The National tribune., 1885-06-04
them since I was school marin. Fancy Mrs

| nItft u sweeping courtesy anu went 10 the plduo
Was that the little woman who had worn
prints and n-bonnets so long? The fair hair
| was fashionaby dressed, aud bands of blue
| velvet looped the golden curls A dress Of
| blue silk, with softest lace trimmings and or
naments of pearls. had certainly made fine
| lady of Lima The piano was yielding its most
| bewitching tones to the skilled little fingers,
| and Johns bewilderment was complete when a
voice of exquisite sweetness, though not power
| ful. began to sing.
! Only one song, full of trlls and quavers, and
! then LIMA rushed from the piano into John 5
| arms.
John, darling" she said, "hold me fast.
| Don't let me slip from you!"
80, Lima" he groaned. u was not hit to
marry such 4 dainty bird! But loved you,
| little one"
And / love you, John; rough old John
Let me sing again. lam very happy to-day,
my husband
But no wonderful trlls filled the little room
| now. In clear, pure voice, full OF expression,
| Lima sang:
II Iknow that my Redeemer liveh'
| Every word foil like hot tears on poor John S
heart, until, as the last chord trembled upon
| the air, Lima turned to him, stretching out her
arms: 80 Take me in your arms, John!'
| He took her tenderly to the room she had
quilted so gaily and she replaced her finery by a
| white wrapper whose lace trimmings looked
| ike lltTN WORK TO his uiidCCuStOineu eyes.
"Are you tired love?" he asked with a great
spasm of terror Mt his heart, as he looked at
| the white, wasted face.
"Yes, very, very tired. but happy, John +"
and with little sigh of entire content. Lima
| nestled down against the warm heart whose
every throb she knew was all her own. The
white lids fell softly over the violet eyes, and
she slept peacefully as child.
| Softly as she rested, the faint pink flush
gathered on her fair cheek and smile crept over
| her lips. while John, bending over her, lifted
his heart in earnest prayer for the life that
made his own so bright.
Mrs. Reynolds was to experience her share of
astonishment during her holiday, and it COM
menced by the apparition of John the next day
in suit of handsome clothes that well became
| his manly figure. There was no foppery, but
| he looked a gentleman, though he made more
| than one grimace before he got, as he said,
"well shaken into store clothes"
| Can describe that week? What was new to
John was old, familiar ground to Lima. Central
| Park was not soon exhausted, and the little
guide grew stronger and roster every day in
Johns thoughtful care, that provided plenty
of pleasant excitement, but guarded against
| fatigue.
| 1t was early in the afternoon of a'sunny day,
when the train drew up at Scottfeld station,
| and John handed his wondering wife into a
neat little one-horse carriage waiting for them.
arc to have drive every afternoon. DIR. Grey
| son prescribed it,"
| Yhe house was where it had always been,
| but Lima rubbed her eyes and wondered if she
had been suddenly carried into fairy land.
| The dull little sittn ng- room had been papered.
| carpeted, curtained, and transformed into cozy
dining room. The stiff parlor was very bower
of beauty, with a fine piano, the dalntiest of
furniture, soft muslin curtains and a carpet
covered with boquets of exquisite flowers; the
| bedrooms were carpeted brightly, and rejoiced
| in cottage SETS and in the kitchen the most
| good -natured of stout German girls fairly shed
| tears when Lima addressed her in her own Ian
| guage.
But joint" she cried, "the Stanley farm ?"
"Is sold, dear. You were right; we will make
this home SO lovely the Stanley farm will
never cost me a sigh DR.. Greyson and his
wife took all the trouble here, and | have hired
two new hands, SO as to have little more
| leisure"
"But, John" the little wife said earnestly,
81 do not want you to think | am a fine lady,
a doll to wear fine Clothes and live in idleness.
want to be truly a helpmeet to YOU"
$50 you will be- Lima. God meant no one to
be a drone in the busy hive of the world. You
are not strong, but you will find plenty to keep
you busy in experimenting indoor arrange
ments and directing Gretchen. And i'll our
drives. love, we will see if we cannot find some
will be my thank offering for your life, my lit
tie wife,"
The neighborS stared and wondered. Com
ments upon Johns folly and improvdence fell
from many lips and old men, shaking their
heads, prophesied ruin for the Reynolds farm
But John was as much astonished as any of
them when after few years. he found the
farm yielding him larger income than ever
before.
81 do believe, Lima" he said one day, to 4
matronly little woman, who was dressing a
| growing baby "that your flower garden last
year was worth thousand dollars to me-"
"John!"
"You see it was to get you the information
about flowers that we first began to subscribe
to The Ayicultnrist; there found so many hints
that / began to think l knew nothing about
farming. One book after another crept into
the house, aud tho time / thought would be
wasted, taken from farm-work, was spent in
reading Now look at the labor-saving ma
chimes 1 have bought! Sec the new stock !!
My orchard is going to be the best in the coun-
try, too" - ,. =, ,,n, =. s q,
papers and magazines that first gave me the
idea of model poultry yard. What fun we
had, John. getting il started ~
"Yes, indeed. That New York trip was the
best investment l ever made, Lima. l saw so
many things there that l recognized as old
1fle1uS WHICH i Ulct tNeLt aga!n III pTiut-tllG
thrashing machine. the rotary harrow, the i'm
proved plow."
And said Mrs. Reynolds, mischevously,
"thc Milton watch, the sewing machine, the
cOrals for .Johnnie!"
"Come. are you ready for your driver"
AS soon as put on my hat and get the bas-
kct of things for Mrs. Goodwin"
1T beats Inc, john" said his uncle, one
| bright day, "wherey you find so much money for
tomfoolery, newfangled nonsense and falals for
Lima, and yet give so much in charity. |
thought you were crazy to buy the Stanley
| farm"
IL was once but 1 have something better now
| than the Stanley farm. / have learned how 10
| manage my antelope"
"What?"
| But to this day John has never explained that
riddle to his puzzled relative.-LadieS' Home
| Journal
| The Yosemite Stage Robbed.
| News has just reached San Francisco that
! the Yosemite stage which left Madeira Friday