Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-02

What for should be wantin' thaty I've had
everything else, and you've given it me. |
wouldn't hear any one else say you hadn't
been n good husband"
II don't care if you've not wanted your
own way. | mean that you shall have it now.
So you must ask me tonight for somethin'.
I'm goin' to the village tomorrow, and I'll
bring you anything you ask for"
DO you mean, David, that you've a mind
that shall ask You something ont o the COM
mon, just TO pleasure myself !"
"Tve Just that mind, answered David.
Then | will ask but, remember, have
not been thinking of it and wishin' for 7 but
l ask because you bid me, and because t will
please Kathern and it's no great thing, after
all, but only that you will take us to the vii
lage some Sunday, to go to church. Kathem
has never been, you know, and she is fairly
wild to 60"
why, that's nothing to ask. You can go
any time.
''Nav. but tell MS the day. and make us a
promise that will make it something
well, say Sunday comm. And tomorrow
I'll bring you something TO wear
"Th,n 1t it be bonnet for me and a hat
for Kathern for folks might laugh, even in
the holy place. if wore the one used to
wear before l came here"
So David bought smart hat for Kathern,
with gay ribbons and flower on it, and her
! also. neat bonnet, that she felt she would
be proud TO wear Then followed other prep
arations; and Kathern exclaimed, as she
| passed the window in II state bordering on
| ecstasy 80 shining shore, | shall you
close, Mt last o beautiful ladies, and shady
trees, and little white houses and holy church.
I shall know what you look like, now"
So the days passed They seemed long un-
| til Saturday but then there came in from the
| .,IF 4 ,.,,1 oil
gathered at the pier-head to watch her ap-
proach She was sure to come to the light
| house for it stood there to mark the channel.
| Delights were crowding that week
1t was just four o'clock when she she
reached the pier. The sailors seeing little
girl standing close to her mother, watching
the vessel with eager interest, threw some
sweet oranges to her as they passed, besides
the customary roll of papers to David. There
Were more than would last her a week. 1t
was Il rare treat to have so many. The lamp
was lighted early that evening" and David told
| them snatches of news MS he made it out from
his papers. Decidedly, that week was full of
golden moments.
The papers proved unusually interesting
One of them was rich in pictures, and Meena
and kathern spread it out, opened to its full
est extent, upon the table and bent above it
with absorbing interest. while David read
The package was large. too. There was about
a months work, at David's rate of reading. in
those closely printed sheets He sat at it late
that night, and he got nt it early next morn
ing He read till breakfast. and then only
stopped for the meal. He showed no signs of
getting ready for church, and when Muena
went to remind him of his promise, he seemed
to have quite forgotten that it had any partic-
ular reference to that especial day.
Church 2" he said in dreamy sort of way.
"Ye want me to take We to church. and |
promised ye know but the church won't
run away. It's there every Sunday. We can
90 next, just as well rs this have just got
into Me midst o this paper, now. There's
great things in it, | couldn't listen to the
preacher; I'd be thinkin' of it all the while.
You'll scarcely mind, and Kathern can wait
You can show your new bunnits as well next
Sunday as this. T aint often l git such q
rare pax o papers
, SO Meena told Kathern to ''bide n bit long
, err" they were not going just yet. but thai
'''t wouldn't be long now that father had it OIL
his mind
Had David been military man he woult
, have known that his victory was lost for wan
of following it up: that all the battles of hi,
seven years war were to be fought over again
II was folly to hint at peace while that sturd,
q sense of justice remained part of his nature
/ backed by au honest though somewhat feebl,
purpose to keep a clean conscience, wronginl
no one for he had chosen his own pleasure
once again. as he had chosen it from the be
p ginning. as he always would choose it in tn,
/ future, 30 long ms he might like, unless, i'll
$ ! deed, some sharp experience should cur
him.
4 But happily for David and happily for us, i
is not ill the providence of God that any gooC
f man should be given over to the sin agains
| which he strives, however feeble be the stan,
r which he makes. Help came from heaven
though not quite yet a day arrived, let III
= record it here, when the foe was completed
- routed never to reappear when David Re
4 ceived SO mighty a degree of. the strengt
4 requisite to bear crossing that he became abl
q even TO cross himself, and was glad so to dc
g in order ITO pleasure Meena." But not quit
Il yet.
< Successive Sundays came, without attach
A ing to themselves any special expectation
A Meena and Kathern waited for David to speak
o and they waited long.
. The summer passed, while Kathern sat d
! the end of the pier and netted at her father
o side She watched the shadows of the cloud
d which swept across the water; she listened
Q his talk about the lake and the old grudge h
e used think it bore him of his nets and til
q little store from their proceeds he was layin
h by for her ; but most of the lonely days whe
q he had no little daughter and no wife. bU
Is lived in the lighthouse alone.
I? While they talked and netted. they coul
e see the painted pleasure-boats futteringa aroun
the landing-places of the white shore in I'll
., distance. the heavy belt of woodland forevt
N changing from dark to light, from blue-blac
to hazy gray but only at night in her dream
q did the little girl behold the gorgeous pctur,
L window and the priest who held her in h
o arms aud wet her forehead with the1mystic
If waters.
% Then followed days of rain, when there W,
n no sound but that of water beating on the el
la pola overhead, and water beating against IL
,, piles below, and no world outside the hgh
N house walls close upon this came the Co
no September mornings.
m 1t was on one of these-a day when h,
a father said he knew the lake meant mischie
Sc and the wind seemed to want to help it;
NJ day when the tide poured in fuller than ev,
', from the Gulf, and the angry gusts dashed /
r spray high above the pier-head day wht
the ripple was exchanged for foam-crestt
,e waves and the lake was white Ms far as Il
a eve could reach-that little Kathern, comir
4, to Join her father where he stood with foldC
m arms, facing the furious wind and watching
H. schooner come beating up the lake, lost Ii
h. footing ON the wet and slippery pier, and (,
il overheard into the trcacherous water. II
10 father, who could not swim, saw heT sink in
~ the wave, and then he saw her no more.
ad In the instant of her fall, it was smi
a thing to remember, he thought of her one u
an gratified wish, There flashed across his mil
,. the swift recollection of the week when Me
In ma was i'll, ,-''the happy week" she had CALI
, it.-and of the succeeding Sunday that was
lie have been the beginning of better things.
II His wife knew what he meant when sta
nd gcring into her presence he sobbed in brok
accents 80 Meena, Meena, she's gone N
nj | never took her to the village!"
er Yes, once. You took her Oaoe. Oh, d
,,i1 thonl the dear Cod that Vou took Ii
TO- there that once. We went willin' to give h
= 10 linn then cnnt We he NNillin now ~