The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-01-02
the song he had selected was sacred

Bessie remembered how she had sung
it with the tears rising in her eyes, ana
then had closed the piano how the tall
man talked to Jim the rest OF the even
ing, or at least until Jim went to bed
and left them there alone.
Well, Bessie |" this from Jim, wait
ing patiently for the next question.
q. "What States comprise the west
ern section of the Union 2
And Bessie was dreaming again. She
and the tall man sat in silence when
Jim had closed the door behind him
sat, in utter silence, side by side, some
times seeking courage in each others
eyes, or strength from the touch OF each
others hands. the village clock tolled
out tent was their usual hour for
goodnight.
81 can't go now, Bessie, my last
night !"
And then she wept, and he tried to
comfort her. Eleven o'clock tolled
through the silent village. 1t was no
easier to go then.
eff you are i'll, John, you'll let me
know at once?"
eyes, darling"
lou promise
81 promise, sweetheart.
Twelve o'clock Bessie PUT her hands
over her ears that she might not hear it,
and then, very inconsistency, went and
unbolted the door, and seemed impatient
to have the parting over. In silence the
tall man pressed her in his arms, and
went out into the night. He came back
again before he had gore many steps,
took her face between his hands, and
looked into it. He closed his eyes, as if
he would shut the dear face in and keep
it there, and again he hurried away
and she stood in the doorway gazing in
tently after him through the darkness.
At the sound of the latch of the gate she
called him, and he came back again.
Don't go, John 70
No, darliugp'
And he stayed until the relentless
clock-cried out one. And Bessie tore
herself away from him and bolted him
out. Now she was in the little parlor
alone, with a sore pain at her heart.
A tap at the window pane. She
opened the window with haste and Joy.
1t was John again, to say good bye once
more, to reach up to her and draw her
down to him for one blissful moment,
and she had shut out the cold night air,
and stood alone, weeping. Two years
was so long. 1t was SO far away-Cah-
fornia.
Some one really said California. Bes-
sic started and walked. Jim had said it,
and was going on
California, Oregon and Nevada.
Bessie had very vague ideas of what
her lover was doing in California-how
he was making the money that was to
make their marriage possible. She wrote
to him once fortnight, and he wasn't
much of a scribe, and wrote once in
while little, short, loving letters, the
main part of which was
81 love you, darling. l long to see
you. | am getting on splendidly.
Look for me by the time the wood is
out"
Monday morning the village was astir
again. Just as if Christmas, and the
quiet Sunday following had never been,
except for the greens which still deco
rated the shop-windows. The village
blacksmith appeared at his forge, as
smutty as if he had not been seen,
washed and clean, sitting i'll his pew on
Sunday morning. The village grocer
drove his hard bargains, The village
barber retailed the news and curtailed
the boards of the village, and the village
Charitable Soup Society" held its
meeting in the Sunday School rooms,
under the management of Miss Pobjoy,
who indeed managed everything and
owned everybody in the village, and
knew more about people than they did
themselves. She was lady of plain
visage, some fifty years of age, with a
very soft, insinuating voice, and slight
lisp. To Miss Pobioy, sorting and ty-
ing up bundles of soup tickets, entered
Mrs. Crowell, the doctors wife.
els that you, dear?' said Miss Pob-
Joy. I've been into the kitchen to look
mt the soup, and it's excellent. L am
sure the poor creatures should be thank
full that the Lord sends them such good
things. So I said to my little German
cobbler this morning. His wife is sick
and / said to him that he had only to
come here to get the soup, and / gave
him some tickets, but he made some ex-
cuse about having to take care of the
babies. You know they've got twins,
and their place is so dirty | really
couldn't sit down in it. Just pure lazi-
ness, think. Bpt said to him,
Don't despair. The Lord will provide.
How is your baby, dear-and the doc
tor? Charming as ever, suppose 2"
"Baby's well, thank you and the
doctor has just gone to see your Ger
man cobblers wife, and sent my girl
there to clean the place little, and take
them few things"
"Dear me I'm afraid you'll spoil
them, you dear, charitable creature
Don't make them dependent. Here
comes poor Mrs. Hotchkiss. How she
mourns that husband of hers just as
much as the day he died, ten years ago
Good morning, dear; I'm so glad you
felt able to come y
Mrs. Hotchkiss, a widow in conspicu-
Gus weeds, sighed out "Thank you !"
and threw herself into a chair.
"Well. Christmas is over" she ex-
"I'm grateful to say. Ami
versaries are so painful to people who
have known sorrow.
Yes, dear, so painful y said Miss
Pobjoy, alphabetically. "But the music
was good at church, and the sermon so
nice and spiritual"