The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-20
THE NEW HOME.
almost tired out, Mary %

y ' THE NEW HOME. ~ ;" -
almost tired out, Mary q +. >'5Si1
The words were accompanied by alook
OF tender solicitude into the weary white
face by his side. ~~s%' = ".'>:: i'-t' .','''.
Keep your courage up little longer =
ne added, in response to smile, and the
reply that came cheerfully, though
through shivering lips: '..-0''; ''.''4
No, dear, not quite. There is consid.
cradle life left yet >,Y
swell, another mile or so, and think
we Will come to our stopping-place for
this hight" ..
And, tucking the buffalo-robe little
more snugly around the form of his wife,
and with an encouraging, .'Git up, Kit !!
Come, now, Mary! as he cracked the
whip-snapper over the necks of the mud
coated ponies,. the buggy in which rode
brother Sylvester and his wife moved on
more rapidly. ,~''-.'
Brother Sylvester had calculated right.
y. Another half-hours trotting, which
the scent of oats, rest and shelter stimu-
lated the tired horses to do at a handsome
rate, brought our travellers, about dark,
to the home Of the friends where they ex-
pected to spend the night.
A hearty welcome, kin lly greetings,
warmth, comfortable supper, and what.
ever else friendship and hospitality could
suggest, was gladly done, to make the
weary ones forget their WEAKNESS, and
enjoy for a few hours the much needed
rest.
These were an itinerant Methodist
preacher and his wife, who had been riding
for several days, cold, drizzly November
days, from their field of labor for the
past year to distant part Of the State,
where most Of there relatives resided.
'Iti7,era1,ts," did I say? Well, no {;
not exactly that, either; for just now
they were "superannuates."
Gentle reader, do you know what su-
perannuate is? Let me tell you.
1t is when a Methodist preacher be-
comes so disabled by sickness or other af.
Fiction, that he cannot take effective work
and has received permission from his con-
ference to relinquish, for one year. the
work of preaching the Gospel, to which he
had solemnly promised to devote the
health and strength and ability of his life
And do you know, that, to every true
hearted Methodist preacher would that
there were no other kind ofhearted y, this
necessity laid upon them. even for time,
''1aot to preach the Gospel is the
greatest sorrow Of the life?
But brother Sylvester and his wife are
meanwhile snugly cnscenced in warm
blankets. He who ''giveth his beloved
sleep" had heard the voice of their thanks.
giving, and seen the gratitude of their
hearts for the mercics Of the day and the
shelter of the night: and he had given
his angels charge concerning them, as, all
unconscious of the passing hours, they
rested in deep, untroubled sleep.
The next morning. the urgent invitation
of their friends to remain, and rest with
them during the day, was accepted; and
some of the incidents of that day have
led me to tell you about how it happened
that Aunt Kitty obtained a new house.
Indeed, sister Sylvester" said Aunt
Kitty, as we were gathered cozily togeth-
er in the sitting room, 81 certainly would
advise you to persuade your husband to
60 into business, and have some certainty
in the future to depend on.
Aunt Kitty was distant relative Of my
father, and had been spending some weeks
with us. She was wealthy and soc,able
and kind,-one of the sort Of people that
seem made to visit with, WHO are ready
to laugh or talk or advise, as the case
may be. Then Aunt Kitty, though. as
she said herself, mot dec dedly religious"
was very friendly to the preachers, and
took special interest in their wives. In
fact, she used to'say, the only reason that
many years ago, she had not married a
certain young itinerant. and Teen preach
er's wife herself, was because she always
wanted house of her own, and was de.
term:ned to have it. Aunt Kitty was a
widow now, and, strange to say, although
she had owned and altered and built a
good many houses, she had not yet sue
ceeded in getting one that exactly suited
her.
Eyes, certainly would" she went on
to say. "You and he have been in this
itinerancy long enough. His health has
become enfeebled since he had that long
spell of fever, and you are almost WORN
out. Now just settle yourselves. Urge
him to get into some business. Build
yourselves a nice comfortable home,-I
have such nice plan for a house in my
mind now,-and live in it and enjoy your
selves" -
Sister Sylvester had brigh. look in
her eyes, and a little smile seemed fitting
over her face, as il some very pleasant
thought had been suggested.
Encouraged by the apparently favora.
BILE reception of her remarks, Aunt Kitty
continued:
'You see, with your husbands energy
and ability, it,won' t take him very long
to do that. And how much comfort you