The Van Buren press., 1876-06-06
7-773771777'77 : -
MISCELLANY.
sceing BetterxDays.

Gays. HOW lar BACK WASH exactly Ger.
tain; but she had seen them Bette,
days hung moulding about her. like the
deiaced shreds OF antiquated embroidery
The sturdy gossips Of the seaside vii
lage, who went about with their skirts
tucked up and able for any work, looked
askance at the widow Minton, with hel
lpitiful mcaeerness of aspect, her Kicker
ing black eyes, and her trailing gown
They nudged each other, and said, j" Bet
ter days Lord save us
But the widow did not trouble the
neighbors much. nor they her. A body
who couldn't do a heartsome hand $ stir
sing was best left alone to her brooding.
and the widows smoky little cabin, soil
tarily apart on the seashore was left pret-
ty much to himself and Tom.
Tom was sturdy brown faced lad
wac picked up living by doing odd jobs
for the boatmcn and then taking day
for fishing. Tom had probably never
seen better days The widow shook her
head over him-3o ssnpidly content,
poor Tom! . bea niag ald god nltur.
ed over be s4rliness AMI hopelessless.
a tall, well grown fellow, with bare feet
2 torn straw hat and a rel shirt, Tom
took the world easily, lopkiag with rev
ercnt eyes on his mothefs by gone gen.
tility, bnt by no means seeming to eovet
it for himself.
The widow deemed it due her past re-
spectabilty to be seen atchurch OF Sun
day evening, and you could see the two
| l. i'm AZ I,rht al. b,
gether, she with her clean pocket banker
chief folded over her old hymn book and
a certain doubtful hesitancy of gait as
if Heaven itself might ba looking dJwn
critically On her shabby black gown and
rusty bonnet. AS for fom. patient Tom
he went Plodding slowly after her, witt
Ais emitting face, ~iii,tffstg to hinaeeif s.s
he went. Always patient, always plod
ding, poor Tom Patiently falling asleel
during the sermon, and patiently listen
i ing, open mouthed, to the closing hymn
his careless, bright face, contrasting ST
| oddly with his mothers querulous and
tear-worn visage, won for him the sobri
quet OF Widow Minton rainbow,
The minister Of the parish, mistaken
soul, deemed it incumbent to make a cal
Oh the widow and, on charity bent, it is
said he unwaiily offered to employ hel
services in his household for season
He deemed il his duty TO rouse the ole
woman to activity.
He did rouse her; and it is averred tn ,,
he never found time to call at the cabin
again. Did he take her fol common
household drudge, or q low-born field
hand She thanked God she had toe
much spirit left yet to put herself under
anybody's feet. He hadn't far to 90 to
find scores Of drudges and diggers, but
he might 60 further before he knew Ia
dy when he saw her. +
1t might have been the afternoon after
the good mans visit that the widow sal
idly brooding at her cabin door. Hel
eyes had a wandering, far away look
and her tace was keener and thinner than
ever. Beg ond the bluff which sheltered
her cabin, stretched far line of seacoast
white and cleaning silyery in the sun
Far Off, a group of bathers, in bright
dresses, frolicked between shore and wa.
ter They came from the great hotel
down beyond; she could almost catch
the sound of their voices as she sat slow
~ rocking in hes doorway. 1t was q
quiet afternoon; the air was soft and
soothing. aud the widows heart SO ful
of bitterness, felt itself sweeten and sof
ten in the stiffness. This part of The
shore, sheltered by its overhanging rock
was seldom disturbed by intruders, but
presently the watchers eye caught sight
of young girl splashiug and irolickIng
in the water just beyond the rocks. II
was pretty sight, the rounded arms, the
curving shoulders, the swaying, floating
figure. Aud perhaps the old woman re
called with a sigh the time when she wa.
young and blithe too, and had as CHEEKY
a voice as that with Which the fair swim.
mer hailed her companions in the dis
tancc.
Gazing absently on the smiling scene
a reverie icll upon her, and when she
looked again, the young water-nymph
had disappeared. She had probably
swan ashore behind the rocks The wi.
dow turned away, hugged her thin shaw
over her shoulders, and thought that the
sea wind was chilly Hark What was
that surely she heard cry. No mer-
ry shout or ringing laugh this 1t might
be the cry OF a wild bird on its way to
its mate.
She couldn't have got beyond hen
depth, that young creatnre, surely! Bat
la what of it ifsne had Dying young
body gets quit of deal of trouble
And-yes, surely, that was scream
The widow looked sharply out. Would
Tom never come The tide was rising
and-something certainly was the mat
ter She called, beekoned frantieally to
the bathers beyond-they seemed both
blind and deaf.
" No one, not Que soul at hand, aud
that young thing in peri! of life!" A min
ute she stood still, listening a feeble
old womal with a haggard, scared face
TO whom no one would have dreamed oil
looking for help.
" I can't g and this' sha said IS .em ,