The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-05-08

disapproye weary ia body sna sick OF
, hessi, Mrs B.il sat down by the wiudo~
10 rest Bitter thoughts would come Ia
spite of her longing 10 be content Bitter
! t,sis weuld start Al she rmtn.bttes
the long. ! ,hspkless, drudsing YEAR,
through which she had 'toilci with au
recompcnse" 10 make Josiah Bell rich
man. She looked out upon the hills.
watching THE dnkeniug shadows creep SLOW
~ towards their SUBMITS, aud thought OF
her young life. aud OF the bright, happy
youth that had been hers. She couldn't
help tbiukips hos its light bad been ex
tinguished Just as relentlessly aud the
darkness was quenehing the last bit Of tue
DAYS suushine
She thought. too, OF John. her precious
boy sud how bis Young sensitive soul was
going to be forcsd TO grapple with work
for which he had no heart. just because
Josiah Bell his father -her husband. was
iytant and would have his own way; Just
because money was his God sud be
demanded that his God should be wor.
shipped.
Tue thought would come lit was wick
ed one What il Josiah Bell should diey
Then these broad acres would be Johns
and hers to DO With as they pleased How
different every thing could bel They could
have their way then, and there'd be no
more drudgery for her and John. Alb
John. her John, the dear beautiful soul
--
Just then the first stroke of the tolline
bell fell upon her ear 1t reused her to
l.fe--to herself
What is IL? Who is dead2 Who is the
bell tolling ior2 Can it be that Josiah
I've just been wishing it-Ob, my God |
can it be that Jcsish is deadt
She never thought OF neighbor Green.
She remembered that she last saw her bns
band more than an hour ago. going down
the garden path Had he come in? lfso,
where was hep
She few to his room Perhaps he had
gone to bed He often did so earlier than
this. He was not there She ran to the
porch, then TO the stable. then up stairs
aud down, calling all the while yet hear
ing no return, only the echo OF her own
frightened voice,
Then down the garden path she fed nor
stopped a moment. until, nearing the rus
set apple tree, she beard a voice voice
10 prayer; aud there, upon his knees =
could she believe her eyesY she saw Jo
siah. her husband. Gould it be tossible2
Josiah b III whose will bad never yielded
either to the love of wife or children, Civ
en up to God2
She knelt upon the grass; but Josiah
heard not the rustic o her garments, for
his soul was upliited IN the first rapture OF
divine love. The bell tolled on. stroke az.
ter stroke. with solemn, measured sound.
but each stroke for her was like the music
OF the heavenly hosts when the plains nf !,
Bethlehem resounded with the news OF the
Saviour's birth.
Are We there. Mary?
A voice mot Josiah's OF the morning,
yesterday. or OF the long, hard, weary,
grasping. grudeing years Of her married
life - but the voice OF the lover who had
wooed and won her young heart and /
life. 4
Yes. Josiah, she answered softly. The |
tolling OF the bell frightened me. You n
were gone so long, was afraid--it might /
be--be tolling -for-you. She ans
wered half apologetically and quite tim
idly. as bad been her wont TO address, =
him. n
1t was, Mary; it was tolling for old j. =
slab Bell "a mean miserable, old tyrant
as hasn't been with yer worryin' fer, an
yer lovin'. Mebby ye havn't any objec
ton ter bavin' new husband one that's /,
goin ter live fer ye an John an the rest
on 'em accordin' ter the contract I've made =
with the Lord. II ye baint sorry fer it.
wen have a new weddiu', an the Deacon =
here shall tie the knot !;
Here, Mary. give me yer right han, an
may the Lord hold me clus ter my bar
ysin
With bowed heads, aud hands tenderly
,lasped, the old couple stood while the u
deacon leaned across the top rail OF toe u
garden fence. the tears streaming down bi. d
,heeks: be invoked the blessing OF the Il
Father upon the waiting pair and the "
iew life upon which they weresbout to Y
inter. b
The bridegroom lips touched rsverent. 81
y the fair, though wrinkled forehead OF
he bride. and. rs they walked band.in. X
iand up the garden path the holy stars
ooked down upon the new aud the true
'eddiog,