Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-13

"Oh, no, deari father ID too busy
nov, I'll sOon DO better, don't worry
And a. II tired out. she closed her eyes
again,
ilaehel watched her q minute, then
retained 10 tho dining roam, Elizsbe,h
and Margaret we're waiting on the table
busy was waving tho Ny brush TO and
lFO, Tired little susy, who had secured
knives, peeled potatoes, shelled peas,
and done n little OF everything that
sully morning. No wonder ihe small
hands sometimes lot the brush fall,
For once In their lives the men At the
siIilman farm ate cold supper aud
dbl the milking 10 help tho women
folks, Mra, Lansing remaintd all night,
John and his wife were sent for aud
came, aud before morning jim Lansing
quietly got tho wagon aud went him
self for Martha and her husband, Poor
Martha, who had not seen her mother
Tor year All night Mr. slillman sat
by his wife. or walked resilessly up and
dOwp tho back porch, II could not bei
he could not realize II, Ills wife die 7
Why, nothing allied her; she WAS ast
tired. Yes, that was II, Mr., Siillman (;
she was tired now. and she viii rest,
When Martha came and hurried to
tho bedside her mother did not reeog'
nice her.
"Mothcr, oh. mother" cried the poor
girl, "won't You speak 20 mef'
But tho poor mother looked at her
with eyes that raw no moro OF earth,
and multered to herSeli aS she tossed
upon her pillows.
'"Huuy, girls" she called, "iather
wants on oaily dinner" .
Then she grew strangely qniet, and
Rachel kissed the thin hand, that, never
sill, picked all tho time at the quilt,
aud rerched out ~ II trying to grasp
at tho unknown she was 80 soon to
enter. Just a. tho sun sank down
brhind tho western hills on th' second
day of hor illness, Mr., Slillman "on'
tered into her rest"
Her husband seemed stunned by tho
terrible shock. 81 never though' o.
this" ho said, as with haggard face
and trembling limbs he bent over his
dead wife, 20 ANY, | did love you"
"Wel," said Mrs, Lansing, az she,
assisted by other neighbors made the
necessary preparations for the funeral,
III do believe that Mr. Slillman loved
his wife, but must lay he had an odd
way OF showing it, aud ], for one, never
suspected him OF it," .
"She was such stay at'home,' said
ano no "that hardly knew her. Bnt
she has such sweet, patient face; how
beautiful she looks"
Then Mrs Lansing broke down, and
sinking into chair by her dead friend,
she wept bitterly. After n while she
rose and bending over tho dead woman,
she kissed for the first aud last time the
cod Ii &. and whispere1:
II will do all l Gun, old friend, for
your children"
Time will show how sho kept her
premise,
Two years have come and gone since
70 saw Rachel by her mothers bedside,
aud now, a tall, slender girl of sixteen,
she is again before us. Several impor
'ant changes have taken place in the
Sillmah family during hose years. In
the first place, Just few months aftei
his mothers death, John Stillman''
wife had taken her child, when it was
bnt one month old, and returned to hel
fathers house; and, strange to say
Johns father, who was dreadfully pu,
out about it, remarked, "Her father up
held her in il"
In fact, old Mr.. Grant, Johns vife''
father, did uphold his daughter, saying
that man who treated vile as Johr
S'illman did, expecting her to work for
ever, sick or we'll, did no. deserve tc
have one; and, for his part, he wal
able to take care of his daughter alt
her child, and meant to do it," Ant
John, in bitter wrath. had sold out, ant
gore to California. Martha had hecomt
the mother OF little daughter, whicl
she had named Amy, for her dead grand
mother, and was now a gue<t, some
times. in her fathers house.
So, gradually, the S'illmans were get
ting to ve like other folks Tor the Wild
ow Lansing had changed her name tt
Stillman. In dear little Susy's pal'
cheeks roses Of faintest pink begar
to bloom, under the vivlfying etfec
of love and tenderness. Margaret
voice was losing its sharpness and
in the society young girls of he
own age, she was getting, as Tom said
"too full of mischief to be endured.
As for Tom, his stepmother managed
him beautifully. He began to think hi
sisters worth little attention now an'
ther and, on several occas ons. hac
volunteered to escort them to church
md once told Margaret she "looke;
sweet as peach"
Margaret was so astonished that sh
threw her arms around his neck, ant
kissed him, astonishing him in turn
Even poor Elizabeth brig taned up
and began to Look as if life held pos
sibilities for her. As for Rachel, sh
looked ON with surprise and pleasure
She enjoyed to its fullest extent tn
change Tor the better in the family
But now, to the feeling of bitterness
against her father, was added touch
scorn aud cuntemp'.
'See,' she thought, how he lets tn
new wife hatter a"d twist him to he
will. ii my mother could have don
that, she might have been alive ye
Bnt she was too t,ua and good
Rachel was mistaken. The new wifi
did not fatter, or twist, or maneuvel
she simply went ahead, and did wha
she thought right, without leave o
license, taking consent and approval TO
granted. Sire had small income 9
hel own, in which fact Law one OF her ad
vantages, and she used it wisely for th
benefit of the wholr family butshe di
not hesitate to call on her husband 10
neediul moneys, and there was that i
!.er manner which told him it must b
forthcoming.
SO time slipped three rore years owe
the heads of the Stillmans. Years wei
improved by R .chel at the academy i
the village, near her fathers home
Years which gave MAJ 'garet's happ' ines
into Jim Lansing's keeping, made Tor
youny man OF whom his sisters wer
extremely proud, and brought littl
Susy to the verge OF womanhood.
And all these years have gone b
without word from the teacher for on
winter at the log school. l.house, in th