Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-01-08
SrltttcO StOrg.
ALL IN THE FAMILY.
JOHN sIocrN's LOVE STORY.

lie MADE love uethey wiki roses, nor
wiki spp.es, nor ~i,b locks II hair; be
lid not know the meaning Of "serenade. :.
uor cid ue ever in al bis lie write love-
verse. l 10 no, know THAI he though.
SNaA's eyebrows any more beautiiu
because they BegS dark aud finely arched.
,han II they had been light and crooked,
.ud thin; and yet, truer lover, more
chivs!rous soul than John S.ocum never
lived AL day in The field. plCugbiug. Cr
sowing, or resping, his thought was OF
the fair. pale woman al home, who sat
in the inglenook. mending the family
laen, or waking painfully about on
cratches. attending TO the duties allotted
to her. and patiently bearing the tempers
OF Johns mother, in whose house she
had lived since she Was little child.
Sarah Stenhouse was twenty-five years
old, and zen years before, while yet the
bound servant OF Mrs. Slocum. had met
the tate that bad made her lame. and so
shaken the foundation OF lite that che
could never know rugged health again.
Sac had been 4 wonderful sunny element
in the Slocuu family, anc Johu, who
was ave years der than she, had never
known, when be cracked hickory nuts for
her by the Kitchen fire, what Il was not
10 love her. In The harvest dances, no
one lripped 80 lightly over the old barn
hnor as Sarah. She ripPled over with
nirth. and was never so happy IS when
making others so. Not girl Of her age
10 the couoty could spin as many knots
ui warn IN day as she; and her double
and twisted" was finer and eyener and
more in demand al the stores, where
such home produces were "dickered. "
than any other offered
Whoever got Sarah S;enhouso for
vile" the old women sad, would get q
prize~ and more thau one Young man had
asked b-r. before her bneeu,b birthday
p. - ecuid marry hin Sbeu ,be should
DO -r >e. 4lf tree . les, Mrs. SocUm
g., S.f-l u. St., --.l "Tr,se's tiue
el-cr. ,5- ,tw..ag ii 1-t "hen | sm
7r s2,,' sl-, r1.vrost,1oiag, Ma'aw
S.5c-rur a0evon ,,uss and occasional
.us..e..ae Lad DID, lie. OF goiEg away
-- c-r ,ho was !ree 80. her bondage. She
| A.eN We. hos gaoi bone she had.
,sAe j. lll iE g., and sLo loved the So
GUMS as lt hey had yeen mother and
oro.Aer.
I T4o summer Sarah was fifteen years
/ % "a yelde q noble harvest, vnd greaI
/ rejoicing wLs had among the farmers.
T1auks we're gwen IN the churches, Wer-
| r. makings held at he farm bouses, and
| finally ! "hsrves; home" was held at The
/ Slocum barn because II was the largesl
IN the township. Waen the gayely was
a. us height. Sarah received the hurt that
made her life-long invalid. For many
weeks abe lay lowering between life and
death, and finally life overcame desth by
such small odds that TOR long time, it
seemed but 8 poor boon.
The neighbor people ssid, Now. Of
course, Sarah'll have to go on the county.
Ma'am Siocum's quser, ans how, and al
best il couldn't be expected that q widow
woman ike her should be burdened with
. helpless thing like Sarah"
But when the matter was broached TO
the widow. she answered tar,ly enough,
but with tears in her eyes. "Do you take
me for 8 hssihen7 Sarah's my daughter
from this out, There wasn't suoh girl
in the county as she, and I'd look well
putting her in the poor-house because it
has seemed good to the Lord to lay his
hand heavy on her. His hands heavy
enough on the child without any of my
help. Folks are mighty ready with that
sor. OF assistance"
So Sarah slald al the farmhouse, and
learned every day 10 sEow better and 10
love the .weet be=r; that lay beneath the
-,-gb exterior of her adopted mother,
spG bad never filling patience with her
f,stlings End seedlings aud manifold
queer says.
When some one spoke TO Sarah OF it..
she .sId. Why shonldu't l be patient
Nith Der queer wsysf Wasn't it one OF