The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-28
A PROsAIC Psalm.

stole softly over fertile fields, whisper
ing to the rural early riser of glOTiou,
hay weather. Here and there through
the green lanes strobe laborer to IN;
task, and across the meadow came the
lowing of the kline and the tinkling Of
bells.
Millicent Redburn paused at the stile
balanced the shining milk pail on her
head, and stood contemplating the dis
tant mountain peaks wrapped IN misty
robes Of purple royalty.
The sun will soon dissolve 1t all, she
said, letting her bonnet of blue cambria
fall carelessly over the wall into the clio
yer, as the rose color shot alhwarU the
lily defined crests. Tho brisk hregz=
whirled the mists into f0ntastic shapes,
swept down the mountains and tossed
the ripenlng wheat into golden and am'
Der pillows; then il dalhed along the
wall, rocked the cradle Of a family OF
young orioles. and disturbed the eguilib
rum of the pail on the dark tresses.
Pshaw I'm all out of patience think
ing of it. Tho nimble fingers went up to
the rescue Of the pail, and the revere
was broked, Milhcent steppeI over the
stile with an air of disgust, went slowly
along the path through the clover, up to
the ridge where old Daisy was waiting
under the oaks for the tardy miikmaId
A merry tune, cherrily whistied, came
floating meadow-ward over the wheat,
and presently glimpses of a straw hat
and cleaning scythe edged along the
hedgerow dividing the yellow acres from
the corn beyond.
Humph And the milkmaid tossed
her head so energesically that old Daisy
turned very inquiring eyes on her mis-.
tress, and innoCently wondered what
had gone wrong,
The owner of the hat and sCythe came
to the stile and peeped oyer the wall.
Beholding blue bonnet prone in the
clover, he looked across instinCtively to-
ward the ridge, and saw the bareheaded
possessor thereof. ankle deep in ferns,
coming toward him.
The vision pleased him exceedingly,
and he put down the scythe with smile
and waited for her.
It's you, is it she questioned, rather
ungraciously for salutation. | thought
you were on your way to college, Harry
Holmes.
The handsome face of young Holmes
flushed slightly in painful embarrass-
ment, but Millicent, pretending not to
see, busted herself in rescuing the bon
net from the depths il had fallen, and
adjusting it on her head.
will go next week, he said quietly.
OH The face beneath the blue cam
brio now flushed in turn but the eyes
fixed steadily on a bit of moss at her
feet, told no tales.
am sorry that you feel so about it,
Milly, but believe | ought TO 20 back
to Andover,
And leave your parents to struggle
along in solitary poverty, saving and
economizing on every hand to pay your
expenses2 If you were not their all,aDd
if they were not IN debt, il would be
proper enough for all l know.
On, yes; i'll cannot help the pow
erty,
Neither can l. And she left him
abruptly.
He looked after her until she had
threaded the winding path and disap-
peared among the trees. Then look of
pain crossed his. earnest face, and he
took up the scythe mechanically. This
was not the first time thai bright, indus
trious Mile had opposed his going back
to college on these grounds, bat she lad
now, To be sure it was as she had said
poverty and debt, and he the only
staff of their declining years. lie knew,
too, that his mother did not wish him to
go; and also that his father looked to
him to free the old home from tho mort.
gsge-but he wanted to go to AudOvgr.
MIllicent listened in yam, while clip
ping the flowers in the garden for the
10 Ia In
from the clover lot below but the now
er, with compressed lips, worked prosai-
cally away.
At the dinner table that day he swal-
lowed great lump in his throat and
said with an effort: am not going back
TO Andover; there IS so much 10 be done
on the farm, and you can but lily spare
me at best.
The gray haired mother, whose secret
prayer of the summer found an answer
in Harry's words, put down the blue
china cup hastily, looked across at her
husband for moment, and then went
around the table aud pressed fond kiss
on the brow Of her son.
Your sacrifice is very great, dear, she
said, placing her hand in benediCtiOn on
his head; but often great sacrifices bring
the abundant reward,
Then she went back to the tea urn and
taking up the blue China cup, filed it
with the fragrant beverage, and passed
it to Harry as if nothing unusual had
happened.
Good old Mr.. Holmes winkcd very
hard, brushed lis hand across his eyes Il
time or two, and said finally We are
very grateful, my son, and app rcCiite
your decision. 1t is good to have fin
ished education, but it is better to Com-
fort your parents in their feeble old
days.
Yes, answered Harry, and 1t is my
duty.
He bore up bravely. but the frugal
meal choked him aud it seemed rs if .
everything worth striving for suddenly .
slipped from his grasp, despite the brave
resolution to act the part Of a dutiiUl .
son.
It's the work of Mile Redburn, Ill
warrant, said Mrs. Holmes to her hus-
band, after Harry had gone back to the
moving, Harry thinks her opinions are .
next to law and gospel you know.
Little brown haired Alillie was en-
thrOned queen of his heart long since,
and it was true that he had altered his .
exultant plans of yesterday all because
of her words had rung in his unwill-
ing ears all the morning.
1t will please them, he said nodding
to the thrushes in the hedge with a
forced smile, all three of them. But
only the vision of one Of three beamed
over his dark day with happy eifulgeuce
and his heart beat sweet Interpretation
thereof.
Young Holmes has given up his fine
notions bout college, and has gone 10
work in earnest on the place; and they
say that the old folk never seemed so
cheerful as now. 1t must have been a
mighty sacrifice for the youngster,
though, for his whole soul WAS given to
books. And it's a dreadful pity he
couldn't have gone on with his gddyCa-
ton. You see such checks as hat on a
young follow makes him reckless.
Old Philip West turned away from The
door Of the Redburn cottage after hay
ing delivered this piece Of news, and I.
shambled off towards the adjoining field
to see If the wheat was ready for the
sickle.
Milicent leaned over the window ledge
and looked very grave. This was new
phase OF the subject. Apt TO make him
reckless, she repeated to herself. Per
haps have been too importunate. l am
sorry. /.
Across there in the soft sleepy air of
the valley, lay the pleasant Holmes farm
the quaint old house just peeping thrU'
the foliage Of the stately poplars. This
side, the pale green OF the Oatiield lay
pIintinQ in the sun And nearer still the 1