The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-02-07
A w WOMAN'S COURAGE.

me VI Cu~IpH IlghJ Oi SunStt was
mirroring itsrlf in crimson slla>hes in
the tnrhid tides of the great Western
river; the bhckhird Was sounding its
sw, ct whistle through the old primeval
forests, and jonathan Beers, sitting by
his cabin door, Sm' k,d his solitary
evening pii q, anh thought vaguely of
the church bells that used to ring at
rv, ming time in the far off Eastern VIII
lage where h? had been born and
brought up, with Tie roar Of the Pc
n"hsc"t in lis ears. ....
''I'd like Ia hear them bells once
again aforp die" unused ,ld Jonathan.
But 1t amt likely I'll ever go back
now" .r..u...
Even while these di,jointcd mrdita-
tionS ras.cd through lis mind, there
was light step on the cabin threshold,
and the rustic of stiflly staIchcd pink
calico, and his niece Dorothy came 10
the door.
Teas ready. uncle, dear" sad she,
''and I've baked real New Englan,
corn bread, and some ginger snaps,
such rs grandmamma used to make.
And SEQ, uncle, I've sliced up the little
red peach, from the tree you planted
you self ON the uuth side OF the hill.
Israel E>ma,ne said it wouldn't grow.
but il has, and | mean to keep saucer.
ful and little cream for Israel 30 night
just To show him"
Old Jonathan laid down his knife
and fork. "Do you mean that Israel
ESmayne is coming here to-night?"
eyes. uncle" sad dorothy, stopping
to recover teaspoon she had dropped,
"a slim teaspoon with an antique sill
vrr shell carved On the handle and
coming up very rosy ilom the search.
"Why no, ?"
Take care, Dot:y. That's ALL"
Uncle, What do You mtan?"
81 mean, child, that d rather lay
you in your grale'in the new burying
ground, where there's only onc mound
yet in the shadow of the church spire,
than To see you married Ia man whn
drinks. That's what ! mean, DOtty."
Dorothy'S head dropped over her
plate.
"Uncle, that's hardly fair. Because
a man had Il bad habit ONCE"
"And has it now"
The soft eyes glttcred in defiant
fash. "You are mistaken, uncle. Is
rae Esmayne las not touched a drop
of ardent spirits in year. He has
promised me never to touch it again"
II hope he never will. my girl, "Said
Jonathan Beers, although his tone he
traycd 10 very sahGuine feeling. "But
it amt n safe thing 70 do. It's mad
ness, love of liquor Is, and nothing
short. It's liable To break out at any
time. Israel Esmayne's good fellow
enough. l haia't anything against
him but 1t ANT Safe
Dorothy was silent, Why was it,
she asked herself, that men We're so Sc.
we're in judging one another? Why
did they always look at the blackest
and least promising side of everything?
I'rael lad promised her, she be,ieved
him, and that was enough.
And White she tripped lightly back
and forth about her household dnties,
her mlTd was fun of the underlined IA
ture. She could see herself, shadOwy
and undcfn,d as in Il mirror, moving
about little light home, where flowers
Dl' onCd in tie csat m,ntS, ami blIds
sang, aud the cock licked: "llc is com-
ing lie is coming - fr
zone of these days - said Dorothy
to herself, as she ! ut away tie saucer
of Peaches and the little pitcher of
thick or, am on wlitely secured pan.
try Shelf-''one Of these days.
She wa- thinking Of the future. And
old Jonathan, smoking his pipe, was
living in the pa't. . A. ..I...
~
you've something to do with the
railway, stranger, hav, Mt you ?"
81 reckon have" said Israel Es-
mayne, indfTerently. "I'm switch
man."
1T don't take much of your time, ]
guess"
"lt's get to be looked after just the
same, though" raid the tall Westerner,
as he lifted the last monster log from
the cart lie was unloading to the thrifty
pile at the noith end Of tie house.
"What time docs the way train come
by?" ""i.r' 9H L.- y
"At nine o'clock"
"Do you suppose could 60 to Mel
lenyille and see the lumber dealers
there, and get back to the station again
by that time 2"