Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-06-15

reading his large pant Testament
or watching the birds and looking
corleutedly off over The pleasant
deldS,
Tley had baIG work to get
hun indoors for his meals. The
idea Of sleeping outside, however,
hld not then occurred to him.
This was two years ago; the
next year, not content with sitting
uuder the trees, he built a sort Of
rude platform around them, j ist
beOw where the main braaches
joiued The franks, and made some
steps to lead up to if. Tnrn on
the last day of May, which was
unusually warm for the season,
in spite Of his daughters coaxing
aud Sc0lding, he insisted on drag
ing his bed aud bed ling u9 there.
\ single chair and his Testl nent
completed The furnishing
From that time on, not only did
he spend his days in the tree cham.
Der, but he actually slept there at
night. Nothing bnt asnart shower
could drive bin into the house.
What seemed strangc, no harm
cane to him fom the exposure.
lie did not Ct the terrible colds
ana rheumatism that Belinda had
feared; on the contrary, he seemed
to grow stronger ami happier every
day. Aud she found she could
accomplish tNlce as much work.
1t vas troe, as A6ner had said;
che was cut Of her way;" still, she
did not fee! quite easy about him.
seemed dreadful thing to
have her old tAth.r sleeping out
there alone IN the darkness Of the
night. s. she anxiOa,ly hoped that
he would not thlnk of gong this
year
Bat & few days after the record.
cd conversation. Belinda came
home from an errand to neigh.
boris house, to fad that The "M4y
moving" had taRenpiace. Abner,
gho had been a witness to the pro.
ce-diog, only said, carelessll;
"L.t him be. he's all righ'; uoth.
ing happened to hic; last year"
WHat flally reconclled Belinda
more than anything else was a re-.
mark herflther made in his ram
bling way, which gave her ne IN
sight into his feeling.
"Belinly, darter,' he said, "don't
her endmc. Everything is free
Oat Ofdo)rs, free and welcome. "
She knew then that he roaIiz ID
how grudgingIy he WAS housed and
fed. His withdrawal from the
house seemed but uatur3l instinct,
the protest of his self respect. Al
ter that she could not oppose him
farther. Sle allowed him tue most
perfect freedom to come aud go as
he liked.
God ii tlke care 0: him, as lie
does OF flhe birds and the rest of
His creatu e3,' she sil to herself,
trustfally.
One day A5uer came in very
much elatod.
Bylud5!7 he exclaimed, "what
should yon say TO an Cff3r of tour
thousand do lars fjr the Old place!
what kind of an offer is that, hey?'
ani he rnbbel his hAnGs in great
satisfaction
Il shOlII sly it was a b0nncin o
good offer, and You'll better take
H." said his wife.
He went on excitediy to tell bor
the particulars.
"Apd now, Abuer," she SAID
presently, in her coaxing way 81
do hope you'll try and feel little
more patient with grandpa. Jlst
think of all that money coming
to Us through bim!'
"The best of it is,' continued
Abner, who jnst now could think
Of nothing bat the money, "the
bes of it is, b Indy, it's going to
be paid downl S)all I've got to do
is to clap it into the bank, and let
it stay till after the crops are in.
Then ws'il begin the new house
right away-bayeit all done and
ready to move into by springw
"And when we get into the new
house, we're gong TO have Mary
aud the baby come home to live
with us, ain't weiYou know you've
PROMISED" reminded hls wife,
bent on taking in all possible an.