Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-06-08

most of his fine tail-feathers in the pro-
cess of being run down by the Miller
brothers and their contemporaries, and
presented ragged appearance which
went to its owners heart. So he was
shut up in q temporary pen till he should
learn better ways; but Miss Prudence,
going to look after him one afternoon,
found the two Millers inside the pen,
chasing him about to display his plum
age, while their little sister stood out
side and clapped her hands, and crowd
of other children stood peeping between
the Stats.
"What are you doing, childrenp" she
cried.
"Oh, we've been reading about pea
safed the eldest Miller.
at seems to me that you need n
stick" said Miss Prue.
" Father don't approve of whipping"
chirruped the youngest; "do you, faith
erp"
And Miss Prue lifted her eyes and
met those of Rev. Austin Miller, which
wore startled, perplexed expression,
while the color palpitated across his
pale face.
"My children have annoyed you, The
said, with the hesitating tone which
begged to be gain-said.
"They have only annoyed the pea
cock" answered Miss Prue, dropping
her gaze, and flushing rosy red in her
turn.
81 came in search of these rogues,"
he went on. Bridget was sure they
were in some mischief-I did not ex-
pect to find you"
"No, of course not" said Miss Prue,
in voice studiously matter-of-fact
AZ have read somewhere" Rev. Mr..
Miller pursued, "that the only real
happiness which ever arrives to us,
springs up quite unexpectedly in our
path-it is not the result of search. /
dropped the thread of my sermon,
against my will, at critical point to
pick up these little folks. 1 have my
reward"
"You are very easily satisfied" re-
turned Miss Prue, in the same remote
voice. She was hardening her heart
| against the persuasive tones which had
once been like the music of the spheres
to her.
mo, l am not easily satisfied. /
have never been satisfied with myself
with some hasty actions of my own,
should say. Miss Prudence, you have
never forgiven mep" he spoke half
questioningly, as if he would fain be
contradicted.
81 never thought of it as anything
to forgive" she said, and her voice
melted and broke little in spite of
herself. "1t was so long ago." little
/ & IL, IL L
suppose that it signified. 81 see now
that fate or Providence was kinder to
us than believed don't think l was
intended for domestic life,n as her
eyes fell upon the three harum-scarum
children in their torn frocks and mis-
chief-the children who might have
been her own, but for their mother s
double-dealing.
Austin Miller smiled q little sadly as
his glance followed hers.
"They are torments to the neigh
bors, fear" he said; "but they are
all the comfort l have" holding hand
to them. "Come, children, make your
bow to Miss Hildreth, and tell her you
are sorry"
'But we are not bit sorry" said
little Amy. "The peacock is so beauti-
full, we are glad we coined. We mean
to do it again
"Truth is no longer at the bottom OF
WE'LL" said Miss Prue, with real
smile dimpling her face as she said
goodbye.
If Deacon Bracket could have seer
the manuscript of Mr. Miller's sermon
as he reflected in his study that evening
he would have supposed that the words
"Come again, dear Dream" scrawled
on the margin, referred beyond doubt
to the dream of Jacob when he saw the
angels of God ascending and descend
ing.
"Them there Miller boys be enough
to drive you to glory, an no mistake, u
declared Jane, a few weeks later. 81
wouldn't be their mother-no, not il
you'd give 'em to me-"
They're not mine to give" said Miss
Prue. "What have they done nowp'
"DoneP They've gone and broke the
pca-hen's eggs, to see the little pea
cocks, sure's you're alive. They ex
pected to find 'em full-fedged, long
tail and all. Amy's gone home crying
"And where are the boys?'
"Mr. Miller, he's going to send then
to bed without their supper, and serve
'em right. Their mothers shirked al
the bother of 'em, sure enough"
"Without their supper-poor things!'
o'clock of a summers day. 1 remem
ber when used to be sent to bed by
daylight when was little and naughty
and it always seemed to me horrible
injustice. Jane, run over to the par
sonage, and tell Mr.. Miller he will de
rue favor if he will"
"Baste 'em soundly," put in Jane.
"Janc! how inhuman! He will dc
me favor if he will let them off this
time"
"Now, Miss Prue, if you'd write il
yourself-sure's you live-excuse me
miss-but amt got the face to carry
that there message" And it so hap
pened that Rev. Austin Miller found
himself dreaming over perfumed note
in his study, while his sermon lay for
gotten before him-dreaming of the frs
note he had ever received from Miss
Prue, fifteen years or so ago, the words
of which started out from some hidden
corner of his brain where they had beer
sleeping unknown to him; dreaming Of
the dewy evenings in the rose-garden OF
the old parsonage where he studied Di
vinity and she taught the children theil
A b C's; of moonlight nights on the
river together, and spring mornings il
the woods hunting the first wild flower
of Sundays, when they sang together il
the choir; of their stroll home through
green, sweet-scented lanes. The thou
sand and one dear hours they had spen
in each others company passed befor,
his minds eye like some beautiful pano
rama. He wondered If, indeed, he was
the hero of those dreams, If he had evel
been SO happy. The first parting, thu
first estrangement, wrung his hear
anew, as if they had happened only
yesterday What foolish thing theil
little quarrel looked like to-day, seen b,