Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-08-16

cn2H1y. Wnas Oh eartn VIII ne 10 With
all his money!"
you believe such rubbi You, sensi-
How is It possible tru1 brtel the fa-
ture-let It be ever sui DID and beau
tiful trce?'' NJ v Va
The wife gazed at her husband with
wondering eyes, shook her head and
"Hnshaad, don't speak SO wickedly
You ought not 10 joke on such subjects.
IT am not joking. my dear " replied the
For . time the woman ylAs silent, as if
she had not rightly understood him. Then
she said:
why pretend what you do not mean?
Surely you Of all others, have most reason
to be grateful to the tree. Hasn't all you
dreamt under it come true?"
"God knows replied the husband,
when she had finished speaking
knows am grateful, grateful to Him and
to you. Yes, 1t was beautiful dream,
and 1 remember it like yesterday; but
everything is thousand times better than
dreamt it, and you are thousand times
prettier and dearer than the young wo-
man who appeared in my dream. But as
regards the tree, my darling, this is my
opinion. If a man>loves dancing, he will
soon find music to dance to, and echo re-
peats the words that are spoken to her.
had been for so many years wretched and
miserable amongst strangers, it is no won
der il once in while dreamt pleasant
dreamp"
but still it was strange that you should
dream you were 10 marry me-"
II never dreamt that! All I saw was
wonlQn with fyvn childrnr, but CHI mo
not half as pretty rs you, or the children
either"
'Fie y cried the wife lido you mean
to deny me or the tree? Didn't you tell
me the first day we metz 1t was in the
evening, out there in the aybor. Didn't
you tell me you had dreamt you were to
marry me and become the landlord of the
Crown Imp
Then the man remembered the Joke he
had played his wife and said:
at can't be helped, dear wife. did
not really dream of you, and il said 50,
it was only joke. / remember YOU were
so very irHuisitive, and | wanted to tease
you.n
Upon this the wife burst into flood of
tears and left the room. When he follow
ed her. she was standing in me court yard
still crying. He did all he could 10 com.
fort her, but in vain.
"You have stolen my love. and cheated
me out OF my heart she said Il shal
never be happy again, no! never
Then he asked her If she dill moi love
him more than anybody in the world, and
it they had not been the happest couple il
the whole village?
She could not deny this; but ncyerthe.
less, she remained sad and miserable not
outstanding all he could say. SO he
thought, Let her cry herself QUITO
morrow she will be herself again. But
she was not herself again; for the next
morning. though she certainly had ceased
weeping. she was sadder and graver than
ever, and pointedly avoided her husband
Every attempt at reconciliation failed
nearly all day she sat gloomily by herself,
starting when he came near her
This state of things continuing some
lime, he also began TO grow melancholy
tearing he had altogether lost his wife's
lore. Silently he moved about the house
thinking how to cure the evil; but no idea
occurred to him {; so at noon he went out
oi the village and lotercd carelessly
through the fields. The rich, ripe corn
waved like golden lake, and the birds
sang sweetly enough. but his heart was
full of sorrow. In the distance stood the
Old Dreaming Beech, queen of the forest
1t lowered towards heaven. Ii seemed to
beckon him with its green waving branch
es to come nearer like a good old friend.
lie went and sat down beneath its shade.
thinking OF days gone by. Five years had
passed since he poor miserable wretch,
had rested there for the first time, and
dreamt that pleasant dream. How pleas |
ant. Tor 1t had lasted five years. and now |
all gone all gone for overland ever. |
Then the beech began to rustic again.
as it had done five years ago and to move
its mighty branches; and as they moved
there fell, as then. the golden glitterinc
snniight across its leaves. and through the
oooghs peeped ever and anon the deep
blue sky. Then his heart grew calmer
and he slept. Soon he dreamt the dream
again OF live years ago. The woman at
the table and the little children at their
play; but now the faces were the faces of
his own dear wife and children. and she
looked ut him with her large brown ewes
50 kindly, ah SO kindly And then he
awoke. and found it was only dream
More sorrowfui than before, he broke off
small twig from the tree, and ven, home
and placed it in his hymn-book
The next day was Sunday and As they
went to church the leaves fell out at the
wife's feet. lie turned scarlet as he
stopped TO pick them up and put them into
hs pocket But the wife had seen it and
asked what it was. ~
on'y leaves from the Dreaming Beech,
Yestesa a. much kinder to me than you
Tell asleep. 1t wished to console me- for
| dreamt that you were kind to me again
aud had forgiven everything; but il Is No,
rue; ibe good old beach, though il is a
nooie ufee' knows nothing about the
The wife ,gazed at him, and it was as #
ray OF sunshine had crossed her face.
.Husband, did you dream that?n
'Yes, he answered positively.
And she knew It was the truth, by the
twitching about his mouth, like one who
has difficulty in restraining his tears.
II was really your wife?s
s"keally my owntrue wife, and she fell
on his neck. and half saifocated him with
kisses. w. eA
Thank God :" she said. NOW it is all
right q gain III love yol1 IN daarlv hn,y Jaa,