The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-09


here-the perfect rest and contented happiness ]
felt while sat in it and saw you and Cleaveland
preparing supper. The thoughts Of that time
seem to have become a real property Of the chair
to all intents and purposes. l presume 1 do the
thinking but the chair certainly does the suggest
ing as much as though it spoke to me. l begin to
see now how we may make our homes beautiful
by filling them with constant reminders OF sweet
and pleasant times and lovely deeds of kindness.
There is something in it, 1 am sure. What pity
people do not all understand it,"
"What pity people do not all love one another,
especially those who live in the same homes, -
said Mr. Wills eff they only did that, the rest
would follow, whether they understood or not"
''But it would make them more careful if they
understood the everlasting consequences OF their
acts and moods,n said Bertha. "Only think; a
pleasure-giving quality may be indelibly fixed on
an article of furniture by the action of a few mo-
ments.n
"But that action was the expression of a living
truth, love that had been growing for years, -
said Earle. "Perhaps it is only such grand and
beautiful passions, all-absorbing and sef-sacrifc-
ing, that have the power to produce any effect on
the material surroundings and give to them these
suggestive qualities
''No doubt that is the case" said Mr.. Wills.
Any act done for mere effect would fail of its OBJ
ject. a great law governs the whole, grand and
all-embracing. The Bible speaks of it, the law OF
love, and who knows its far-reaching boundaries
little child's deed of unselfsh ministry may
stamp its impress upon some simple household
object, and we may never be able to eradicate the
effect. The memory of the act is part of the in
sensate thing rs surely, for us as is its form"
'And may il not modify il in some unaccounta-
ble way for other persons% ~ said Bertha. ''Else
why is there such difference in what we call the
atmosphere of certain homes? Does not the grand
secret of love produce inevitable effects things
without life, which effects perceptible to every
one? 1t is beautiful theory, and am going TO
adopt it and study il out if can. There are facts
that certainly point in that direction, and perhaps
new discoveries are to be made concerning the
unity of the laws which govern mind and natter -
Mr. Wills found Willow Grange a blithe and
CHEEKY place, with health-giving atmosphere,
and many new and piquant phases of life He
rode after the sheep and cattle like a boy, and
laughed and joked like one. He rambled with
Bertha over hill and glen, watched the sunsets
from her favorite points, tasted OF hidden, fern
fringed springs in shadowy ravines, 'chased the
antelope over the plain" and the jack-rabbit to
his covert in the wild sage bushes and felt like
new man in the cold, bracing air
I H..
lay like frozen mist-vails over the green bunch
grass, and were lifted when the sun had smiled
but little while The winds whistled and roared
it is true; but they were strengthening winds
and there were no tall houses stately trees to b,
blown down. so it mattered not, if only the sheer
were sheltered at night, for there was plenty o
/ food for them in ease of prolonged storm.
About Christmas time Mr. Wills went home
carrying with him many choice bits Of Bertha.
needle-work, and proofs of her tasteful ingenuity
as Christmas presents for the dear ones in Port
land.
Bertha enjoyed her fathers visit very keenly
They had many good, old-fashioned talks, anC
they were near each other in thought and life
/ that il was delightful to see them together. Tn,
treasures Of magazines, papers and letters brough
/ by the weekly mail were as welcome as the day
while her father was with her. and were dOubly :,
after he returned home.
Several heavy storms arose in the after part o
the Winter, which confined her to the house 70
many days. During one of these, Earle went on
after a missing band Of sheepin the morning, and
not returning at nightfall, Bertha begged Cleave
land to 90 in search of him.
Charlie said there was 10 danger; that Earl
was ali right. But, rs there were two Of the shep
herd boys at home for company, he finally went
a. slie ueSlTeu. lncTe WAS lulte Il heaNy iaii q
snow on the ground, and the wind was blowing
about in heaps and clouds The night hour
passed, but the wanderers came not.
Bertha built rousing fire and sat by it as lon
as she could, and then arose and began to wal
back and forth, stopping now and then to look on
at the door and listen. Out beyond the barn wa
small shed where the sick lambs and orphan
were kept and as Bertha looked out, about mid
night, the drifting clouds broke AWAY and tn
moonlight shown down on the snow-covered she
and revealed little lost lamb standing outsid
and crying in the cold night
5 Berthas heart gave quick throb as sh
: thought, perhaps that is one of the lost banC
and Earle may be coming" She listened an
looked long time, but saw nothing save tn
SNOWY hills lvinn white and sill I'm tI,o ,,,oo-