Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-20

b.
easily obtained a school: She developed a gov
erDng talent which charmed the committeeman,
and the cOngenial Isbor i'm the company of little
children took her out of herself and infused new
life into her hope deferred
Every week she walked to the post Office
three miles away, to ask for letter going in
with bright flush on either cheek and coming
out pale and dull eyed after the stab of disap-
pointment. wonder that people in the coun-
try are so anxious to be postmasters: If they
only knew it, they are acton in more tragedies
than any member of a theatrical stock company
Much sealed happiness passes through their
hands; but they have to refuse many Ma
riana in the Moated Grange"-weary women
who reach hand out Of their dull lives for
letter and draw it back empty.
1t was far into the second wear before JOe's
nrst letter came. 1t was surely a fancful and
foolish thing for schooImistress to do, but
Dora carried it to her own little room, and put
on the red dress before she read Joes letter
Joe was working in the mines in Colorado
His luck had not yet come in nuggets at least,
but hard work and sober living were slowly Civ
Ing him the advantage over the other miners.
He was never SO well, and he loved her better
than all the world
Dora lived on this letter for many weeks, and
she set Colorado" for copy so often to her
scholars that they will write that word better
than any other to their dying day.
Letters came oftener as years drew on; some
times Joe was up ia the world, sometimes down;
once his carefully boarded gold was stolen from
him and he had to begin all over again; but this
was nothing to a long Illness, in which friend
wrote TO Dora as soon as Joe was out of danger.
Then Dora envied the doves their wings.
New Tears day was the hardest of all to bear.
She could not help a strong pressure Of excite
ment when she put on the red Dress which
grew more and more old fashioned, and watched
the sun go down on the road which Joe must
trayel when he should come home. The next
morning she fitted her shoulders sadly to the
burden of another year.
one young farmer after another found his
way to the old farm house on SUNDAY evenings
and Dora pushed them down an inclined plane
OF discouragement so gently that they scarcely
knew whether they had meant to court her or
not. 1t was not the least of her trials to meet
the entreatieS of her mother and the rough
arguments of her father when one or two more
persistent suitors would take nothing less than
no Tor their answer.
Dora could give no reason for repeated re-
fusals to marry, only she loved no one well
enOugh-a reason which should be all sufficient
II parents remained Immortality young, but it
loses weight after sixty.
AS the seventh year drew to close. Dora's
hears beat light within her. Joe had mentioned
seven years, as if he meant to come home then,
al any rate She wore out the first day of the
glad New Year with busy cares till late in the
afternoon, when an old man. spent with much
walking, stopped to rest himself in the farm
house kitchen. Prudence bestirred herself to
give MN hearty luncheon, and when he was
warmed and fed he began to talk of his travels
He had been seeking his fortune all over the
west, and never finding it, had come back to die
at home. He mentioned Colorado and Denver
and when Dora found herself alone with him for
moment she said. Ibid you ever see Joseph
Raymond in Denver?p
Joe Raymond! Oh, yes! knew him WELL
lived with him nigh on to month. His wife
was real good cook; couldn't be beat in them
parts"
You say he was married ?"
TO be sure; right smart Teller, and mighty
fond OF his wife Women are scarce out there"
Prudence came in. and the old man went on
MS way. all unconscious of the great stone he
had cast into the still waves of Dora's heart
whats the matter?" said Prudence ..you're
as white as a sheet"
DOra's only answer was to start out of the
house and run. as for her life. down the frozen
orchard path, by which she could gain upon and
Overtake this terrible old man. She might have
said, with the 'holy Herbert:"
My tho'ts are all a case of knives,
Nounding my heart
With scattered SMART
only misery must have time to crystalline into
q memory before it takes the form of poetry
she stood before the old man at the turning,
bareheaded and GREATNESS. "HOw did the Joe
Raymond look that you lived With" gasped
Dora.
Il never said Joe Raymond" said the old
man. peevishly; Il said Jim Joe. who" but
Dora was off again before he could finish the
sentence.
She ran back through the orchard. giving
thanks with all her heart that she had not suf-
fered herself to be persuaded of Joes faithess-
ness on one hearing. Her feeling of grateful
awe, as If she had escaped from sudden death,
Kept her from mourning much over the passing
away of the seventh anniversary of Joes depar-
ture, with no sign of his return
HIS letters had wholly ceased. and there was
nothing left for Dora but to possess her soul
with patience. When another New Year dawned
upon her, she put on the old red dress more from
habit than any CLEAN of hope in her heart, and
did not care to look in the glass. In the twi-
light she walked slowly down the orchard path
and leaned On the gate that opened into the
road.
Suddenly a man sprang out from behind the
wall. Theodore, my gift of God!'" he said;
and Dora, though she recognized no mark of the
lover who had left her eight years before felt
that no other knew that pass word. and suffered
herself 10 rest silently in his arms, in the inefl-
Die content that comes after long waiting.
When Joe and Dora went into the house and
she looked at him by candlelight, her heart
almost misgave her; his luXurient beard and the
manly assurance OF his manners were not at all
like her Joe of beloved memory, and terrible
barrier seemed to rise up between them, while
prudence remained in the room with her COM
pany manners, which sat more aWkWardly upon
her than her Sunday gown.
When Dora tiptOed softly by her sisters door
at a very late hour that night Prudence was
lying awake for her. Don't tell me-" she said.
that you've been waiting for that Joe Ray
mOnd all this time"
81 won't tell you, if you don't want to hear
it," said Dora.
'Do you know whether he came home any
better of than when he went away?"
Il really haven't thought to ask him." said
Dora carelessly. Prudence groaned and turned
her face to the wall
Joe waited only till the next day to tell Mrs.
Hall the story of his success, which looked very
moderate in mis- travelled eyes, but seemed a
noble fortune to her hOmely ideas.
Il never thought before" said Dora's father
at tie wedding. THAT woman could keep a
secret and guess it amt much more common
than snow in dog DAYS"
'How long would you have waited for me."
whispered Joe in Dora's ear
Forever said Dora, sOlemny
"And Mrs. Prudence Hall. as she overheard
the word, thanked her stars that Dora's foolish
notions had rot wrecked her at last on poverty
stricken marriaSe.-EUa W. Thompson IN Lip
pi,scotfs Magazine.
The Squirrel Problem.
"a squirrel is up tree and a man on the
ground with gun is trying to shoot 1t; but the