The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-05
Out nfilie Dark.

Out of the Dark.
81 do wish father'd comet" said little
Mrs. Knowles, laying down the sock
she was mending and crossing over to
the window that commanded view of
the street no which her husband could
not reasonably be expected for a good
two hours.
"Night's setting in early, and pitch
dark, too; not sign of any moon, and
/ shouldn't wonder if it stormed. The
airs felt like it all day." She held the
curtain aside with one hand and shaded
with the other her anxious blue eyes
that were strained out into the growing
dark II hope Henry won't get wet.
Poor fellow! !"
She let the curtain fall, then drew O
chair, over which hung merino dress
ing-gown, closer to the fire, which she
stirred vigorously, pulled the tea-kettle
over TO the front lid OF the Stuart,
waited minute to stroke the side of a
Maltese cat-a huge, handsome fellow,
whose right to the chintz' covered lounge
nobody ever thought of disputing-then
she went back to her mending.
"You're a good wife, Mary" said
Grandmother Reese, Mrs. Knowles
mother, who had seemed too occupied
in taking up the stitches of heel just
bound off to hear what her daughter
said or 10 notice what she did, but whose
keen eyes and ears saw and heard every
thing. ga good wife. There'd be
fewer bad men in the world if there were
more women like you.
ssnn za,, +bipl On rnntnar2O
CT know So" grandma answered,
holding her half-sock up to the light and
trying to find the stitches. Sand didn't
use to think you'd ever amount to much
as 'helpmeet to man. You were
such giddy girl, you know"
"But love Harry, mother" the blue
eyes Frightening in the lamplight, land
it seems to me that any girl with good
common sense to start with, and who
loves the man she marries, will do what
she can to help rs well as to make him
happy! At least-why, here, mother,
let me take up those stitches.
Swell, reckon you may, child. My
sight amt so good as It once was. Hank !
amt the wind blowing uncommon
hard Z"
As if for answer, stormful gust shook
the windows at that moment and beat
upon the door till it flew wide open, let
ting in the snow and putting out the
lights.
"Dear dear exclaimed the old
lady, and "Dear dear 7" echoed the
young one, shutting aud boiling the door
and then relighting the lamps.
"Oh, l do wish Harry would come !"
Mrs. Knowles added anxiously. Then,
after pause, in which her blue eyes
had been slowly filling with tears, 9" Do
you remember, mother. that it was on
lust such q night as this the children
went away 20 she asked.
eyes, child, / remember it well.
How the wind came tearing out O. the
beech woods, with the binding, beat
ing snow a-burying up the fences"
"And mother" Knowles voice
was very low and full of sorrow"
You know it seemed the hardest thing
of all to me that the little white souls
should have to start out to the unknown
from the heart of so terrible nightY
So lonesome for them, so-Oh, mother,
I don't know, don't know, but it seems
to me could have borne it better in
the daytime, with the sun shining, and
the blue sky full in sight
"God was in the dark and the storm,
nv girl. Would he let the babies 60
alone, do you think 2"
"No, mother, no. 1 know that he
carried, and carries them in his bosom
but mine is empty-but for the pain
and it aches so hard, so hard, mother. y
az know, l know, dear" Grand
mother was smoothing the brown hair
ripping over her knee, and her eyes
had PARKWAY look in them, as If their
faded lids were touched by the fingers
of some mournfui memory.
And the old arms went around the
Young neck, and the old eyes and the
Young wept together in the silence-the
silence broken only by the hiss of the
kettle Oh the stove, the tick of the clock
on the mantel, and the feet of the storm
beating their wild way everywhere
without.
"Toot's 80 tired, sister, can't we 81
down just tiny minute now|
They we're half way up the high hill
beyond which quarter OF mile stood
the warm, lovelit home of Harry
Knowles.
Such delicate little waits they were
boy and girl, apparently sly and eigh
years old, and.their pale, pinched feat
T,res told pitiful story.
"And Toot's so sleepy" the boy con
tinued. eff you'll lie down with m,
and hold me up close, asimamma used to
lust five minutes, I'll go-oh-ever 8,
far"
The girl hesitated, she was tired ant
sleepy. too, and the storm seemed I.