / will let you go
back"
They moved past, and Patience could
moan now. She sat there among the
brakes on the hillside, with her face
bent down TO her knees. In the long,
lonely days, she had thought of only
one kind of loss that could come to her
through her boy; for n moment she felt
that it would have been easier to bear if
he had been brought home feet foremost
into the old red farmhouse. He would
have been a blessed memory then, and
all her own; there are moments when
it seems less heaTt-rending to give our
beloved up in death than in life. Pa
thence rose to her feet instantly, and as
she did so the baser part of her self-hOOd
dropped off. She felt her way down the
bank by the tree trunks and bushes, and
a new world of reflection was opened TO
her mind. For the first time it struck
her as right and natural that Alvin
should have this beautiful experience.
There had been no great blossoming
time in her life; she had married late,
with respect and liking, but all the pas
sion and romance of her being had come
through motherhood. She was old; she
had not thought of the Intoxicating
draught given young souls to drink, nor
the bliss which narrows the world over
again, to a single pair, and makes new
Eden of clasped hands and meeting eyes.
Patience felt humble, almost remOrse-
ful, as she walked under the blossomed
trees, wavering and tottering a little.
She had grown old in a moment; her
/ senses, always remarkably acute, seemed
[ dull. The thought that she should not
/ last a great while longer came to her
with a sense of relief. Why should she
live now that her boy had no more need
of her? Is it not written man shall
leave father and mother and cleave unto
his wife?
An hour may have passed, for Patience
sat down to rest once or twice; as she
slowly approached the house the lovers
still fingered in the shade of the old
hickory. Alvin heard step behind
him, and, turning round, saw his
mother standing there. Something
like blush of shame reddened his cheek
for the selfish indulgence in happiness,
which had caused him to loiter so long
on the road to a sacred duty. But Pa
tience only clasped him about the neck,
and sobs would not let her speak. HUI
dab turned i'm confusion, and was walk
ing away; but in 4 moment Patience
called to her.
"Come here, my child; | know that
you and Alvin love each other, and
want to give you n mothers blessing.
You shall have as warm a place in my
heart as my boy has. thank God for
two good children instead of one"
Huldah Ina her bashful face, but Al
win was beaming with delight.
There" cried he, what did tell you?
Why, mother, she was actually afraid
that you would never give your consent.
But ! told her you would love anybody
/ loved; and you could not help loving
her." he added, i'm n half-whisper.
Patience smiled family, but n sort OF
giddiness seized her limbs. He never
would know what that sweet consent
had cost; there lies the pathos of many
a sacrifice.
"Why, mother, what ails you?' Al
win asked i'm alarm.
80, nothing" she answered; "Only ]
am getting old"
"Nonsense," exclaimed Alvin, "you
are worth more than half the young
women in the country; you have beer
overriding, and now you must rest, anC
be taken care Of" He put his arm
around her, and she drew Huldah'i
hand through her own, on the othei
side; thus they walked over the grass
sprinkled with white clover. AlviI
was in high spirits, so glad to be back
| with much to tell of himself; Huldal
, was so quietly, supremely happy sh,
, could not speak a word; but Patienc,
. felt if she could have faded out from be
, tween them they would scarcely hav,
: missed her.
The house was just as she left it; bu
E as she opened the door and heard tn,
e slow ticking of the clock, it seemed a
{ though years not hours had passed sine
I she went out so elate and glad. She sa
: down i'm her chair not the woman sh
had been. Her heart beat slower; he
: hair appeared to have turned from gra,
, to white in a single experience. Sh
I had passed the dividing ridge of life AM
: was going down on the shady side. Sh
e stayed her head with her hand, AM
t whispered to herself, mot my will, bu
{ thine"
] GIVING AWAY HER HUSBAND.-MrS
= Stenhouse, in her revelations respecting
MornnoufsDa Tins SnpakS of the pffac