Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-10
GaIes amo Skftrbes.
DoRA's TRIAL.
Continued fiom yesterday

Continued from yesterday
Till her love went away Dora had never
cared to ask herself whether she were a
child or woman. Sunshine had been
plenty with her. and she had easily sugar
ed and gilded the plain things that farm
life afforded to her.
Before the first year came to an end-she
felt that she should soon arrive at a
patriarchial age if she did not do some
thing to kill the time which died so hard
on her hands.
Teach school guess not." said her
father when she preached her plan to him.
"You amt starving yet and if you want
some new furbelows, just say so. and no
come in slantin' ways like that"
IL don't want anything. father; but
there is so little for Inc TO do at home.
Nonsense In my time, was always
full Of business. Can't You make sheets
and pillows cases and get ready to be
married? Who knows but somebody'll
ask ye one of these days ?"
I'D rather take a school,"
WAL, wal. folks can't always have
their FATHERS in this world. | amt willin'
and that's the end ont"
But this was not the end ont, and Dora
a governing talent which charmed the
committee men, and the congenial labor
in the company of little children took her
ont of herself and infused new life into
her life deferred
Every week she walked up to the post
office. three miles away, to ask tor let
ter, going in with bright flush on either
cheek, and coming out pale and dull-eyed
after the stab of disappointment. | won
der that people in the country are so anx
ious to be post masters; if they only
knew it, they are actors in more tragedies
than any member of theatrical stock
company. Much sealed happiness passes
through their hands; but they have to re-
fuse MANY Mariana in the Moated
Grange''-weary women who reach
hand out of their dull lives and draw il
back empty.
1t was far into the second year before
Joe's first letter came. 1t was surely
fancful and foolish thing for school mis-
tress to do, but Dora carried it to her own
little room and put on the red dress be-
fore she read Joe's letter.
Joe was working in the mines in Colo
RADIO. His luck bad not yet come in mug
gets at least, but hard work and sober
living slowly giving 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,
ard she set Colorado" for a copy so often
to her scholars that they will write that
word better than any other.
Letters came oftener as years drew on ;
sometimes Joe was up in the world, some
h., naraf,,l1x, hao lnl
gold was stolen from him. and he had to
begin all over again but this was nothing
to a long illness. in which a friend wrote
to Dora as soon as Joe was out of danger
Then she envied the doves their wings
New Years day" was the hardest of
all to bear She could not help a strong
pressure of excitement when she put on
the red dress. which grew more and more
old fashioned, and watched the sun 90
down on the road which Joe must travel
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 encouragement so gen.
tly that they had scarcely known whether
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 mo" tor their answer.
Dora could give no reason for repeated
reiusals to marry, only she loved no one
well enough-a reason which would be all
sufficient if parents remained Immortality
young, but it loses it weight after sixty.
As the seventh year drew to close,
Dora's heart beat light within her. Joe
had mentioned seven years, as if he meant
to come home then, at any rate. She wore
out the first day of the ''glad New Year"
with busy care till late in the afternoon
when an old man spent with much walk
ing stopped to rest himself in the farm
house kitchen. Prudence bestirred her
self to give him hearty luncheon. and
when he was warm and fed, he began to
talk of his travels. He had been to seek
his fortune all over the West, and never
mentioned Colorado and Denver. and
when Dora found herself alone for mo-
ment she said:
did you ever see Joseph Raymond in
DenverP'
ooS ihohu. Nhs NSs huc" uiIf
lived with him nigh onto month. His
wife was n real good cook; couldn't be
beat nowheres in them parts"
You say he was married9'
ITO 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 his way all unconscious of the
great stone he had cast into the still
waters of Dora's heart.
What's 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 lite, down the
frozen orchard path, bv which she could
gain upon and overtake this terrible old
man. She might have said. with "holy
| HERBERT
Ny thoughts all a case of knives,
Wounding my heart
With scattered smart
only misery must have time to crystalize
into memory before 1t takes the form OF
l.