Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-10

ana ncr husband watching the new light III
her usually dropping eyes, stammered out
with fast expiring dignity "I-I'm sur
prised. am, Hannah I'm surprised !"
That's very likely" answered his wife
meekly, "we are always surprised II person
ventures an opinion different from our own
and suppose you are all the more surprised
at my attempting thing never did before
but it's gone on and on, until can stand il
no longer, Nathan, and must speak. I've
worked long and hard for you, now, moren
twenty years. Many and many's the night
I've gone to bed too tired for sleep, and il
pears like l never get rested any more
Mary amt stout, you know, and all the bruni
| OF the work comes on me. | look old, and
feel old, enough to be fifty-fve instead oi
| forty-five, and it's the hard work that's done
it a hired girl would have been mighty
help and blessing sometimes, but you never
| seemed to think about it, and never grum
bled any, for loved ye all the same but
sometimes when I've thought it all over
and I've done it hundreds and hundreds Of
times-it teches mighty close to be always
set aside like nobody at all, and have my
wishes and opinions continually talked
against, for never forget that I'm your
wife, Nathan, and have an equal right
with you, to say what should, or should not
be done"
Her voice trembled for moment but the
deacon's amazement was too great for words
and she hurried on "There never was bet
ter children than ours for smartness or work
aud anybody'1 say so that knows 'em; but
because they'll mind every word you say
and never grumbe when you cross 'en, il
doesn't make it right that you should deny
them every privilege aud enjoyment. Young
folks always banker after fun, aud it don't
make them any better Christians to be
always quieting them down when they are
laughing or singing their merry songs
There's Thomas; the boys heart is set on
going to singing-school- can sing more
songs now than ] ever knew in all my life
and he takes so natural-lke TO the notes aud
tunes-1 don't see why you can't let him 60
Nathan, for it would only do him good, he's
always so happy when he's singing, and God
knows sorrow comes soon enough to most
folks. Mary wants to go to school so bad
that she cries every morning when she sees
the boys and girls go by. / know couldn't
do all the work, but hired.help is easy got,
and you'd never miss the money that would
pay girl her wages.
"Now as to Willie's going to college, |
don't want to appear contrary, Nathan, but
I've wanted it all along, aud | do think the
boy ought to go. It's my notion he'll never
make a farmer, he's too set on his books
not but what farmer can be as smart as
anybody but it's not in nature to do one
thing well, when your whole heart and soul
are hankering after something else.
"No | say let Willie go to college, and
let Mary go to school, aud Thomas to sing
ing-school, if they want to go; it'll do you
good, for there's none of our children going
to be any of the ignorant stock, let me tell
you that.
"Of course you can't do the work, nobody
expects you to; but you've got the money
that'll hire it done, and it's a great deal bet
ter to be few dollars out Of pocket and
have the love of your children than to leave
it all to them after while, aud mebbe have
them feeling glad you're gone.
81 think, sometimes, perhaps, if ye'd
been a little more kind and gentle like to
Elizabeth she might "a"
"Mis' Heyworth Hannah |" exclaimed
the husband with suddenly awakened dig.
nifty, 81 hope you'll not attempt to blame
me for what that sinful girl may have done
me, deacon 7" Aud he clasped the chairs
arms firmly, while his feet took an amazed
jump from the fender to the floor.
"Being deacon doesn't help matters a
bit, aud it won't help you, either, when it
comes to the last aud if you've not tried,
or done anything, to make any one else
happy, I'm afraid there will not be much
happiness for you; folks can sin in not do.
ing what they ought to do, as well as in
doing what they ought not and we'll be
judged for what we have not done as well
as for what we have.
"No, Nathan Make your children happy,
and no matter if it does take little money
to do it, you'd far better leave them without
cent than to have your memory mold aud
rot because you denied them these favors.
1t takes mighty little, sometimes, to make
another one happy, but I've a notion it goes
a long ways with God "
CHAPTER III.
Deacon Heyworth could not sleep. He
was, to say the least of it, surprised. This
was not Hannah's usual way Of talking, and
he could not imagine what in the world pos
sessed her now. If she had spoken angrily
he could have replied, but her language had
been so calm, so dispassioned, so straightfor.
ward that he had not the least opportunity
for anger. For while he could think of
nothing but the strangeness of his patient
gentle-voiced wife talking in this way to
him then gradually her words came back
to him, and the more he remembered of them
the more they troubled him but not that
he thought she looked at things in too
strong a light, for what need was there fol
Willie to go 10 college ? he never went, never
wanted to go, even; the boy knew too much
now for any good; then as for Mary, she's a
better scholar this very day than | am, and
hos -, - har rxn,no 10 onhanl
than there is of-of Hec there" and the
deacon very complacently eyed a great yel
low-and-white dog lying behind the stove
and decided that it was all a humbug, that
he had "set his foot down." etc. "But then
it was kind of mean to say they shouldn't
when Hannah had set her heart on it; 'taint
often she crosses me she's been powerful
| good wife aud mother, Hannah has," unused
| the deacon, with aremorseful twinge. "Won
der what did possess her, though, to say
what she did about Eliz'beth ?" and just
then the deacon's self-conceit stepped in aLd
| spurted at such rate about a mans con
| trolling his house, and deacon's knowing
what was best and right for his family, Of
course, that he turned over in his bed and
closed his eyes firmly, and with feeling oi
conscious superiority. OF course he knew
what was best
But he could not sleep; over and ovel
again he determined not to think any more
about it, but over and over again would tn,
words recur to him If you've never done
nothing to make others happy, I'm afraiG
there'll not be much happiness for you wher
it comes TO the last"
Jest wish Hannah hadn't said anything
about it," he groaned, as rsstlessly tossing
over and over he found himself unable tC
stiae his awakened conscience "pll mo-
be fit for lick o. work tomorrow !"
The deacon was not so unlike the rest O.
us after all. Sleep came to him at length
not sweet and refreshing, but busy will
dreamings that startled the mans soul lik,
arrows of warning.
He dreamed it was the last great day
the millions on millions of people meltec
slowly away from before him, bringing hin
nearer and nearer the Great Arbiter of souls
Countless throngs of angels lowered near
bursting forth into rapturous "Glory 4
God in the Highestp' - as thousands upoi
thousands of the redeemed joined their mum
Der, or turned weeping away as Others wer
borne shrieking to eternal gloom.
No great happiness or particular dreaC
seemed TO enter the deacon's heart be sin
cerely pitied those who were eternally lost
and thought how much better ii would hav
been for them had they been Christians
while he looked upon the angels, curiousl,
wondering If some of them had been as gooI
as they might have BEEN"
IL -. Z