The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-09-11
WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.


WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.
Cyrus Ferriston and his mother were
all that remained of the family. They
hVed together in n snug farmhouse in
dis trict so rural that it hadn't so much
as a name; it had only a number
To wnship Number One. People below,
IN tie adjoining farming villages, spoke
Of it and it's neighbors as The Numbers.
Tt might have been supposed TO be the
GU tskirts of civilization-its frontier;
for the nearest neighbor was five miles
away, the only religious exercises were
held in Deacon Crocket's kitchen, three
n1lIes further eli, while there were ten
nailes between them and the doctor
Cyrus was an energetic fellow, who
Earmed in summer and logged in the
winter; that is, he usually took con-
tract TO bring the drive of logs down
from the woods; therefore he had been
an the habit of borrowing Farmer Hut
toms daughter Jane to keep his mother
company and help her about the house,
for small consideration. Sometimes,
too, Jane stayed on through the summer,
or returned for the harvesting when it
was heavy; and at such times Cyrus al
ways observed that his butter and cheese
found more ready market that the
house was more cheerful and better kept
for old Mrs. Ferriston was one of the
slack kind; that provisions went further
and relished better. But for all this
te felt no inclination to marry Jane. as
folks at Wheatfeld had predicted when
she first wentup to The Mum bers. Jane
al los, I,
possession that his wife should be ROSY
and dark-eyed, with the smile that con-
quers men. Jane halted in her gait the
least bit in the world-his wife should
have the step of panther She always
dressed soberly, like brown leaf, as if
she would like to melt into the land
scape-his wife should carry her fasci-
nation into the knot of ribbon at her
throat, or the slipper on her foot There
fore it was utterly out of the question,
il we put any faith in logic, that Jane
should become the wife of Cyrus.
But alas AS it often happens, she
had not wintered and summered at The
Numbers for nauSht. When the neigh
hors bad hectored her as she was about
TO leave home for the first season, and
prophesied, -" Well, Jane I dare soy
it won't he long before you'll be chang
ing your name To Ferriston," Jane had
laughed at the notion and had reckoned
that Cyrus hadn't enough schooling to
please her and had thought she could
never be reconciled to spending her days
IN The Numbers.
Folks as held their head AS high as
you, miss, hev he'd ter come ter it."
they answered her. But when she be-
came acquainted with Cyrus in lis every
day life and thought she found that he
knew more than she had dreamed. He
had little library of books on swing.
ing shelf that he had made with his own
hsnds and had carved out with deer
heads an6 oak leaves. He could talk
with her about the heroes of Plutarch
and the empires of the Old World.
about election and free-will and seemed
10 enjoy it. Jane had taste for these
things; and so it happened that, as she
saw Cyrus in his daily comings and 60
sngs, stripped of DISCUSSES and in his
geuiGl Preside humor, he grew in her
favor unawares. In short, his manly at.
tributes, his kindness and good temper.
and his handsome face, Won her heart.
without an effort on either side. He
mad so grown in her affections that one
Jay, when she overheard Deacon Smily
5eskiag him about Agnes Price, her pro-
phctic soul stirred in her with a mighty
throe. Everything seemed to revolve
before her eyes-the churn- dasher, the
tins on Che kitchen wall and the and
Irons on the hearth. She was obliged
TO sit down on her way to the dairy and
recover herself, with tray of butter in
her hands.
g It ia too heavy for ycu," said Cyrus,
coming TO her relief, with his ready
tAoughtfUlness and taking the tray him
self.
@'He1l make a good husband, Cy
vii, said the deacon, while the young
lrzcky CELL that gifts him ; and, between
"a. amt aoways partial TO that there
Aggie Prire. Highly, tightly Now,
Jennie, W lidn't you set your cap for
ann, and "a right here at hand ?
would hev bin easy as lyin'?"
Would it 2" laughed Jane, out of
the depth of her silent misery.
ot course Jane should have left off
owing cyrus aftef this, but she didn't
aIsn naturally ne was as blind as others
ot nus sex, and never guessed what an
9Sue IL gave plain Jane Hutton when he
dhessed up IN his Sunday best. with the
Lleck-te she had made him on his birth.
Jay ana rode of to pay his court To
agnes Frlce' i've miles across tbe conn
tfy. She was always awake WIZ, IL
Get himself In at midnight. and went
ttp-toeing TO his room, and she Law won
ff'4flng how 1t must seem to be loved I've
n man after your own heart H. ~
SEEMED to promise to be all Nover n Ire