St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-10-07

he must call them, must speak 10 tneln 7;
again and again he tried to do so, and
awoke.
Long the deacon pondered over his
dreams, and in his heart he felt that
they had not been of himself, but of
God.
"They're warnings, Nathan Hey
worth ~ he decided at length, solemn
ly, warnings, sure's you live, and yen
do well to abide by 'em."
The ice was floating away, and al
ready the green moss and shining shell
We're simmering up from beneath.
1t was breakfast time at Deacon
Heyworth's, and the meal was being
eaten as usual in almost perfect ST.
lence. Again and again had the hus-
band and father been on the verge of
speaking-his lips only opened to
the previous nights experience-of the
warnings he firmly believed he had re-
ceived he could remain forever dumb
and no one would ever be the wiser,
but he had determined to right, if pos
sible, the wrongs of years, and yet
it was not so easy as he had thought.
william !" he exclaimed at length
suddenly, slowly breaking an egg into
the glass beside him.
The boy looked up respectfully, but
YEARLY he, too, had spent an almost
sleepless night-a night of tears and
disappointment. ''Well, father ~ he
said questioning, for the deacon had
stopped to break another egg.
''When does the examination at the
college begin ?"
All the blood in the boys body
seemed rushing into his face, such a
strange question for father to ask He
tried to quell his hearts sudden beat
ing as he replied, "This afternoon,
sir,n but the mother could see how
painful the suspense was to her son.
''lf you can satisfy them that eX-
anime the students, you may start to
college whenever you please 7"
Gather !"
Tears came slowly into the fathers
eyes how blind he had been ! ''Oh
father ~ but the words only ended il
cOnvulsive burst of tears, and the
boy hurriedly left the room.
Thomas looked at Mary, and Mary
looked at Thomas, and the mother
looked at them bOth-the long suffer
ing mother, whose heart was thrOb.
bling strangely to the promise of a new
born peace.
"And Mary and Thomas" continued
the deacon, after a few preliminary
coughs and thrOat-clearings, 81 believe
school has been took up just about q
week, but mebbe if you study hard
aud Lon 10 St l-atah N
the best of 'em you'll have to fly
around, daughter, and help mother all
you can nights and mornings till | get
some help and you boys must give
me lift once in while on the farm
until we get things to work good.
want to say just here" he said, falter-
ingly and blunderingly, yet bravely.
nevertheless, "that ye've all been pow
erful good children, Notwithstanding
you couldn't often get what you want
ed, and you sha'n't lose anything by il
from this on. P'r'aps father thinks a
heap more of you, after all, than you'd
think when he's so ugly like"
''Oh, father you dear, dear father
You don't know how much we all love
you :" and for almost the first time
within her remembrance the warm
hearted, impulsive girl flung her arms
about him and kissed him fOndly.
"There, there, child, you'll spoil me;'
exclaimed the delighted deacon, blow
ing his nose vigorously, and wiping a
suspicious moisture from his eyes
"yOu'll spoil me sure !"
"Nathan, husband ~ their children
had all left the room, and she came up
=. ~. 4 -,
does it all mean, Nathan ~
at means that God has been teach
ing me the error of my ways, Hannah
and Pm trying to take the lesson to
heart" And then laying his hand
gently upon the hard toil-worn one
near his, Deacon Heyworth told his
wife his warnings.
Years have passed over them all
since then, and children's children play
in the great old fashioned rooms. Often
they meet together there, and even the
long-ago home welcomed 'Lizabeth is
with them. The mother with her soft
white hair, looks over them all will
happy, peaceful eyes, as the father
"almost home," tells over and ovel
again his dreams. 81 can see it all,
he says, 'jest as plain as | could that
night. know the Pierced Hands will
welcome me up there, and | can almost
hear the angels sing again. 1t will
not be long, not very long until | shall
see Him and know Him rs He is"
| at will be no dream there, Nathan y
Her eyes are dim, 'reft of brightness
long ago, but their children think OF
the land of eternal youth as they look
upon her, and hear the tremulous
| trusting answer:
"NO, Hannah, no dream there :"