Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-04-17

window ana saw MT. DaAter coming up the |
walk TO receive his answer. She opened the |
door with tears in her eyes too much affected |
to speak. Mr.. Baxter understood her feel
ings aud respected them. He ouly said
q see you have not decided yet. know
how hard It must be. But will not call
again. When you decide to sell bring the
deed to the store, aud we will step into the
lawyers Office and have the business done.
Good morning"
Clara closed the door after her, and went
TO her room ia tears. But she saw no way
to escape. The house must he sold. The
home so endeared to them all must pass into
other hands, and they must 60 elsewhere.
The future was before her aud her children.
Misfortune had laid its heavy hand upon
them in the past. The future looked even.
more dark and desolate to her
But the sacrifice must be made even it her
heart was broken thereby. With fearful eyes
and trembling hands she went to her hus-
bands private desk to look for the deed.
As she looked over the papers one by one
the tears would drop from her face upon
them 10 spite of herself The more she
wiped them away the more thickly they
she found paper inscribed 10 large letters,
Deed of real estate" She thought it was
the paper she was 10 search of. Although
she could scarcely see through the mist Of
tears, she unened it, when sealed envelope
dropped out and fell on the floor. She took
il up, turned it over hastily and read the
superscriptiOn
/" Henry to Clara Sterling Not to be
opened while | live"
For some moments she was 80 overcome
with her feelings that she could not break
the seal When she did so she found a note
inside addressed to herself
my DEAR WIFE: | have presentiment
that something will happen to suddenly de-
prive you of the fruits of my labor. Fear
ing that this presentiment may be only too
true, inclose the only blessing l can leave
you in return for your faithfulness
Henry STERLING"
With a strange feeling she laid down the
note aud opened the other paper. The srst
words that caught her eye were, " Life in-
: surance policy III the sum of ten thousand
dollars" She hastily read few words more
She saw the policy was payable to herself
in the event OF her husbands death.
: Folding up the papers again she put on
/ her bonnet and hucried to Mr. Bakers. He
CHANGED to be alone and she laid the papers
} before him. He glanced hastily at them
, and said
3 Let us step into the lawyers office, and
: see what he thinks about this"
t Mr.. Chase. the lawyer, looked the papers
over carefully, and then turned smilingly To
$ Clara and said
&" / congratulate you on your good for
$ tune, Mrs. Sterling. This policy is al
right. | am personally acquainted with thu
e agent who did the business The Insurance.
i company is perfectly reliable, and will pa!
i the policy without question. Your HUSBAND
o was wise man to make this investment"
r Mrs. Sterling went home with full heart
Her eyes were filled with tears but the,
e were tears of mingled sorrow aud Joy. Sh
;. communicated her good fortune to Alice
Is and the sisters wept for gladness that tn
Is home SO endeared to them all would not pas
IT into other hands.
e When the excitement of the moment wa
Is over, Clara remembered that about tn
| time Robert was killed her husband asked
is her if he should not get his life Insured
10 But she ielt that nothing could harm he
a husband. Death might happen to Others
|. but not to him. She felt that it would b
no benefit to them, and she did not wish Il
At teel, after he was dead that she had becom
% possessed OF property through his death
10 The feeling was natural enough, but it shout
have had no weight with her in deciding tn
question. He, understanding her state o
mind, had not pressed the matter. But h
Ir realized the uncertainty of human life. II
IS knew that invisible peril exists on ever
m hand and something may occur at any mC
. mont to destroy life.
a So to spare her feelings he had his Ill
~ insured, aud laid the policy away where h
"A wife might find it in the event of his sudde
!; death. That time did come. His present
l. ment was fulfilled. Dust returned to dus
-, But the loved ones were not left to the col
:, charities of a pitiless world. The uuel
, pected blessing, which he had prepared an
:, laid away, paid their indebtedness. 1t Ell
ahled Alice to go to the city, and consult a
q, eminent physician who soon restored her
a perfect health There was enough to supp
- their every need, and educate the childre
:, Thus their sorrow for the loss was ten
a. pered by pleasant contemplation Of the vii
"a forethought that had provided sufficient {,
- their every need, when the hands so lor
:. accustomed to labor for them were la
~ away into the silence and darkness.