Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-06-22

,ime-and the psor children had nothing
else 10 eat. Hungry Tom could have
devour,d his own shoes. Meek Jane.
before ,he lay down on the hard ye,
damp ground. asked jus, one question
"Do you think the beans -ill grow TO-
night. Tom ?
IL told yoa to say Husband" said
Tom; then added. sr.ciously. Eyes
Ma. I suppose they will"
Then Jane pa, the Child close TO h'r
cheek. and .lsfi the sleep Of the weary.
Good farmer Monon sni bis plump
wife. coming home from q visit to their
married daughter abou, dark nen, day.
l,, the old mare walk {. slowly IS she
pleased through the ~ooi.pa'h. They
had had tea and were In no hurry. Sud-
denly, amid., the sobbins OF the little
brook the old lady heard louder sob
bing still.
Peter" she said, there Is child cy.
ing"
"'ri,n', nothing ba, the wa'er. said
the old man. whose hearing VI. less
sharp than hi. wifes.
"i,. child." persisted the old lady.
III yo-. think ] see one sitting on the
fence. Stop the mare. Peter. Who i'
there.
"Me, ma'am-J.ne." said a little
,oiee. 1 heard q carriage and | thought
/, nigh, be t. doctor o, please. he's 50
sick.
"who [. ,iek. dear ," asked Mrs. Nor
ton.
MY husband"
Husband ? Peter isn,'t ,ha, ehild'"
"Ye., ma'am, said Jane. "but he's
sick. I don, know whA, ais him. He
.hiyered. and then he Vas hot. and he
seem. 90 very strange. And our farm
didn', come up-l mean the corn and the
bean.-and /, rained yesterday. and came
through the house and we,,ed u. all over.
o, please come and see wha, !. the mat.
ter with my husband"
"Iord. preserve u.s." cried the good
old lady ri, ,hs, child crazy. Come,
Peter, let. see whs, she means"
And the two good people followed Jane
TO the damp spo, where Tom. suddenly
.ni,,en With ssue. lay dsliriou'. half in
and half oa, Of hi. lesfy hut lie could
say nothing. and Jane. mindful OF the
warning he had given her over and over
again. would tell nothing Of the poor.
house, and only said they "had no par.
enu." and ,ha, she Was bis wife
"whsreyer they come from We mus,
take EN- home tonight" siid MIS-. Nor
ton. "Poor babe. You carry the boy.
Peter; I'll fetch the little "a"
Jane looked up thankfully into the old
lady. face. and said "wAii. please. TIL
gs, the Child"
"The child 20 cried Mrs. Morton.
Land sAkes J"
Then Jane dived into the hu, and jus,
brOush, forth her doll. With It's 'eorchsd
feature. and yellow robe; AZ ,ish, OF
which the old lady laughed so heartily
,hl, she had much ado TO ge, into the rig
again.
The children were comfortably housed
,hs, day. and the whole truth was coat
ed from them q, las, bu, no one bad the
hear, to return them TO the Poor.house.
Jan. stayed with Mrs. Morion 70 be
broash, up a, "help." aud Tom W. sp.
prniieed to = carpenter. The innocen,
it'll. family ". broken up and the
Child carefully treasured in lanes trunk
for soon she had . trunk OF her own
and elo,he. TO I'LL i,-ws only . me.
men,o Of the past.
So the year, slided on. Jane grew a
tall. slim girl; Tom big. brown young
man. There WAS no signs OF being
",own poor" lboa, either Of them. They
were wholesome, well.fed, brsh, young
people q. you would wish to see. but
one Saturday afternoon Jane. washing
the di.he. beside the kitchen window.
look ing up saw Tom gazing a. her, and
blu.hed q ro.y red-~hieh certainly Was
odd in q wife OF 50 many years standing.
Come to ask you to walk q little. II
you will" said Tom.
Jane promised to come . soon /. the
chores were done; and this important
ae, being duly accomplished. put on
her round hat and a clean white apron,
Joined Tom. and the two, saying very
little s,un,ered down into the woods and
along the wagon path to the edge OF the
li,,l. brook that with all the changes iha,
had come TO them sobbed and gursled
jus, as |, did long ago.
"Remember this place ,
And how. when We were town poor'
We ran away aud though, We were mar.
ried and had our house and farm. Jane
"Yes." More shyly than before.
"Its . long time ago. said Tom.
"Bu, thi, place doesn't alter much {;
seems jus, the same. You haven't sl.
tered either. Jane. You were very, very
sweet then
NoA nswer.
"Jsne." said Tom. Elm going 70 have
another little house. some bigger than
that We bull, ,hen-no, mueh-and .
little garden where our beans will grow.
VIII you run away with me again, Jane
and call me 'Husbsnd' for good !" III
try to make you more comfortable than
| did then, my dear"
There was hand laid softly on the
young girrs shoulder. and Tom looked
down into the blushing face. Suddenly
the tender eyes were lifted and their lips
met
"Land slkes I" exclaimed good Mrs.
Morton. wiping her eyes S she kissed
the girl, who had become ~ daughter
to her In her old age. LAND sakes
Going to be real man and wife aisei