St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-08-03

made poem of one summer when she
was young and blooming! He had gone
with the birds, as thoughtless of what
he left behind, and not to return with
them the following year. Patience had
lald away Ill the chambers of her mem
ory lovely walks, and moonlight rides
on the river and through the valley
roads; yes, arrayed in a habit of green
camlet, she had rode horseback beside
him along this very highway. The
memory of this, and the many pretty
nothlngs that he knew how to say, had
often doubled the dreariness of her
present life. Now, brought face to face
with the dream of her youth, finding
HIM sleek, well-fed man, who was not
enough of gentleman to overlook her
smlsfortune, Patience suddenly awOke
Life with such as he surely was not all
roses, and now as she looked into the
ladys lace more closely, Patience de-
tected signs of suffering and fOrbear-
! ance that made her own lot seem less
hard to bear.
ZenaS came in, and began to eat and
talk, mostly with the lady, who seemed
bent upon putting every one mt ease.
:
Patience flushed with pride at his sens
ible replies. Even the fastidious gen
tleman, Patience's quondam admirer,
at length joined the conversation.
They were interested in farming, so
Zenas and Philip showed them about
their place, after dinner.
''Gou have II fine homestead" said
the lady to Zenas "but do You know
what admire most of your possess
sions Your wife ~
Farmer Brown looked Il little sur
prised, but not displeascd He admit
ted that "Patience is pooty smart when
she's mind ter be-
Then delicately the lady introduced
what must surely be a painful subject.
GLOW long has she been so-alflicted &?
Does she never fret about it ?"
''Them nubs on Paticnce's neck
She's been that way il good many
years. The lady uttered an expires
sion of sympathy. "Wc've got kinder
used to it, but s'poSe it does gin a
stranger quite Il start"
at is no new sight to me; | once
had friend who suffered thus said
his visitor. Her eyes suddenly filled
with tears with unmiStakable emo
ton she exclaimed: so, Mr.. Brown, do !
yOu not realize | know of what | |
speak-yOur wife's days are short -
The man was silent, his face turned |
from her. Was he incredulous ? Sure |
ly thousand tokens must rise and cor
roborate her statement. 'All that You
can do for her is to make her life as
pleasant and easy rs possible ~
The man suddenly turned towards |
her. His face was blanched and strick-
en-. "Ilas she-has Patience been com |
plainin' p
''NOt word"
''No, no, she wouldn't" he groaned. |
''She's an angel, is my wife, and II
hadn't no idee it war so bad as that |
Poor girl! I'll make it as easy as |
can !"
Again, there was clatter and dust
along the highway; her guests had
gone in the mail wagon. But life in
the red house was never the same after |
that talk at noontime. Zenas had |
changed, so had Zenas junior, and
Obed there was girl to do the drudg- |
cry, and the amazed Patience often
ure" through the pleasant country, all !
the pleasanter for the kindly things he
now said to her.
Patience's face has a wonderful |
sweetness these days. No dread of
what is approaching is IN it. He who
''tcmpers the wind to the shOrn lamb"
has said, II will be with thee" and has |
changed her husbands harshneSs into |
protecting compassion. Often, as they |
ride together along that ancient high !
gOldcn-th highway of the King =
I [Congregationalist