The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-26

boy, who had before this shown his
kindly remembrance of the old farm
house where he used to come for sum-
mer frolics, brought no pang, with its
half-told tale of the difference between
life in Green's Corners and life in the
hurrying city. The meadow paths,
with their winged or creeping citizens,
were Farmer Fry's happy estate, and
the yellow-foored kitchen his inner
hearts home. 1t is for this reason that
most want his swift appreciation of
his wife's feeling to be felt and praised.
Had the coming of Nephew Joshua's
letter been toretold to him, he would
have expected Serena to read it cheer
fully, and talk over with him the best
way of sending their thanks for the in
vitation, and of telling how impossible
it was for either of then to leave the
farm. He knew now, from her half
excited manner, from the fact that she
had burned the letter as though it
brought subtle temptation to wrong,
perhaps from a stray sentence which
he had once read about the hidden de-
sires and discontents in the minds of
farmers wives, that the invitation had
come to Serena like a window opened
into another life, and that she had
faithfully tried and was still trying to
close it
There came with his thoughts no bit
terness or INDIGESTION. Serena must go
to New York. The farm and he could
put up without her for a week or more,
| he thought, If she had borne with them
for twenty-five years. So when he
spoke again, IL was, though after a
considerable pause, with the same
widespread, kindly smile:
IL hope you'll 20, S'rena; it'll do you
good, an you amt no cause to throw
away sech a chance u tvassg
Serena was astonished; she had ex-
pected her. husband to do just what
said he would have expected her to do,
had not love quickened his naturally
leisurely brain. She had said: Get
thee behind me, Satan!" and here was
Joshua serenely inviting that dignitary
forward again. The window was wide
open now, and could not be closed.
But Mrs. Frys mind and conscience
did not quickly settle themselves. Not
once or twice was the invitation almost
fully rejected by them during the next
few days, as their owner worked over
frying-pan or sewing-machine. or
talked with her many visitors. For
when it became noised abroad in
Green's Corner that Serena Fry, was
thinking of going to New York 10
spend the winter, gossip sometimes
had it; and sometimes. to live). her sit
ting-room became the scene of great
social activity, and Miss Lamson, the
dressmaker. who had been sewing at
Smithville, came home of her own ac-
| cord to fit out the traveller for her jour
ney.
So circumstances held the window
open-not Serena-and she let them
and Joshua and the neighbors decide
that she would go, rather than decide
it herself. 1t was Joshua who wrote
the letter to his nephew that she would
come, and who, with his own old hands,
did the great part of her packing. For
Serena, usually the readiest and most
skillful for work, now seemed dazed
and scarcely half happy at the pros
pect which had been opened before
her vs,s
In the pale gray and green light of
early morning they drove to the rail
road crossing Trains stopped at
Green's Corners only when an anti
quated man, who lived in a closet,
came out and frantically waved flag
at them. He came out now. and
leaned on the flag handle, while Ser
ena tried to look back at the farm
house.
Don't you be worried Serena" said
Joshua, cheerfully. ''Ill prosper all
right, unless get sick along of eatin'
all them pies and fixin's. You must
hev thought I'd hev a sight of com
pany Well, good-by; take good care
of yerselfy'-for the iiagman was wav-
ing for all he was worth, and although
Serena privately hoped that the diabol-
ical-looking engine would refuse to
stop, it stopped. In moment more
Joshua and the fiagman and the farm
house were as the cinders which were
| jerled past the car window by an I'M
seen hand.
So long was it since the wide world
of travel had shown glimpse of itself
to Mrs. Fry that the morning passed
swiftly, on account of the rapidly
changing scenes through which the
train fed along, and Serena was more
nearly like herself than she had been
since the invitation came. But noon
brought a dismal rain, which drizzled
down the windows and put the coun-
try in drab mourning, and discouraged
nearly every one, especially Serena.
Not thinking that she had changed her
place, she felt certain that it was rain
ing thus dismally at the Corners, and
that Joshua would have to look after
the cows in the chilly wetness, and re-
turn to an equally chilly kitchen and
stove. Presently the interchangeable news
agent, who had been all the morning
firing alternate caramel packages and
books at the passengers, threw a PAM
| phlet into Sereua's seat, and she idly
picked it up and began to read the ad-
refreshments on the cover AS she did
so. she let the book fall and gave a lit
tie cry of despair
1t was only an advertisement of some
patented rat destroyer which had met
| ha- lt,f he,