St. Landry democrat., 1883-06-16

/
Truth is no longer at the bottom of
well, said Miss Prue, with real
smile dimpling her face as she said
goodbye.
If Deacon. Bracket could have seen
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.
.sThem there Miller boys be enough
to drive you to glory, an no mistake"
declared Jane, a few weeks later. 81
wouldn't be their mother-no, not if
you'd give 'em to me.''
.'They're not mine to give y said Miss
Plue. ''What have they done now?"
"Done? They've gone and broke the
pea-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?''
ssMr. Miller, he's going to send them
to bed without their supper, and serve
'em right. Their mothers shirked all
the bother OF 'em, sure enough
without their supper-poo things!''
cried Miss Prue, s.Why, its only three
'elock of summers day. remem-
Der 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 do
me a favor if he will
s'Baste 'em soundly," PUTIN Jane.
sJane! how inhuman! He will do
me favor if he will let them off this
time
CHOW, Miss Prne, if you'd write it
yourself-sure' 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 overa perfumed note,
in his study, while his sermon lay for
gotten before him-dreaming of the first
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 been
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 their
A b C's; of moonlight nights on the
river together, and spring mornings in
the woods hunting the first wild flower;
of Sundays.w when they sang together in
the choir; of their stroll home through
I,
sand and one dear hours they had spent
in each others company passed before
his minds eye like some beautiful pano-
rama. He wondered if, indeed, he was
the hero of those dreams, if he had ever
been so happy. The first parting, the
first arrangement, Wrung his heart
anew. as if they had happened only
yesterday. What foolish thing their
little quarrel looked like to-day, seen by
the light of years and acknowledgement
a trifie, but with such large results.
Yet he had been the first to make an
overture toward reconciliation, thank
God! If she accepted his overture she
was to write and say so; but no word
had come to him in reply. What days
and hours of suspense lifted their shad-
ows before him; how the whole world
had seemed bleak and Improbable
without her! And in season of
weakness, when his wounded
heart could bear no more, he had
accepted the sympathy and comfort
nearest at hand, and had finally
married Lefty Carew, because she loved
him, only to wake up one day to find
that he owed all his unhappiness to her.
Miss Hildreth had, indeed, answered
him, had given Lefty the letter to mail
they had been intimate friends in
those days, intrusted with each Others
heart beats-and Lefty had detained
the nlissive that would have healed the
breach. How did he know this? Years
after it tumbled out of a drawer OF old
letters, and confronted him with its ia
miliar.. address. Miss Carew thought
she had secured herself for all time by
burning Prue's letter, but she had
tossed the wrong envelope into the
CRATE. Austin Miller had lived his sor-
row over again after this discovery; he
had walked with it and wrestled with it
without getting nearer happiness, and
had long ago made up his mind to do
without it. But he had thought it due
to Prudence Hildreth to, send her word
that by an accident her letter had come
to hand five years too late; he said moth
ing of Letty's share in the matter, but
Prudence understood all. These memo
ries had been revived by Prue's hasty
note asking him to forgive the children
for breaking up the pea-hen's nest!
Her children, too! He was at the point
of carrying the note to his lips, when
his eye fell upon his sermon, and he
threw it into the waste basket. He
looked at the clock; he had been idle
two whole hours. ssOf what was he
thinkingp" he asked himself; s'where
was he driftingp an anointed priest, the
example and counselor of sinners?"