Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-31

knew he had ever made an effort to procure
one. This chilly March night, as he sat so
still in the thickening shadows, he was not
asleep, but thinking deeply and drsarily.
He thought of the bright hearths Of other
men, where we're love and enjoyment, and
then, sorrowiully, of his own dismal home,
where was nothing but darkness and silence
10 welcome him.
His youth and youthful hopes seemed al
most like a strange dream. Could he be the
same man who once in a soft moonlight evon-
ing had dared TO kiss sweet Annie May, and
lie awake for half that lovely plight, beset by
blissful hopes and visions Of the brightest,
sweetest home in all the country round,
where Annie should be the happy Mistress
and he the proud and joyful master2 The
hopes were short-lived, and had long been
buried, and their ashes had eaten the youth
and the joys from his wounded heart. But
who can guess from age what youth has been,
or see the wound hidden within the breast
What wonder, then that charity stands high
above all other virtues, since all human
hearts must bleed and smart from common
woes2
The light all died away, and the school,
room was black with shadows, and still the
school-master sat and thought, He knew
there was not a heart in all the world that
held him hrst that if sickness should fall
upon him there was no one to care for him
for loves sake, and yet he was tender
hearted and upright man. Where lay the
fault? Perhaps in his nature or in igno-
rance. He bitterly felt it was in fate.
When he at last arose, his limbs felt stiff
and chilled, and he stared about in wonder,
that daylight was gone. There seemed a
kind of awe in the perfect stiffness that was
about him, and he prepared, himself hurriedly
for the walk to his desolate homo. Morning
came, and at nine O'Clock the hills and rocks
awoko again with the school-children's merry
shouts, but tho door Of the little red school,
house remained closed, and naught was seen
of the school-master's quaint form along the
way to school, A knot of girls sat on the
rough old doorstones, aud watched and
waited in vain. The boys peered into the
windows and tried to force up the sash, but
all was silent within, and the sash would not
yield to their efforts. The sun rose higher
and higher, and play became tame and tire
some, and so the scholars struggled back
home again, munching the contents of theiI
diuner-baskets, and wondering what had be-
come of the school-master.
1t was Emily Earle that determined to 60
to the lovely cottage aud learn what had
become oil him. She found the soied white
curtains down and the door unlocked. She
raped and there was no response, and al
last she lifted the latch and went through
the dark little hall to tho room which
the school-mastsr had used as kitchen
and parlor. She started when she behelC
him sitting there before the little pine table
his head bowed down as if asleep. Filled
with terrible fear she approached him anC
found that he was indeed asleep, but it wa'
a sleep so deep and strange that nothing
could awake him to life again.
While alone, when the mystery of dark
ness was about him, while others slept il
comfortable aud happy homes, his spirit tool
its fight. The morning dawned to find hin
gone, and he awoke to find that time haC
merged into eternity. His was a sad, strang
funeral, and they bore him to the old church
yard and laid him to rest. The school
children looked on sadly, and some shed
few tears that he was gone and were sorr.
for all the pain they had given him. AyounI
girl dropped a full-blown monthly rose wit
a cluster of green leaves into his grave, an
then all sadly moved away and left him
his sleep.