The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-16

sleeping children-there never was any.
thing touched my husband like the
little child.
SIS all Comet | asked and with
that he crushed his face down on his
clasped hands as they lay on the table,
and burst into tears. | knelt down
beside him, and thanked God for the
tears in my heart. but / was so choked
| could not speak; and we staid that
way ever so long, neither saying a word.
Now it is strange what turns the mind
will take. Even while his face was wet
with tears, my darling lifted it,
"' Katie he said-and it may seem
TO you nothing but fond old woman's
fancy, but I've always thought there
was no music in the world ever so sweet
as the way my husband says Katie
unto this day Katie he says, let's
turn the cup, and see what it reads.
Like all youngsters, | believe, we had
tossed many cup, in our boy and girl
days, just for laughter. He took it up
quite serious like, and turned it, and as
he looked into it he smiled. 'There's
clear road he went on, land house
at the top, and a wonderful lot of planks;
they can't be ours, for there is not a
plank in or near the pit now
"'But there will be- l answered,
eagerly. 1t was only yesterday, down
where the spinny overhangs the pool, /
met Mrs. Crowley. She gave me a
blithe good-morning, and asked if my
goodman was going to turn his leaf
soon. "Tell him TO make haste from
me" she said, laughing like a sun.
beam I" for he's too good follow to
go on much longer as he's been going.
There's goodness in him."
"' Are you sure she said that?' whis.
pered my husband.
I" So l told him indeed she did, and
more. 'She said she was waiting until
you'd resolve to turn to like man, and
cut down the small lot of timber that's
waiting for your Ratchet on the corner
farm. "Tm determined" she con-
tinued, "no one but he shall fell those
trees. AS | shall want to use the planks
in the spring, he has no time to lose"
She said something not pleasant about
the public house, but could not let
that pass so | up and told her that it
was my carelessness and neglect that
turned you from your own firesde.
"' You should not have said that,
Katie he answered. 1--we been bad
husband and bad father, and | did not
think there was one in the place now
that would trust me with days work.
and his voice shook and faltered, but
he got it out at last. Even if | did
take a turn, it's not likely you could
forgive me
And then | fell weeping at his feet,
and laid bare my heart, and repeated
that if had been what | ought to have
been, and kept the house he put over
me fresh and clean, as / ought to have
kept it, instead of spending the morn
ng of my days in vanity and idleness,
We need not have been two shivering
sinners at that hour. / repeated again
md again that it was my ways that
lrove him TO find by the tap-room fire
what he had lost at home; and then
lifted up my voice, and called to my
saviour to look down and help as both
with my voice full of tears, promised
ny husband il he would try me-only
Try me-he would see what a home |
would make for him. tie was always
'ne for little joke, and even then he
aid, and twirled the cup, A we'll
olenished hoNse in d tea-cup; one tea
up between u.s.
90 Yes ! said, IF nothing stronger
han tea flows into that cup, or vets
'ur lips out Of that cup, zoe wiN build our
,o%Ss.'
1--WE both kept long silence, and the
freak of that blessed day, though it
howed me my husbands once glowing
md manly face pale and haggard, and
lis hand trembling-so trembling that
lie could not carry the teacup to his
Ups without splitting its contents
orought new life into our shattered |
lone.
" Lucy, on shat blessed day-this day |
eighteen years ago-strength was given
Is both to keep our promise to God and
o each other and somehow this text
,ot stamped upon our hearts
- We can do all things through |
jhrist, who strengthens us
Ny poor darling he had hard lines
It first. Never was there a drunkard |
vho did not cast about to make others
IS bad as himself. As the day drew on
lie had not courage to face the street
'at went up TO Crowley Manor, and
old the good lady that my husband
would fell the trees that he might be
rusted, because he no longer trusted in
lis own strength that he was pledged
eetotaler, and l was pledged to make
lis home happy; but that we did not
rust in our own pledges, but in faith
hat we could do all things through
Jhrist, who strengthened us.
"Still the lines Were hard. He had
o bear up against the taunts and the
neers OF his boon companions, and |
lad t struggle hard to give a desolate
DOM the welcome home look that
would prevent his wishing for the lights
md the warmth and the excitement,
md the praise his songs were sure to
,btain. But, however scanty the furni-
ure, poor mans home can always be
weet and clean that is in the power of
he poorest; and though when he re-
urner from his first days timbering
here was but one tea-cup between us,
he old darned cloth was clean, the tea
Dot and fire bright. No lords children
could be cleaner, and he said it was as
! nosegay to kiss their sweet cheeks. 1t
I,Io,r, 10 |, IL