The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-09
SITTING In SUNSHINE.
And the DOCTORS wore pisappoipted.

And the Doctors were Disappointed.
"To sit in sunshine, calm and sweet, is
an excellent thing for an invalid"
These words met the eye OF Mr.. Stephen
Strongway, as he glanced over the pages
of book, taken at random from the table
in his wife's parlor.
"'To sit in sunshine, calm and sweet.
That would be a beautiful existence, in
deed, even taken only in a physical sense
of the words; while to cit all the time in
mental sunshine -"
Mr.. Strongway dropped his hea upon
his hand, and sigh stole almost uncon-
sciously from his lips at the thought.
He was worthy of bis name-a strong
man mentally and physically, and with all
a strong mans impotence of, not to say
contempt for, weakness, IN whatever form
II was manifested.
Mrs. StroDgwsy was a delicate creature
lowing, trustful, and timid. She was
overwhelmed by her husbands contempt
OF weakness, and shrank from exhibiting
her affection toward him and she and her
children dropped under the chill which the
shadow of his stateliness constantly kept
upon their home.
But now Alicia, his wife, was ill-dy-
ing; and his thoughts were tuned to softer
strains, and the sentence, "To cit in SUM-
shine, calm and sweet, is an excellent
thing for an invalid" struck home to his
inmost soul. His wife had never had any
sunshine OF home, or Of love, in which to
bask but he resolved it should be so no
longer.
Alicia's early home at the seaside was for
sale and If she wished II he would pur-
chase the old house as a summer retreat in
future years for herself and her children.
In future yearsf Nay, what had the
gaave-faced family doctor told him only
that very day He dashed the tears i'm
patiently from his eyes. The doctor must
be mistaken. Alicia could live 1t was
not yet too late to repair the ravages his
GOODNESS and unkindness had made. Even
as he thought this, hollow cough struck
upon his ear, and bis wife crossed the hall
and entered the parlors.
"Alicia, he said, gently, "you are very
ILL.,"
She looked up at him, and her soft brown
eyes filled With ttars."
"Yes, Stephen"
sour doctor has been with me to-day,
my dear. He has told me that you are dy-
irg."
"Yes, Stephen"
And the brown eyes looked into his visit
luilfs 90 IL ohJlbRy DO JOu ChlC
"Iou knew THE, Alicia ?"
81 have known it for some time-loDg
before he discovered 1t, Stephen"
The question was on his lips, now "Do
you care, Alicis?'
The soft eyes filled once more.
"Oh, Stephen, / dread to leave you and
our dear children. l have loved you 80 !!
may say it without offending you, now
that YOU know | am diving"
'God forgive me-" he cried. "Have
then been 80 unkind that you have feared
to tell me of your love till now?"
"You have not been unkind, Stephen"
she hastened to say. "Only-I think men
do not quite understand woman's heart
sometimes. 1t Is 30 necessary for us to
love, and be loved, and to show that love,
Stephen, and to have it shown, that"
"That see it all, my darling, and know
now exactly just how great the mischief is
and how it has been DONE" said her hus-
band, clasplng her to his heart. "Forgive
me, my darling. We will go from here at
once, to your old home where we first
knew and loved each other, and will see
if cannot bring the lost roses back to
these cheeks, the lost light to these dear
brown eyes. Kiss me, Alicia, and you
shall sit in sunshine fsIRe and sBfhif ng Il
round your path"
He kept his word. And did Alicia die :?
On the contrary, she disgraced her ply
stefan forever by growing strong, and well,
and healthy, and happy in the calm, sweet
sunshine of her husbands love. 1t never
waned again. And che and her children
have lost all their fear of him, in this
strangely altered state of things; while all
who have business dealings with him of
late, can scarcely recognize that once stern
and naughty and masterful man.
ITO sit in sunshine; calm and sweet" is
indeed "good for an invalid"-it is good
for all. Reader, II in that blessed heart
sunshine you sit to-day, thank heaven hum
bly, for the gift; for some there are on
whose darkened path DO ray of radiance
no glance of true affection ever falls.