Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-25

70 open It TO him so readily, and his step
slackened involuntarily in the narrow pas
4 sage. lie entered the sttinp-room--so
changed, he knew, since the " old-maidish 3"
little fingers had been busy herewith his
head bent little, as IL generally was now.
and something in the very atmosphere Of
the room--even before his eyes were raised
-breathed of change. His breath quick
ened little as he almost expected, even be-
fore he had time to think of it, that light
step would come towards him. But there
came none, and he looked up
Was it really the dull, changed room
this, with its windows open to the summer
evening breeze, that had some lingering
freshness in it still, and brought old memo,
ries of far-away scented hedgerows out of
reach of the city smoke The table bright
and neat, bunch of honeysuckles at his
| plate, aud large glass of wild roses in the
middle of the table And beside it-sweet
and sunny above all-his little girl herself,
| IN her old familiar brown dress and short
black apron, shining with age and wear, but
having wonderfully pleasant home-like
look with the keys sticking out of one of
| the little pockets, and handkerchief out of
the other lie stood looking at her as if he
feared to move and break the dream. Aud
the little face, in its chiId-like purity and in
its brave, unsefsh tenderness, seemed TO
come towards him across the tainted cur.
rent of his backward life, showing him
something that might lie beyond. He felt
an odd, childish longing to stretch out his
| arms TO her, and let her guide him out of
reach or hearing of its turbid rush Per-
haps unconsciously he did so, for his arms
were round her, and the quiet little head
lay at rest against his beating heart
~ Fathpr.' she whiqpprp1 will vot, talya
me back, though have snned ?"
He drew her closer, closer, but no words
could pass his close tight lips.
" Are you glad, father 2" (There were
such sobbing tears in the low voice) kiss
me If you are. There is no need to tell me
so in words we shall understand each other
always now"
Little Nettie, in all her twenty-one years,
had never remembered such a kiss as that.
and it brought the tears that struggled in
her voice straight up to her eyes. But she
did not hide them now.
" Father" she said, looking at him with
great, glad eyes shining through them, it
is far, far better-to me-to come home"
Aud then the father, remembering the
life his child had led in this home of his
bowed his head on hers, and let the childish
tears flow as they would from his own tired
eyes; knowing, perhaps they would add
nothing to the stained current
Such a tea il was Perbans no stropgar
than usual bnt 90 diffnrant VIII a.
dainty little figure at tho end of +bo tal,io
and Tho Aouors and tha oara 81 to1,Jau'
ness, and the gay, loving talk. But how
rudely it was broken into by that sharp rir,
at the front door bell
Shall Won he awav long ." asLad No,,;a
vistfnllv as bar faiber posa bnrr;a,,I,' ~
leave the room.
"Only a few minutes. 7 do not want
that person 10 he bronght in bere"
And in those same fey ,n;nn.os bo ro
turned and with a sigb Of wnnderfrI ro,ief
sat down at tba onen ts;nJo,,,
Now we are toge,ber ;, sa;d Na,.;o s,f,,,
AZ she took her Mace baside hin .f 'T ,thaT,
shall sing Won what we sane at church ves'
terdav morning tbe ,vords ca sent e., -,
me home again ="
The sunshine had left ,ba r,rro,, s.raa.
There we're no sm;I;,g sco,,,sd ,,aoJo,,'a
ronnd her No sweet c6ime doatsd fror, ,ha
.Estant hills NJ oar,,as, ,,Iaoa;,a, - ;,,o
,yos tbera falIinq, u.;,h IA rs 80 80
mo, her bsart ~ h,a,,a D''o. t.;''Lt1
..ae,ar---r.ad ber uns,oLan ,.,;shas Neo,',lo
,netberlv kiss fail sof,Iy on bar i;ns Va,
rhe yy;da bannv avas oolad on. ,aa.
,vitbont tbe;r ns,rc5ino, 60 ' ~ '''
And eba ba1 bar rauarJ kas;Jo A., ,x.o,.
est of alI--in the nartnr,,araa 80 hor 80
The parent whom dniv a few non,hs hafosa
notbing could bave c5.noad anJ 49, o, hoh'
its seemed Gved for Tf, at ona 49,, u,;tb
o,,t tho ,ttara,,c, af - ,,,o.l ,S ~. ~;
mate cromies mr. sya,' ,n tha oh;ld tha, ai,
-, ,',,,,,, ,',,,,',d y, w. VIZ iii 'nat an
in his sight marked out apd nnr.ndd ric',v a nav,
I;fe U9 abandnnod H. nId ba,,,t, a''i III
co,necteJ ,yith the,,, s,,an, Ii" a,,,a ;,iu o.
home in rsaJinn a,,d l,,,''s ,,';th h;s
Jama,htar Lind ne; oI,hors al frio,,Js ,';s;.nJ
them now Mr. o7VsiIl ,,aya bis doiI,, aora
to bis farms and i, e,,ars, COZ
deem hoth bis ostata a4d " ~ 'raU,t ntat;o. ~
and in a Tttls ,,hiie bs on,Id h - .a,,,,
InrIv avery Snnday attand;r,, ,,orsh;r> 81
his Jan,bter and ho"o,,;,,r, su tho, "isi Ia
voted cb;id could evnent ;s athar ond ~,
a.toamsd citizan toting on act;,,a No., j.,
tbe affairs of the connfrv caIcmiated 10 mo- -,
mote tba nnhI;o ,,eaI '"'"'''''i ~ p'o-
II thera a a,aS r h,r,,;a, don,h,ou .h..
Nsttie O'NeiIl She waI bnIro~'', 81 tha t;nna
tbis was written Uer amnt and rs '"o oona;r ,,a
Craham soon baard Of tha "";~ ,a;r.io, aIo U tuan