The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-05-12
A PRosAIc PSALM.
ALBANY Journal.l

~ over fertile neluS, whispering 10 Tue IuIal
early-riser of glorious ''iBy weather" Here
and there through the green lanes strobe a
laborer to his task, and across the meadow
came the lowing of kline and the, tinkling Of
bells
Millicent Redburn paused at the stile, bal
anced the shining milk pail on her head and
stood contemplating the distant mountain
peaks wrapped in misty robes of purple roy
atty.
"The sun will soon dissolve it ALL" she
said, letting her bonnet of blue cambria fall
carelessly over the wall into the clover, as
the rose-color shot athwart the illy-defiued
crests The brisk breeze whirled the mists
into fantastic shapes. swept down the noun
golden and amber pillows; then it dallied
along the wall, rocked the cradle of family
of young orioles, and disturbed the equiib
rum of the pail on the dark tresses.
"Pshawl I'm all out of patience thinking
Of it." The nimble fingers went up to the
rescue of the pail, and the reyerie was
broken. Millicent stepped 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 milkmaid.
merry tune, cheerily whistled, came
floating meadow-ward over the wheat, and
presently glimpses of a straw hat and gleam-
ing scythe edged along the hedgerow divid-
ing the yellow acres from the corn beyond.
"Humph!" And the milkmaid tossed her
head SO theoretically that old Daisy turned
very inquiring eyes on her mistress, and iu-
nocently wondered what had gone wrong.
The owner of the hat and the scythe came
to the style and peeped over the wall.
Beholding a blue bonnet prone in the clover,
he looked across instinctiyely toward the
ridge, and saw the bare-headed possessor
thereof. snkle-deep in ferns, coming toward
him.
The vision pleased him exceedingly, and
he put down the scythe with smile, and
waited for her.
"Its yon's, is it?' she questioned, rather
ungraciously for salutation. 81 thought
you were ON your way to college, Harry
Holmes."i
The handsome face of young Holmes
flushed slightly in painful embarrassment,
but Millicent, pretending not to see, busted
herself In rescuing the bonnet from the
0Cpbuo NHClC ~ HuQ AdhiCbt anu doJuobih6 ~
on her head.
81 will 60 next week." he said quietly.
"0hp The face beneath the blue cambria
now flushed in turn. but the eyes, fixed
steadily ON bit of moss at her feet, told no
tales.
81 am sorry that you feel so about it, Mil
lie, but believe l ought to go back to Ando-
ver."
"And leave your parents to struggle along
In solitary poverty, saving and economizing
on every hand to pay your expenses? II
you were not their all, and If they were not
In debt, 1t would be proper enough for all
know"
"Oh. yes; i'll cannot help the poverty"
Neither can l." And she left him alb
ruptly. He looked after her until she had
threaded the winding orchard path and dis
appeared among the trees. Then look of
pain crossed his earnest face, and he took
up the scythe mechanically. This was not
the first time that bright, Industrious Mile
had opposed his going back to college on
these grounds, but she had never seemed
quite so out of patience as now. To be sure
1t was as she had said-poyerty and debt,
and he the only staff of their declining years.
He 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 the mortgage
but he wanted to go to Andover.
Millicent listened in vain, while clipping
the flowers in the garden for the dinner
table, for the usual merry whistle from the
clover lot below, but the mower, with COM
pressed lips, worked prosaically away.
. ta1 10 hat 40 b.,o IL
great lump in his throat and said, with an
effort: II am not going back to Andoyer;
there is so much to 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 a
moment, and then went around the table and
pressed a 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 greater sacrifices bring the
more abundant rewards" Then she went
back to the tea-urn, and taking up the blue
china cup, filled it with the fragrant bever-
age. and passed it to Harry as If nothing un-
usual had happened.
brushed his hand across his eyes a time or
two, and said, finally: "We are very CRATE
fu!, my son, and appreciate your decision.
1t is good to have finished education, but it
is better to comfort your parents in their
feeble old days"
yes" answered Harry, ''and it is my
duty" He bore up brayely, but the frugal
meal choked him and 1t seemed as II every
thing worth striving for had suddenly
slipped from his grasp, despite his brave
resolution to act the part of dutiful son.
"Its the work of Millie Redburn, I'll war
rant" said Mrs. Holmes to her husband,
after Harry had gone back to the moving.
Harry thinks her opinions are next to law
and gospel, you know"
Little brown-haired Mile was enthroned
queen. of his heart long since, and it was true
that he had altered his exultant plans of yes
terday all because her words had rung in
his unwilling ears all the morning.
at will please Them" he had said, nod
ding to the thrushes in the hedge with
forced smile. "all three of them" But only
the vision of one of the three beamed over
his dark day with happy effulgence, and his
heart beat sweet Interpretation thereof.
young Holmes has given up his fine no.
tions bout college, and has gone to work in
earnest on the place; and they say that the
old folks never seemed so cheerful as now.
Unjust have been mighty sacrifice for the
youngster, though, for his whole soul was
given to books. And IFS dreadful pity he
couldn't have gone on with his eddycstion.
You see such checks as that on young fell
low makes him reckless"
Old Philip West turned away from the
door of the Redburn cottage after having de-
livered this piece Of news, and snambled off
towards the adjoining field to see if the
wheat was ready for the sickle.
Millicent 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. Perhaps
i have been to importunate. / am sorry"
Across there, in the soft, sleepy air Of the
valley, lay the pleasant Holmes farm, the
quaint old house just peeping through the
foliage of the stately poplars. This side,
the pale green of the oatfield lay glinting in