Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-15
VOL. XXXI.

yours lately, VINO nau Just returned from
San Francisco"
Yes
We'll, why don't You look surprised? "
" Because | am not surprised"
Why, has he written to you?
mo"
- But he certainly has not been here?
" But he has
Well. now, that was really treacherous
in him; for we charged him not to write
or visit you, lest it might call up old sen
timent, and make You unhappy again.
. He is not a boy, to be ordered or bid
den by any one. We have both come to
years of discretion, or ought to have done
so, for his curls and mine are both gray
now, rs you see"
What in the word did he think was
to become of father, if You married and
went 50 far away?"
He said you and Emma could take
your turns nursing father, and that a
change would he good for him; ;" replied
Miss Mary, with a smile.
The heartless man, He knew our
hands were more than full and am sure
a change would kill father. and-break
your heart, too,
= And vet it may come to that. | am
libl illiiilti TAI phlA't- put pc AiNt'' VI
every day that may outlive him.
Il hope You may, dear, for he could not
live long without you. The friend We
were speaking of surely did not try to
temut You away from Your duty?
He thought that in going with him
should be doing my duty. He reminded
me that fifteen years ago YOU all said. If
it were not for mother, we should say 90,
and that did not say no for ten long
wears and then another care came upon
me which forced me to say it. He thought
he had waited long enough, and it was
now for You and Emma to make some
sacrifice for dear father, and to allow me
Il little rest and change
Why, Mary, how can You speak of
leaving father rs rest and change or call
the care ol him Il sacrifice Remember
what he'haS always been to YOU, Molly"
He has been a loving and tender faith
er to u- all, and mean, God helping me,
80 to care for him a> not to shed one re-
morseful tear on his grave" replied Miss
Mary.
That's dear. faithful creature. Ihad
begun to fear that Your friend had wiled
vou away from Your duty. Depend upon
it. dear. the path of duty is the path of
peace. Col rewards those who walk in
the way he has marked out for them"
- firmly believe that
Il hope YOU will not allow letters from
san Francisco to come and annoy YOU"
No."
.Weil. dear. don't reply in monosyl-
lable> Tell me how matters We're lest
They We're left.
How
Just lett: that Is all
- suppose old truc-heart promised to
wait till fathers death, and then come
back and fulfill the dream of fifteen years?
.- makeno bargains for death to seal.
| should feel a. if some one was watching
for fathers last breath, and that would
make me wretchcd while | am struggling
to prolong his life.
You didn't want to 90, I'm sure, dear.
When Il woman reaches forty without
marrying. the romance of life is gone. and
She j. happier taking care of herself. pet
ting kittens. and raising c;elaries, said
Mr, Howard. with a light laugh.
i hope shall never he content with
such Il life.
Let me ask YOU one question, Mary
If father had been gone when this visitor
came. would You have left this dear home
to 20 off among strangers with him.
'MO>t certainly, should.
90. Mary, How the world would be
changed for all of Us, if YOU and Nanny
should desert the old home. 1t doesn't
seem IT. if could live without this refuge
| cnioved such perfect peace about the
BOYS when | was first in Europe, and they
were under your wing; and Emma never
could 90 to the springs or the mountains
with any comfort. if she had to drag hen
little tribe after her or leave them ut home
with unfaithful servants. o Molly. the
blessings of Il father, home is a great one
If poor. dear father should leave Us soon
You could keep the home n Your own
property. and live here in the summer. and
in winter Nanny could keep house while
YOU visited Us.
Wen. we are not obliged to lay plans
for the future tonight; and | am glad OF
it. I'm 50 tired replied Miss Mary.
Yes. you've had real hard time late
lv: Iut YOU shall rest now. O, | forgot to
tell vou that Emma and the three children
will come up next week to meet me, and
then YOU can have Il nice rest Her house
is going to be painted and papered.''
There WAS dead pause. This was add
inc only seven members To a family al
ready aS large IL old Nancy could well
serve. But this WIS part of Miss Mary :
discipline: 30 She made no reply. but kiss
mo her sister said, Goodnight.
One word more. Molly-promise me,
now. that you will not leave here while
father lives.
- | Shall not make any such promise
But Molly. it would be morally wrong
in YOU to leave him
;. Certainly it would, if no one relieved
mo. hut | have not a thought of going
away
Then why not make the promise to re-
licve our minds.
Because ,lo not choose to make any
pledge for the future. | shall try to dc
right in the fear of Cod
- If YOU should leave home, of course
the little property father has would be di-
vided among Us ALL instead of wholly going
to YOU
Il don't care for property"
.. But we all mean YOU shall have it, il
return for Your faithfulness here, dear"
L shall try to make good use of it
then. Goodnight, dear"
Five wears of care and sleepless anxiety
passed away. during which the grave clos
ed over the two objects of this patient wo
mans love. The lonely man in the lan'
of gold. who could not transfer his low
for another, dying suddenly and without
will. left a fortune to cousins who hat
more money already than was good 70
them. The sons in-law of the old docto
." did themselves and their families jus
tice' by selling theIhomestead and dividing
the proceeds into three equal parts
Miss Mary was thus left poor: but she
resolve to take care of old Nancy as
duty. whatever sacrifice it might cost her
and people-amOng them her ssters-oi
ten say now, as she moves on her noiseles
way. What a strange taste Miss Mar
ALWAYS had. thus to immure herself witt
some old person; when one is taken away
she hunts up another" But her record
above, and it is Il shining one.-Congrega
tjOualiA.
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