The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1894-02-01


cfuI words hBtl to De. 4 slight mos
escaped lie APs, b1t dreadtas fresh .
4 bute be choked back rising sob az
3, h8bblel away INTO thedArkness Of bis ow
q room.
; Hslf 81 haas Ister the little bousehol
gathered st 'Ae ia table Miss Wsdt
, tall and stately. pr,,iled With col
dignity. and opposite hefst Miss Haule
d With Aue EIsir. the dsugbter Of a uea
a ueightor.who bad len tha ehtti With th
Wade women for the afternoon. The par
sou took he seat, and reyerently bowIDl
i his bead moved hts lips 10 murmure'
prayer Of thanks lnstsu'ly bis daugb
Ter began chatter oi 81 yer ani chiDs
While 10 needless loud tones they bessl
to talk gayy Of some amusing tnhiog
suNI e. Ihis vas disciplinary mes,ur'
ia their eye,. We mu,t bfesk him OF tia
absurd habit. they said to each other iu
taking the matter OVER. Come, you We
mumbled long enough. cried Miss Har'
rlet. J be tnest Is getting cool,
Little Elsie eyed the old mao inruVely
dutug the opening Of the meal and hiset'
9 unessIly 10 her chair She was tImld
child. and Miss Wsdes ramsrk fingered
/ iu htr memory
! viii be hurt me nov? she whlsr cred to
/ Miss Harriet, after some minutes.
Why, You - r child does be frighten
you? You'd better take your plate and
come iit1 the kitchen, father ! don't
wonder the child Is frgl tened. fou are
reslly uucanuy tonight
So Parson Wade was banished to the
htcher, there to eat bis bread and drink
his weak tea alone, He loDged fora bit
OF me- Tor his supper aud little cream
and eu2pr for his tea. Once mouths be
fore he had made bold to reach for the
milk pitcher, but was stopped by the
word. Do you think We can Stlord to
provide You with luxurles -ycu who do
not earn clear tea even? After that be did
not offend in this way again, but tonight
be watched, with slmost a feeling OF envy,
the sleek, we'll fed cat as she Tapped her
brmming sauc Of creamy milk. Lucky
cat There wBs always enough food Tor
her.
% bis way up stairs while later Par
son Wade passed the psrior door and
paused moment to look 10. The fire
was burning cheerily in the CRATE, there
was a cushioned char before it, and on
the table by the big lighted lamp was
the eyeuiog paper. The old man hesitsI
ted. He was never allowed in that room
he knew, but the girls, be remem bered, |
had gone TO tlke Elsie home, several
blocks away.
That paper, he was sure, had a long re
port Of the conference held the day beio'e
in q neiQhboring city. Ihe temptation
was Irresistible. He Eat down in the easy
chair and began to read. This weary old
Christian veteran, his years OF active SER
vice ended, yearned for news Of the thousI
,nds of sol liers IN the thick Of the fight,
and rarely did paper or magazine enter
Die hands. That the work be so loved
vas still going on he felt sure; but in bis
narrow, crampei life he Ionged for de,
allied tidings Of the progress OF the
,hurcb.
With gllslening eye, be read, forgetting I
Iis own sorrows. Half an hour had passed
ghn a hand drew the paper from bis
rasp and bis eldest daughters cold voice
aid:
Yol forget that this ls not intended for ,
our use. Miss Wade was never 30 aEusl
We 10 her language as her hot tempered
lister, but her icy, s.rcsstic words were
ften quite as cutting. But tonight her
lther scarcely heard the words, He rose
lechauicaIly aud with feeble steps
Iimbed the stairs to his chamber. There
} the bare, desolate room, with its blt OF
,ied carpet and irs scsnty furnishings,
but out from the CHEEKY little psrlor with
= fire, plalo books and cushioned chairs,
be old man spent the long evening IL
resry loneliness. .
There he toIed over his spirltless ser n
.ou, tying out OF bis mesgre, barren life i,
} hud something that might bring col I
aud comfort to Fome strug' 4
Ing soul When he oil Page ont IN the h
tie lamp and the light grew dim, be
oad close bis books with a sigh and h
atb,r hls papers together, aud often 6 m
Ie sound OF music and laughter Hoated {,
pward from the ptrlor b, low, the lonely a,
d man ou Li- knees, spent the remainder a,
the evening, and Indeed much OF the f.
gbt, IL agouIz.d pleading lor release, n,
: help. Tonight his only wish his one h,
ea, was for death; and with tears lplliDg 9,
ON bis eyes he begged pite1usIy that bis h,
ther 10 heaven would take bIm to him. 81
IT, II
t1lttEg BbHEftt btDukbb UNCONSCIOUS 90
ss, and with the mcroing came new dt
sir. to live, IT csme-for 20 curously
,es the rival miDgls with the tragic il
is checkered lie Of ours from an inYi'
ton cut to tesl The Invitation came =
in Widow BIckford, one Of bis PARISH, -.
ners, rich and cLljlets, aud ss full OF -,
bins snd oddities as 8 Oman can pos
bly, be- Doubtless she Lsd summoned -
N TO say hls dismissal vac rtchly de
-yed, reflected the psrsgn, int at slI =. ".
ems be 81 ouId Ct toJd supper aud
G widows squssh pies we're iano1s
AT, ruoJH came aud PaBou " sde y,
q. he'd his thread bear 9th ~ tiled aud
tied his rusty aeckte with stiI eager
gers. and smoo'bed lIs thin locks silb 80
loi,e psils He sas trembling sll over
tA delight, tlIs foolish old mao. for it
ls many a~esry moath eiu,e any one