The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-04-21
The Light in the Window.


lie plodded on through slect and SHOW
with steps awkward aud shutting, vel
with certain resolution in it. Other
men might have turned aside, unwilling
to breast the flll force Of such storm.
Not so with Daniel Misunderstanding
Dan" his fellow workmen called him. He
was no fsvorite among them, silent, brood.
ing, sullen fellow they thought him--but
he lived life of which they understood
very little. 1t had been cousecrated fol
ourteen years to one object and there
was in it an element of chivalrous self
sacrifice of which he was utterly uncon
scious himself. He passed store, where
come Of his comrades wore laughing, ther
the forge, with its door invitipgly open
and the bright red light streaming out O
it cheerlully, into the murky gathering
night For moment he WAS ten piec
Just to 70 in and warm himself little il
that glow; but he shook his shaggy head
aud turned away. She will be waiting,
he said, as he drew up the collar Of BIZ
coarse coat, little lamb she'll be waitin'.
And then as if the thought had given hin
new life, he plodded on again valiautly.
On through sleet and ow,til be cam,
at last in front oil low cottage, standing
in the midst of a square lot. A ligh
streamcd forth from its front window owe,
the white pathway. 1t had shone ther,
for him every winter nightfall for many ,
year. and he never saw that beacon ra,
without blessing his little lamb over anC
over again. How warm she had kept hi
heart Aud yet among the hard thing
in his life, people who took the trouble Il
speak of him at all, always lcckoncd 'thu
crippled child
When his wife dod, and left him hel
hour old baby to bring up as best as h,
could, they conlm;sserated him, and Won
dered wba. be WAS to do. And wheD il
was found that the child would never b,
able to walk they thought his burden wa
heavier than he could bear But he
knew-ouly he could not have told then
or reasoned about it--what had been b.
sweet COMPENSATION. At first, to be sGrl
it was !. hard blow wbeu he found tha
the little one he loved was Dever to bt
quite like others that she would com,
toddling down the path to meet hini
clinging 10 his hands with rosy little flu
gets-but this very glici abou, her mad,
his love all the more tender,
She was the one idea of hi, lie. The
ouly absorbing feeling he had ever know
was for her He had liked her mother
well enough. but it had been an ordinary
commonplace regard, until She died auc
left this tender, bIue-eyed blossom, which
he was afraid to touch. The child corse
Grated the mothers mcmory,aud he cared
for her dead more than he ever cared for
her living. But it was little Eunice who
filed his heart full, and sat on her throne
queen regent forevermore. lie had hei
nursad carefully, apd he cheertully gave
up every hour OF his life to the task OF be-
ing father and mother to her, both in one
When she was old enough to sit in little
wheeled chair in which she could trundt
herself about the room, his delight knew
10 bounds. la summer she was alway.
at the open door to meet him, and in win.
ter her CHEEKY lamp burned always at tn,
cottage window.
When sbe was twelve years old, she
herself proposed to keep house for hlm
Tnero were three rooms IN their littl,
cottage, all on the same floor, besides th,
unfinished garret overhead. From roon
to room OF these three she could truDdl,
herself around. She conirived to 30 8
good many household takes and, with +
neighbor hired 10 come aud help each
day, she managed nicely, aud was ,ht
proudest Of little housewives. or late
however, she had been growing weaker
aud her father had insisted that she should
not be left alone at all, So the ueighboI
who helped her stayed all day now, bul
went home at night when Dan came
for he was not ready to give up the pleas
ure OF having his darling quite to himsel
iD the long evenings.
Now, as he entered the yard, his step,
grew quicker. All that was shuffiug anc
uncertain passed out Of his manner, auc
he walked with the strong, 6rm tread o
one sure of his welcome. Drawing near
be saw her face at the window which th,
light illumined-a face OF almost idea
beauty. Not the features so much, yheI
you analyzed them, they were far from
regular, and bore likeness to his own
But the great blue eyes were full Of light
the color came aud went on her cheeks
III faint pink fushes, and the skin wa'
transparent as the most delicate crystal
Around this wistful, loving, waiting face
hoated a mass Of soft golden hair, lik,
the halos you see sometimes in old pic
lures around the brows OF saints. " her
she saw him the blue eyes kindled, thel
the face disappeared from the window
aud when he opened the door there sht
was in front of it, with her lips uplilted
for his kiss. The ueighbor stood by, hel
things GU ready 10 go, aud it struck Dan
that there was a look Of pity on her face
You'd better no 90, too near The
child with those we. ,aings on, she sale
Kindly. She's but weak little thing
and she musn't take cold
He started back remorseiully. and di,
not 60 mp to the girl again until he haC
taken all bis wet things off in his owl
room and made himself dry and tidy
BY this time the neignbor was gone, an'
he and Eunce sat down together TO th'
supper which waited He had the keeI
hungry appetite OF workiDgman, but i
did not keep him from noticing present.,
that the food on his child's plate remained
untouched. He laid down his knife ant
fork, and looked at her anxiously.
'Ain't you going to keep father com
pany little, deary? You amt neve
hearty, | know, but | want to see you ca
something