Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-11-26
WOODBURY.. n. j, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1891

trying to originate some new dissipation
-"let's make some candy You know.
mamma. we haven't made any On the
new stove yet, and maybe we can't do
that. Tn 50 tired Of not doing anything
nice-ain't your
'sYes, dear, I'm more tired than can
tell, and sudden tears dimmed her eyes.
Don't cry; OH don't cry. mammal
Please don't. really think, added the
wise little fellow that you need u little
more fun-don't your
II think d. You are wiser than
you know. my dear
"Then let's have some Inolasses candy II
Ruth laughed at the child's logic. She
needed ''fun therefore she needed mo
lasses candy Then she resolved that
the dear child who found his sunshine or
shade in her eyes should have his "fun,
though memories heavy and dark were
thronging upon her 50 they made
jolly supper The wonderful stove baked
the sweet potatoes to a turn; they made
no demand upon it to which it did not
respond
Then the lamp shone with unusual
brilliance; mamma had brushed her
pretty hair till the little sunny rings lay
all around the fair. white forehead. and
she had, just to please Ned, put on thu
pretty cardinal wrapper. and Ned de-
clared there wasn't a prettier lady in the
land.
Then came tile candy making and
corn popping Again the little stove
proved itself d success.
"How jolly it is. isn't it man1nag
cried the child
Every jolly, dear" said the brave lit
tie mother. remembering an evening ten
years agone, rs gay as heart could wish,
followed BY 4 day the darkest she had
ever known She had aever seen John
Sherman since tile hour when she had
sent away from her the strong arm and
the strong. trHe heart
But in spite Of the heartache, she told
over and over the stories she had told a
thousand times before, and sang the lit
tie songs Ned liked to hear, until, as the
clock struck, she said: "Do you know,
my dear that it is o'clock, and must
run down to Mrs Green's with her
dress. She couldn't keep Thanksgiving
without it; half her praises would be
left out if she could not sing them ia a
velvet gown.
"So You just sit right here in this
chair. will not be gone more than
twenty minutes; you can stay alone
that little bit Of awhile. can't your
1t was brave little voice that an
swered "Of course can It'll just think
about the farm and the horses think
I'LL have gray horses. anyway"
Ruth threw long black cloak over
her bright gown It covered up her
shabbiness. did this friendly wrap. when
from her work she had to run to market,
and now it covered her unwonted gay
attire. She had q passion for color; rich.
warm hues thrilled her like music She
said she felt like another woman when
dressed in the glowing, rich, warm
cardinal wrapper with its flowing folds
Always when Ned wished some indul-
gence which she felt obliged to deny him.
he would say. n know you'd say yes,
mamma, il you had on a pretty dress or
pretty ribbon at your throat"
AS she FASTENED down the street with
her bundle. III the face Of the keen No
yember wind she thought of aII her
broken dreams, Of tile weary years
passed by the side Of the man who made
every hour 4 torture. Of his wretched
life and more wretched death, Of the
one who, somewhere in tie world-in a
world widely different from her own
lived forgetful Of her
She thought Of the years to como
weary, lonely years she thought they
must be. yet she wanted to live them.
For the sake of the child she prayed to
live. She prayed, too, that her trials
might not make her hard or bitter
On the way home she stopped at the
grocer's and made various little addi-
tions to their prospective Thanksgiving
dinner The fresh air invigorated and
exhilarated her, and BY the time she
reached her own gate she raised CRATE
ful eyes to the stars that shone So bright
ly above her They are always there, +"
she said reyerently. however dark it
seems. God Is good His tender mer-
cies are over all his works, and what is
best for me lie will not withhold
She went up the walk saying softly to
herself that restful poem Of Burroughs:
The stars come nightly to the sky.
The dews fail on the thirsty lea;
Nor time nor space nor deep nor high,
Can keep my own away from me.
What matter II stand alones
| wait with JOY the coming years,
My heart shall reap where It has sown.
And gathered MP the fruit Of tears.
The room looked very pleasant to heI
as she opened the door-the bright light,
the brighter fire. and sweetest, fairest
sight Of all, her boy curled up in the
rocker fast asleep. He reused at her
coming She had just loosened the
heecy crimson cloud around her head
and unclasped the cloak. when there
came rap at the door Quick as d
fash came the thought There's some
thing wrong with the dress-a button to
move or a seam to take ID the hundredth
part Of an inch.
She opened the door No package was
thrust in her hands, TO small boy was
there with disagreeahle errand on his
lips Instead, tall man. bronzed and
bearded, stood without.
Come in, she said, in reply to his in
quiry if Mrs. Gray lived there.
In lie stepped, tail, strong and broad
shouldered; the room seemed smaller fol
his entrance. Even Ruth, who was a
tall woman. looked slight and girlish
beside him How lovely she looked ~
she stood waiting, wondering Tht
fresh wind had brought a beautiful celol
to her cheeks and blown the rings ot
sunny hair into chisming disarray
around her forehead The bright light
shone on the warm hued dress, and tile
man who stood gazing at her thought
that for many a year he had not seen *
4 fair a sight. 1t was only moment. but
I thought il not measured BY time. III
that instants space they both went bacl
to that night just ten years past-tht
saddest they had ever known, for it held
the secret Of all the pain the after yeari
brought.
You know me, Ruth he said, hold
4 ing out his hands to her Surely yoU
have not forgotten
''Not for a moment have forgotten.
she said, and then little Ned. who hat