The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-05
Her Faith-Cure.

The dav has been cold and fretful, but
Mrs. Ferris, sitting quietly by her fire.
side, gave only passing thought to the
cheerless weather. She had placed a
large lantern in the porch, which sent its
food of encouraging light no more than
couple of rods into the fog, as she WAS
won't 70 do every night of the year. This
light had guided many wayfarer along
the black, treacherous road, Just az the
beacon on Captains Island had kindly
served many storm-bound vessel off the
rocky coast
Mrs. Ferris was always throwing light
upon some ones pathway. She was 40
brave and tender-bearted, so unselfsh and
wisely observant, that suppose she could
not help doing good every day of her life.
Even when she established herself in her
little willow rockingham before the
glowing CRATE, after Betty, the colored
domestic, had removed the tea things, the
kind heart was not given to private specu-
latioDs or idle reveries. Tonight, how.
ever, her thoughts were evidently per-
sopal. For once she was thinking of
herself. Not of self alone, for Mrs. Fer
ris had son Ben, tall, stalwart, noble
fellow ESQ the neighbors described him),
and he was having a large share of her
thought tonight. The mother, whose
wealth of affection for her son was simply
measureless, was living over the pasta
pardonsble indulgence in one so lonely
and loving.
It seemed but few months since she
was left penniless widow, with three
little boys clingipg to her skirts. Two of
them went away in the early June after
their father died, and they never came
back to her except in dreams. Many
time had she and Ben put the simple
flowers of the field and forest upon their
tiny graves. She was thinking of these
frost-nipped lives as the silent tears fell
upon her needless hands. But she was
woman that could not brook dependence;
80 when the first autumn after her sorrow
came, she was toiling in the school-room
and sewing in the retirement of her attic
chamber. Weary struggles soften under
the subdued light of the long ago. 1t is
not strange, therefore. that Mrs. Ferris
lived those anxious, busy days over again
with somewhat of quiet satisfaction, for
she achieved merited success through
all the conflict, although at the expense
VI oiiuc, ucdluu, duu IcpOsc'
BY dint of ceaseless toll and prudent
management she had supported herself
and her child, and even laid aside re-
spectacle sum for the education of Ben.
When she thought of the determined ef-
forts which she put forth to send her boy
to college, how she skimped, and starved,
and saved how she worked early and
late; how she wore one bonnet four sea-
sons, and went without pair of black
kid gloves for five years,-when she
thought of all this her eyes fl ,shed, and
she gloried in her brave self.denial and
weafisome labor.
Ben went to college when he was seven
teen. He was obliged to be rightly eco.
nomical. He did not dress very we'll.
Life presented queer aspect to him some
of tho time, but he did not mind it so
much when he thought of his great
hearted, noble-spirited mother. He could
bear things for her sake that he would
not bear for his own. Ben was proud
fellow. 1t was in the blood. And when,
at the end of the freshman year, he came
home to his mother, bringing his first
prize, I doubt if there could be found two
happier people upon the face of the earth
than this widow and her manly son.
Ben's college work was triumphantly
into his own hands. CHOW, mother,'
says he, "you've served me twenty-one
years. Your times out. Well change
places. I'll serve you twenty-one years."
And the great, strong. healthy, handsome
son, in his precious young manhood, was
true to his word and purpose.
Those were bright days, when Ben
came down to the city every night, and
told his mother of his progress in the
study of law, and how he had as many
private pupils to instruct as he had hours
to give them.
But these three years pass swiftly. Mrs.
Ferris remembers the parting as though
it were yesterday. Ben started for the
West. The prospects were better for
him in one Of those earnest, busy, growing
cities. How anxiously the mother watched
for tidings Her face assumes plead
ing, expectant look even as she sits BY her
Preside tonight, long since the uncertain
days were lived. "Thank God" SAYS
the good woman. She speaks quite un-
consciously, and her voice startles her
from her revery. She "thanked God"
that Ben was established and prospecting,
and the words were the echo of words
spoken more than ten years ago. And
Ben did succeed in quite a phenomenal
way. His physique was greatly in his
favor, men of large frame, good flesh,
and strong nerve hold their less fortunate
brethren at disadvantage. Then Ben's
manners were frank, generous, progresses
ing. His scholarship went for less than
his native sagacity and politeness. But
his irresistible characteristics were vim,
push, vigor, energy, force. 1t was useless
to oppose the strong, aggressive person
atty of the man. OF course he succeeded.
And he never, in all his striving, for one
moment forgot his mother. She was the
idol of his heart. He did not want her
in the West with him. No, for the life
was unsuited to her. She could not thrive
in such an atmosphere. Wickedness was
too bold and shameless, vice too fragrant
and offensive, for one of her pure, devout
nature. So Ben made home for her in
the old town by the Sound.
How well she remembered the day when,
after four years absence in the West, her
boy came back to her Mrs. Ferris rises
from her chair and PAGES the floor in the
stress OF her nervous excitement. She is
oil tIol