The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-04-30

By JOSEPH HATTON.
ACT II.

The house-plaoe at The Farm was
one of those comfortable rooms which
you now and then find in Euglish
homesteads which have been touched
by the wand of Progress. It was moi
simply the best room Of ! farm house
With its old oak cupboards, its sportine
guns, and fine old dresser; but it. M
the living.room Of prosperous farmer,
There.wers bookahelves .s~slil ilas 6d1p'
boards aud sporting guns. Pets1 North
prided hiinlself upon biis literary treas.
ures, aud he liked5to h.vs the titlss Of
some Of his book. we'll displayed.
Adam Smith, Tom Paine, 'Colbetats, h.
gloried 10 them; aud whom the par.
son called, he would often open Tom
Palne's book on the table as # he had
only2just risen form a close study of it:
Metaphorically speaking, he shook bis
library in the face Of squire and pr:
son, and subscribed for the most OF.
treme of Radical newspapers.
But iatterly his m.uners had been
somewhat toned down. Two years had
gone by since Tom North had disap.
peared from Combe Dlngle. During
that time the farmer had been very IN.
lucky, His wife, an earnest honest
drudge, who had really managed hill
business "a sort of silent Mrs. Poyser,
if such . woman can be imagined) : had
taken to her bed, and it did not seem
probable that she would ever be active.
" about sgaiin. In She lay in q bedroom
adtoinidg the house.plaoo. It v.s en-.
tefed tjtvo fthree steps, and look
ed Ont upuns u5aally well.stoeted liok.
yard.
: Mrs: NORTH lay thera day after day.
suffering from a mslady , which: had
bsen chiefly induced BY grief. She
loved her son with aquiet but deep af.
feotion, and Was almost a fondly g. It.
t.ched to Kate Msadows. When Tho
rupture between father and soa ~xss =,
its height, whom tho outraged .pa.sn,
called tho son forgeFs and q thiet, asd
the son retorted With "liar,": tho blow
that was levelsd it the uoldutifal boz
fell upon the woman, who flung. herself
between the Two. i This only zi1n'teusia.d
Peter North's anger; for hs vas 8 . man
and would not have raised his hand
against any woman, let alone tho WON
an whom he had sworn to cherish and
protect. But Mrs.; North; had mo-
known oil the disappointed father hai
eufered st the hands of his son. Th,
discovery Of the boys infsmy had fallel
upon Peter North like . thunder.bolt,
and Tom had made poor Kate Meadow
believe that he was an outeast beeausi
Of his love for her.
One dsy-it was At the close Of har
vssting, and the season had brough
its second score Of i'll luck-the farms
Was sitting at his wifs's bed. He Va
depressed and heart.siok. Two tb.t
harvests, bis accounts in disorder, th,
defeat Of the Radical candidate a
Bristowe, . local success for tho par
parsons party in tho Combe Dingl
vestry, and his xifs's mournfal presen
timsnts that ne could not i've nuel
longer-aIl this At last got hold Of Ii
farmers spirits asd pulled them down
10 his own rough Wy hs: -h.d alv,y
been an affsotiouase husband, and hi
wife had helped him moro than h
would even admit to himtslf in til
management OF the tsrm. It "Was
melancholy AUTUMN, d.y,, and thor
was something in the cries Of che bird
Is they gathered together for thsi
journeying 70 other lands which touch
cd the farmery heart;
~ an very Y 55zi ? zniiisieattible iisiea 'somaShox
Mary hs said.. .I~sHI ooun d
something Or another, I 4don's kno,
what; (; + feel q il I'd committed som
awful crime, and wanted to ooafsss il
Tn sure ! don't know what ails me-