The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-07-24
LAME, THURSDAY, JULY "A, 1873.


der with his bones and muscles, that he
can't be contented to sell salts and SIENNA
over the counter, all his life"
Say nibbled unconcernedly at the bit of
candied syrup in her hand, while her fa-
ther went on in more confidential tone
"He's saved enough out of his clerks
wages ter pay his expenses out ter Cali
itorny an there he'll stay till he gets
enough ter pay off the mortgage on the
old place, stock it WE'LL and put up new
buildin's, with, maybe a nest-egg for
rainy day, and then he's coming back to
spend his life with them he loves, in the
old home"
| There was a bit of unconscious romance
in the concluding words that Say shrewd
| ly mstrusted was but the echo of an
others Words-an echo that grated harsh
| ly upon her unappreciative ear, and she
said shortly:
Good plans are well enough if they
are only carried out, but it's my opinion
that Ben Worth will get as sick of Cali
tornla AS he has of city life. He never
knows his own mind ten minutes at
time''
The squire looked gravely reproachful
but Say would not heed the look, and as
| be spoke she held up before her face a
green, bristling pine bough that served no
| less as a screen from her fathers keen
eyes than from the heat of the blazing
fire.
Say, my girl, what's the trouble?
What have you got agin Ben Worth,
lately, that you don't treat him hardly de-
cent an when you speak OF him, It's
pretty sure to be with slur. Everybody
else likes i'm, and I'm sure you won't find
a steadier smarter. better behaved young
man anywhere round than he is. Now,
what do you hate i'm 50 tor?"
Says face changed from red to white
and back to red again, behind her impro-
vised screen, before she answered. hesita-
tingly;
II dont hate him, father, and-some-
times. do really-like him very much
But, father" her voice grew stronger now,
che has taken to saying and doing such
foolish, nonsensical things, lately, that he
| puts me out of all patience with him.
A silly woman is bad enough, but there's
nothing on earth that | do so despse as a
| silly man."
"Got some O yer old fathers grit about
ye, | guess" laughed the squire with
Frightening face, and as he slowly stirred
the clear, golden brown liquid in the ket-
| tie, he added sagaciously: Il understand
| it all now,-Ben needs time to sa4gar off
f, that's all, YOU see," dropping into the
philosophical with relish and readiness
| that proved his taste for that mode of rea-
! soning. 'Everybody, men and women,
| 800, has a sap season n their lives, when
they're all Sunshine one minute, an all
| frost the next,--they're like maple sap,
| just sweet enough to be terrible stckih as
a regglar drink, and not sweet enough ter
be Of any earthly use Now what they
need is a good thorough biin' over the
fire of experience, an very often of real
sutferin', to scatter the nonsense and van
ity in 'em, an bring all the real goodness
an strength of their naturs into one
sweet. firm, perfect whole"
Says lips quivered u little, but she an
swered with well assumed Indifference
Il have seen sugar that was Of little
more use than the sap itself"
That's the fault o. the bilin'"
And the ola man bestirred himself to
dip off tie now perfected syrup, while
Say watched with outward composure,
but with ian unsettled. restless heart, the
familiar process.
Day after lay-l week had gone by,
ana not once had Ben Worth's tall figure
darkened the doorway of his Old play
mates home; and tomorrow he would
leave for New York, on his way to the
land Of gold. Say had grown strangely
silent and unc0mmunicativc of late, and
when Mrs Worth Gran in" to consult her
Old nelghb0r on the number OF shirts and
socks necessary Tor her sons outfit, Say
asked no questions, expressed no sympa
thy at sight of the good womans tears,
and made no offer, whatever, of her as
slstance in launching the traveller on his
way Even her mothers hints, in regard
to 'tthat travelin' dressin' case that you
made for your father, when he went to
Boston, it hasn't been used since, and
might as we'll go to somebody that it'll be
OF some use to, passed unheeded,
''It was no use," Mrs. Strong admitted
in confidence to herself Say was her
fathers own chid-sot as the hills, when
she was once sot." And there she left
the matter. where she had long since
learned to leave her cares and perpleXi-
ties, in the bosom OF a Goddirected,
d-sheltered future
Ben dropped in, for a moment on the
evening before his departure, to say good
bye TO his old friends, ind receive their
hearty wishes for his success and safety:
"When you see a chance to make five
dollars, take it, an make sure o. that
much ruther N ter spend yer time float
in round, waitin' for a possible fortin' ter
spring up in yer path A bird in the
hand is worth two in the bush,' Just re-
member that my boy" And the squire
shook his young favorite heartily by the
hand, while he winked hard, to keep
back the moisture that would gather up
on his rough lids.
'Don't forget the God of your fathers"
whispered Mrs. Strong, with her hand up
on his arm, and her motherly face all
aglow with tender interest, land he'll
never forget tor forsake you Remem-
Der the promise They who trust in the
Lord shall not lack for any good thing"
The young mans lips trembled, and |
with shy, sudden impulse he bent his |
head reverently as he pressed a kiss upon
the wlinkled but comely face upturned to
his own, Now, Say" he said half
laughing to hide his emotion, ''haven't |
you a good word for me, before | go?"
And he looked searchingly into the quiet
brown eyes that met his own without the |
least timidity or shrinking, as their owner
replied, with q low, significant laugh
''Only, that l would advise you to
STICK to your business, whatever it is; or |
to put my advice in a more compact or
portable form, always remember to hoe |
out your row."
. our advice is sensible as we'll as
characteristic, " he said, coldly; but when
the leave -takings were once fairly over,
and he was at liberty to drop the mask
that both pride and prudence had COM
PEELED him to wear in the presence of her
ne loved, even Says unbeleving soul
might have been satisfied with sight of
the bitter, unsatisfed tears that his hu-
initiating disappointment wrung from
Five years have slipped away, bringing
little outward change to the quiet dwell
lers beneath Squire Strong's comfortable
roof. The squire and his wlte still 60
about their daily duties, with the same
quiet yet energetic faithfulness, while
their seats at church and at the weekly
prayer meeting are seldom vacant, even