Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-04-18

Paxton replied UnoC ne ma en-
countered snowstorms wherever h
had been.
(which way did you Gomez
From Denver. Chicago. Philadel
phia and New York"
''Shoi rolling stun. l guess
WAL. you must trust to the sile, my
boy. There's only mother and ms
to keep, and we can't last long"
Haven't you had any letters from
me lately?"
.'Sartin. One q week afore Christ.
mas. The roads been SO rugged
sence I've not gone to the Office. Bad
news comes fast enough without
springing stock to fetch it."
"And Bessie, hasn't shef"
''Oh, allus git Abrams mail.
Saves doubling up"
Paxton pulled more vigorously on
his cigar. Well he remembered the
letter which had been received, a let
ter written in dependency and
burdened with gloom. Somehow II
seemed natural that this alone should
have come. and he blamed "these
people" for it, for they always felt as
he had felt in his first days at the
mining camp before lie had CHANGED
to befriend the drunken Swede and
thus gain that magic information.
Oh, of course they had received it,
and known its contents before they
read them, and then and there had
determined the failure OF his mission
Who so skeptical OF ones ability as
ones own? Since, therefore, they
were so content let them so remain
for the present. He would not care
to attend church on the morrow, and
If he told them now they would bear
the tidings to Bessie, and he pre-
ferred to reserve that pleasure for
himself. After all, she was vastly
different. How her dear eyes would
sparkle and her little hands clap to-
gether! So Paxton reflected and re-
NJ aimed silent, and his father found
absorption in the guidance Of horses
that child might drive, and the
conduct of each was proof to the
other.
There's mother" said the farmer,
as they drew up before the old home
stead and the hired man slouched to
the horses.
Paxton waved o response to the
welcoming apron, and then went to
the rear Of the wagon to lift out his
satchel. He did not see the express
sive chances between the aged cou-
pie nor the warning shake OF his
fathers head.
My poor. dear child" cried his
as she embodied him in her
arms. All. routine and environments
could not stifle maternity, but how
sad, how subdued she straightway
became as If ashamed Of a natural
emotion! The evening dragged until
the cracking Of the hickory logs and
the sing of the kettle became a dirge
of despair, and the great mahogany
clock with the somber harvesters on
its face licked out, "Such is life
Such is life" until Paxton sought
diversion in Young's Nights
but in vain. His father,
with family bible and concordance,
was plodding through the Sunday
school lesson. His mother was busy,
so it seemed, with the Identical
which had engrossed her
leisure during his boyhood. They
both were silent, and both were visit
full, but Paxton noted only the for
mer attribute.
IL think / shall go to bed" at
length he said.
Paxton. won't you remain for
family Worship"
Excuse me, tonight, mother. /
am so very tired" And as he with
drew to his room the silence was
again broken, for the old people
sighed.
But the next morning matters
seemed more endurable to Paxton.
The sun was shining with cloudless
glory, and buds were hailing it's re-
turn. The air was balmy and buoy
ant Here and there on the encir-
cling hills the predictions OF sum-
mer could be read. The little viii
lage in the valley below seemed to
exhale peace which the mellow bell
from the square, wooden tower Of the
church Of his fathers softly pro-
claimed. Paxton no longer thought
of the melancholy beat of the SOM
Der old clock, for the whole world
exultantly cried out, This is life in
deed ~
And, beside, the blissful assurance
was his that in few hours he would
see Bessie and relate his triumph
and receive his rewards. Oh, how
happy she would be, and so proud,
so, proud Of him! Gone were his
morose doubtings Of the previous
day, born of disappointment and
fatigue. He greeted his parents
with old time cheerfulness, and was
not so self absorbed as to fail to see
that it gratified them. He wandered
impatiently throughout the mes.
suage, reviving boyish memories and
marveling at their sweetness, until
the great, clumsy wagons creaked
out their return and he held Bessie,
smiling and rosy and altogether de.
licious, close to his heart.
"You poor. dear boy" she whis.
pered, ''how you have suffered, and
so bravely! After dinner you must
tell me oil your trials and forget
them in the telling"
And Paxton almost wished that he
had failed, her sympathy was so al.
Turing.
After dinner came. His parents
departed for Sunday school, and
Unclo Abram Holmes loudly trump.
eted from the lounge his preference
for slumber. They were alone, and