South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-08-22
A Mans Temptation.

cool hlllsides their nights pasturage Thew
turned their heads and looked at him with
their grea, mouruful eyes, as if expecting
a word, for they were used TO his voice,
| the slow, patient creatures, and liked it. as
such dumb brutes always do the voice of
kind master. But night he had no voice
for them He put up the bars again when
they had come through, and leaned heavi-
ly against them.
A May sunset was flushing earth and
sky Tue new springing grass looked fresh
and green. a light, feathery LEAKAGE was
on all the trees, aud few of the pear and
cherry trees had put out white blossoms.--
The western sky was piled high with Grim
son clouds, with, close to the horizon, bar
OF gold. A reflected brightness flushed the
east with soft, roseate hue which spread
up to the zenith. All was still as the birth
of new world. A sense of wonderful
beauty thrilled through John Osgoods un-
educated perceptions. He had no words
for such scene, no clearly defined thoughts
about it even, but it moistened his eyes
aud quickened his pulses, aud seemed TO
flood his life with "a rush of dreams and
longiugs.
How beautiful the world was There
were some men, he had heard. who painted
such scenes as this-others who wrote poe
try about them-Others who set them to
music, like the songs of birds or the wash
of waves. What was his part Of all this
Flowing to-day-plantipg to morrow Was
that all life held for him? There mus: be
some other use, some other meaning. if he
could only graspit. If he had 20 part or lot
in all this beauty why did it move him so )?
just then he heard the sound of horses
feet, and looked in the direction from
whence il came.
Angeline Wilmarth was sweeping down
the hill with gay gallant beside her
How like part of the sunset beauty che
looked, with its rose upon her cheek, its
radiance in her eyes and hair, her long blue
habit falling low, and swinging to the mo-
ton of her cream-colored horse, her white
feather streaming back on the wind, her
little hand with the dainty gauntlets on
them so much youth, and grace and beau
ty. And the city chap as John Osgood
called him, did not mar the picture. A
handsome, cavalierish looking man, there
was no denying that he showed well beside
Angie; but what was he here SO much for
They swept by, Angles low, slvery laugh
tnkling response to something her com
panion was saying and little cloud of
dust which the horses boots beat up be-
bind them filled Johns eyes aud choked his
throat, aud added bitterness to his mood.
He glanced down at his hard, horny
hands, his coarse, soiled clothes How
well he would look at Angeline Wilmarth's
side Aud yet be had loved her in vague
sort OF way, whose meaning be had Just be-
gun to find OUT, ever since tie could remem.
Der. Life would not have much SAVIOR, be
thought, without her And yet, .he would
be 10 lie farmers wife, and that was lust
what he was-a farmer. Then the duss-
ton came again which had haunted him he
fore-could he be nothing else Did He
doom him did God ask him always 10 90
in and out of these old ways-plow aud
plant, and make hay aud reap grain all the
summer, aud 90 back and forth between
the old homestead and the wood lot, oil the
winter Some ono could be found to do
as well for them, and bc-bc believed be
had enough in him to 60 away aud make n
career which Angelina wou d not scorn to
share.
The crimson had died out of the west,
the rose hue out of the elst. a low wind
had arisen, and blew mourDfully and slow :
ly across the fields John Osgoods mood
changed with the face Of tho night. The
exutation forsook bin, aud something hard,
stern, suen, alien, it seemed 60 his gener-
ous, hearty nature, entered in and took pos
session Of him. lie went home slowly,
with heavy footsteps
Tired JohnnyY his mother said, cheer
lily, "a be came into the kitchen.
Somehow the words vexod him. She
bad said them of'cn enough before, but
they had never struck him just ia this way
till nov. Johnny II she would only re-
member that he was twenty-five years old.
'Yes, I'm tired, he answ ered doggedly.
well, draw right up to the table. I've
got nice cup Of tea oil ready for ye -
Thatll rest yc, and brighton ye up little
Mother said he, with a bitterness for
which be hated himself Tor years after.
ward, Il wonder If you ever bad n trouble
that good cup Of tea would not cure p
Things don't 60 deeper than that with some
folks
His mothers eyes coudod, but she an
swered him very gently. She felt that to-
night, for some reason, be was not respon-
sible for himself
Il have bad trouble that went deep O.
nougb, John. Five children that have
played around my knees, sleep yondcr, be-
hind the old meeting house aud 10 bear
and nurse, aud then lose--tbere's none
knows what it is but Just them bat have
borne it, and God that made mothers
hearts. Yes, I've bad troubles that crea.
ture comforts wouldn't help much and
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