The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-03-06

II ItA0 plofCth 1Stcbtu2 Ildu Tie
ordinary liking between schoolmates,
and she was to spend the summer ia
Groveland.
She was a gentle little thing, whose
shy bushes ut the most trivial word adj
dressed her by Mark ut first amused
him greatly. He tried to draw her ont,
and in doing SO, found, after a time,
that Alice, with her childish ways.
had brought peace and happiness into
the heart once SO nIfed with tine Image
of the lost Barbara.
From the first, Mark had seemed to
Alice all that was good and noble, so
his wooing was speedy one, and in a
twelvemonth after his introduction,
Everson Farm had gentle mistress.
Comfort and luxury Joined hands in
beautifying the quaint old homestead,
for the prosperous young farmer had
plenty of money. and s4Alice must have
pretty surroundings" he thought
tenderly, Ito make up for such COM
monplace workaday sort of husband. I"
It would not have done to say the
concluding clause aloud, however, for
he well knew that the little woman
would not have changed him for a
king; though he considered himself
sadly overrated in her mind, it was
very sweet TO have lt so.
Barbara had fallen completely out
of the Groveland world. The aunt
with whom she had lived died sudden
ly soon after her marriage, and all
trace of the village beauty seemed to
have vanished.
If Mark ever thought of her it was to
wonder at the poignancy of the old
sufferings- His welded happiness had
l.. l. "a L
ness. Alice. as a matron, had grown,
even more attractive than in her girl
hood. Care sat lightly on her white
forehead, and her soft pink cheeks
seemed made for dimples to play hide
and-seek in.
One evening Mark came home from
his weekly marketing expedition to the
neighboring town seemingly strange
" thoughtful and troubled. Alice
noticed it. and, after q time, said:
Has anything gone wrong with you
to-day, Mark?"
He looked up in surprise.
'tWhy, little wife? What put that
into your head?"
Il don't know, I'm sure; unless it is
that you seem so quiet and unlike your
self.a
Mark thought a moment, then he
said"
s'The truth is, Allie, am sorry and
panied, but not for myself. Did you
ever hear anyone speak of a girl who
was once the beauty of the village
Barbara Wildman."
Alice had heard the whole story
of Marks infatuation and disappoint-
ment, but she made no sign, though
her heart gave a great throb at hearing
the name from her husbands lips
s.Why. what Of her?" she asked
quietly.
Il saw her to-day, and it made nv
heart ache. She is the mere shadow oi
what she was. and she is alone and
friendless. Think of it, Barbars
Wildman looking for employment
Couldn't we find place for her. Allie:
She was notable worker in the old
| times, and could help in the butter and
cheese making
Alice would rather have died thar
| let Mark see the keen pain that his
words had caused her. The thought
of his first love domiciled in hel
housei 1t was like dart aimed al
her heart. But she was too noble not
to strive against the unworthy feeling,
and as soon as she could command hel
voice, she answered:
"Certainly, Mark. If it would please
you, bring her here. There is a1way:
room for an extra helper.
So it was arranged, Barbara came
a quiet reserved woman-still beauti
ful-but not with the winsome bright
ness of old. Suffering and sorrow haG
set its stamp upon her high broad fore
head, and the great bright eyes seemed
looking away into some unapproach
able distance. Her lips were smut 81
tightly together that the pretty poutins
| curves which Mark remembered 81
well had merged into straight red line:
suggesting an idea of firmness which
made her face too seyere-looking to bt
| attractive.
She went about her duties with 8
pre-occupied air, as though hel
thoughts were far away; but they were
faithfully performed. She made NJ
effort towards sociability.
Alice at first regarded her with {
mixture of feeling; but she soon grew
to feel only sorrowful pity for tn,
lonely unhappy woman moving abou
in her sombre black robes.
The Everson household was strange
ly happy one. Sometimes Marks
quick temper made him unreasonable
and exaeting, and hasty words would
escape his lips; but Alice had sweet
| loving ways of her own that he could
not resist. She would go up to him
and thread her fingers through his
curly brown hair, and put up her lips
for kiss; so what with some would
have ended in quarrel, invariably
made Mark feel that no one in the
wide world had such dear little wife
as his own cross surly self. as he
would mentally stigmatise himself.
Barbara, being constantly with then
was often an unthought-of-witness Of
these scenes, where a loving word
turned away wrath.
Once she disappeared suddenly, and
| when in a few moments, Alice had
need of her services, and went to hel
room to call her, she found her kneel
ing by the bedside, sobbing convul
sively.
Going to her, she put her tender
arms about her, and said gently:
ssTell me your trouble, Barbara
Perhaps it will make your heart lighter
to speak of ii"
The woman raised her head anG
looked wonderingly into the kind sym
pathetic face for moment.
At first she made no answer, bu
rocked herself to and fro, moaning tt
herself:
Il am unworthy, and God has pun
ished me-"
Alice caught the words. and sait
softly:
IF you have done wrong, and ar,
sorry for it, He who chastiseth the chill
dren He loveth will also forgive"
.'Can He bring the dead to lifeP" saiC
Barbara, suddenly looking at Alice
with eyes that seemed to read her yer,
soul.
1T is past the time of miracles; bu