Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-04-30


with IT,
nai
"Jim Jiml Jimmy !" The third time
this name was uttered with prolongatiop
OF the my" common to mothers who call
boys by the name Of Jimmy. But Jimmy
didn't come. Even the concession Of the
second syllable didn't bring him. lie was
too far off,.
Where can the young Que be ?" said
Mrs. Haines to herself, setting down her
iron, and hanging a shirt on the bars TO
"air." 81 declare, children are more plague
that profit. If hadn't any shouldn't
expect anything. want that boy more'n
bis hides worth, aud Of course he's out Of
sight aud hearing"
Mrs. Haines took another shirt out Of the
clothes basket. She took pride 10 her iron
ing, considering outward things Of more
importance than inward but not knowing
that if the inward be right the outer must
Of necessity be fair and beautiful, her at
tempts at good housekeeping were all at
tended with trouble and yexation. II was
all like doing work with dull tools, or like
running machine ou. Of order The out.
ward life was all hard, because the inner
life was all wrong.
The starch stuck to Mrs. Haines' flats
that day, and she was scraping it of dog.
gealy, when a white face appeared in the
doorway 1t was the face OF Betsey Davis,
the butchers wife, and was generally color
ed very high indeed To see it SO pale was
enough to startle anybody. Mrs. Haines
set her hot iron down right on Que Of Mr..
llaines best shirts, and leaned on the table
for support.
What is it, Betsey ?' she gasped
Oh, Mrs Haines, do try to bear up
it's little Jim !"
Jim !" she screamed what Of him?
what's happened tell me -
"The cars ~ gasped Betsey. They're
bringing him home now"
Out Of the house ran the miserable
mother, crying at the top of her voice,
Jimmy Jimmy Oh why didn't some.
body look out for hun ?" Aud then, catch
ing sight in the distance of group Of men,
with something on a shutter, she uttered a
piercing shrek and tainted dead away.
The group Of men with the shutter and
the something on it---something terribly
crushed, with long, fair hair dabbled with
blood came on slowly by the unconscious
woman, with Betsey at her side, and enter
ed the little kitchen.
Where am l ? What has happened ?
John Jim" "
Here l am, dear" and Mr.. Haiues
stood by the bedside Of his wife.
"Haye | been sick, John2 Oh, re-
member, l was ironing aud Betsey came
in to tell me something. What was it,
John ~
"Betsey told you something but it was
a mistake"
81 know now it was abou; jim he
was killed by the cars. Don't deceive me,
John."
ut was mistake, Jane; be calm"
"But John, | saw the--the-"
Cant you believe me, Jane? Did |
ever deceive you?"
NO, Johu, but where is he? Bring
him to me-"
AZ that moment the door opened, aud
little Jim, bright and rosy, sprang into his
mothers arms lie was followed in a few
moments by Mrs. Feuner "You here
Why, Mrs. Fenner said Mrs Haines.
YES, somebody was needed" said Mrs
Fenner, $50 l kept house for your husband
and mine by turns. You've been very sick
and you're not strong enough yet to talk.
But | must talk. want to know about
that mistake. saw Jim dead on the
shutter"
mo, you saw little Fred Brown" sait
the husband. Don't you know how much
they look alike? Betsey mistook one fol
the other. Jim was safe with me, down a
the new house. He said he was lonesom,
at home; but | sent him right back, ant
be was on his way when the accident hap
peued."
Mrs. Haines conyalesced rapidly, anC
Mrs Fenner was her nurse and housekeepei
aud friend
How easy you do everything" sale
Mrs Haines one day, watching her as she
deity put the room in order "you dom
seem to work at all. Its all play with you
Tell me how you do it!"
Cant you remember some day Mrs
/ iIaines, when your heart was so full Of JOY
and light that you worked without knowing
it?"
Mrs Haincs needed to think, the time
was 50 long ago.
"In the days when John aud you frs
loved each other" suggested Mrs Fenner
yes, said Mrs Baines, III worked il
those days just as you work to-day. Blu
that feeling didn't last"
"Do you think any delicate flower would
grow and blossom, If you left it ont in fros
aud snow ?"
"Of course not" said Mrs. Haines, mol
perceivng the drift.
but love" continued Mrs Fenner, 81.
the most delicate of exotcs, and We trea
it as it it were hardy weed Unkind
ness aud discomfort and faut-fnding are
the bitter wind aud frost and snow, thai
chill aud bury it,"
live been a very bad wife and mother
| see it now. But was unhappy, and
didu't understand"
- Happiness isn't thing given to III
ready made. 1t is the blossom Of the seedi
we plant aud watch aud work for. Happi
ness is the flower of duty"
" What is my duty, Mrs. Fenner ?"
ITO make your home the sunniest, bon
niest place in the whole world. If you are
tempted to be cross or discontented or jeal
Gus, put the temptation down with all youl
might, aided by Gods might. You know
lie that ruleth his own spirit is greater
than he that taketh city, The spirit
that is within US decides the joy or sorrow
of our life"
" And if we are miserable, it's because
we are wrong | see that very plainly to-
day. l'm afraid, though, when | get well
things will slide back into the old way"
" Not if you are determined that they
sha'n't There is no difficulty that we can
not vanquish, relying on Him who said
My grace is sufficient for thee. Con
gregationaiist.
or all things on earth to make trouble
commend me to letter You write a.
you would say it--but it goes to your
friend without the grace of voice-th'
infection, the gesture, the laugh that woulC
make joke of it. There are just the hard