St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-03
LOVE IN A CABIN.
.h;s is home "

IcQn
u's Sas had she Travelled across the
p" nt;rent to reach the home her
senahand had prepared for her, and
t tbs is what she found:
'"s' lonely ranch among the foothills
:, southern California, with a plain
io ~ cabin for a home. Not a vestige
~ 10 liant or flower around it, hills
Stretching brown and bare under the
SLv SIM and not shade tree in
e Zone might know there never had
heen woman near this place" said
Nth her eyes slowly filling with
~ ,sars 1t seemed so comfortless and
b "r after leaving her mothers old
%shioned farmhouse in Maine, full
TO TO, oyerAowing with inviting, COM
Mrtable things, and surrounded
with flower gardens and orchards,
and where every nook and corner
en- the deft hands of a woman.
She eo felt her very heart sinking with
IN her.
Then, seeing the eyes of her
husband fixed upon her, she forced
back the tears. -.
Had she not said, like Ruth Of old,
whittier thou goest will go, and
whittier thou lodgest will lodge"
Would any place, no matter how
mll Of comfort it might be, ever be
home without him? Had she and her
baby Ruth not wept tears OF JOY
when the letter came telling them
that papa was coming from Cali
fornia to take them homer And had
not every foot of the way been a Joy
TO think he was once more with
them and that they were to have a
home
She stroked the hand of her
husband who held their little Ruthie
in his arms, smiling through her
tears. -.
81 know, dear, it is a new country, I"
she said cheerfully, land you have
done the best you could
1t was the true wifely spirit, and
in his heart he blessed the true
woman who said it.
"All the ranches look kind of desc
late," he said, where there's no one
but men about, but now we've got
little woman here things will soon
be looking different"
Inside Of the house she found every
thing neat at least, and that was a
great comfort to her, and if the
parlor was barren looking with no
carpet upon it the kitchen was full OF
contrivances which women like, and
she knew that John had thought OF
them for her.
After supper they sat down on the
little porch in front of the cabin to
talk of plans for future work. 1t
was Just at sunset, and as Ruth sat
placidly looking at the view in front
Of her, which, after all, was a fine
one, taking in a glimpse OF the blue
Pacific and a background of purple
mountains, she began to lose the I'M
dertone of homesickness which had
so married her Homecoming. She
thought how beautiful home might
pally be under the shadow of the
fitted pines, and she resolved, with
ohns help, she would make hers one
TO be proud of. AS if in answer to
her thought, ohm went into the
house and returned in a moment
laden with two parcels, which he
dropped into her lap.
There, Ruth" he said, "You
can't guess what these are, can
YOU"
81 am afraid not" Ruth said, eye
ing the mysterious looking packages
wonderingly.
well, you know the house isn't
very beautiful yet said John, his
good face fairly shining with the
little secret he had in store for her.
But l guess you'll find something
in each of these parcels that will help
you beautify it.
What could he mean? Ruth took
up the lighter but larger one first.
To her surprise it was full of garden
seeds, small packages Of every kind,
almost, she could think of.
We'll, how lovely" she said.
Now we shall raise all the vege-
tables we need, and our garden will
rival dear mothers at home
Yes" John replied, land go ahead
oft for California beats the world
for flowers, and your garden will be
Just as lovely in winter asin summer.
There are twenty varieties of roses
alone among that collection OF
seeds"
Isn't it wonderful to think of?'
cried Ruth, as delighted as a child
over her treasures. "And what can
be in here ?" she continued as she
opened the second parcel. Wonders
will never cease" she exclaimed the
next moment as he poured whole
bag of silver into her lap. "And
what is this for"
"To buy your parlor furniture, "
he replied, laughing at her amaze
ment.
Honest ?" She looked at him,
her brown eyes sparkling.
1T is for Mrs. Delano to do as she
pleases,' he said. II have saved the
4 ~ 1. l. RI