The aegis & intelligencer., 1897-02-05

Mrs. Tallboy left the closet softly,
and her eyes were running over when
| she went back tie her husband. IN
! ashamed OF myself for listening, and
yey I'm glad did. | never dreamed
| how happy we were making these
! good Christians, putting pleasures i'll
! other lives they will never forget
| What am I-ungrateful, fretful crea-
ture that such Il privilege should
! have been given to me and my house
! Why. this sweet frail-Iooking woman
| has eight children. she toll me at tea,
and her husbands salary was raised
| this year to seven hundred dollars
| And she hasn't been away from home
a single day for fifteen years. oh,
| won't see that she has good time
now And begin to like the Hey
| wards, too. such frank, whole Hearted
| people, no trouble at all to entertain.
| John, with a little sob, let us kneel
| down together, as we used TO when
| we were first married. >
1T was a happy but tear stained
| face that Mr.. TaIIboy kissed when
they rose from their knees.
Somehow the guests did not seem
| alter that like strangers, bnt friends.
| And the meetings, where thousands
met with IL single thought, We're full
! of inspiration and kindled glow
| that made the minor veXati0ns of life
| too small to be noticed. When the
| hour OF parting came on Friday it
was with real regret that Mrs. Tall
boy watched the retreating forms
| and Valises disappear down the
street.
The next spring came a letter from
Brock announcing the death of his
wife
u know, dear friends, you would
Sympathize with me in my great be
reavement, though you knew my wife
so little, and | want to tell you that
the brightest spot in her last year was
the time of the Board meetings in
your house. 1t seems that she already
suspected what sufferines was before
her. But those days of rest and real
pleasure were like IL special blessing
sent before her trial She often spoke
of them in her last terrible illness, |
never can thank you enough that you
gave them to her.
Mrs. Tallboy could not speak as she
handed the letter to her husband.
Three years after, the Taliboy's SOD,
wild boy, went West, much against
their wishes. In Il few months he was
taken Ill, and consumption, long in his
system, seemed inevitable. 1t was u
long sad journey for the anguish
stricken parents, their only hope to
reach him before he died. At the sta
ton in the little far off settlement,
what should first greet their astonish
ed eyes but the cheerful, red whisker-
ed face of Mr.. Hayward
Your son is at our house ~ he eX-
claimed, with hearty gripsof his hand,
first one, then the other. I'VE have a
room already for you. Keep up your
courage. | think he is going to pull
through
Who can picture the thaukfulness of
that mothers heart when he told how,
on hearing her sons name, Halifax
Tallboy-"there's luck in odd names as
well as numbers, sometime" he said,
sIniling-he had gone at once to the
ranch where he lay dying of poor care
aud poor fare, and brought him home
that very day to his wife, though they
had moved into their rough little
house but two days before and were
still all in heap.
Already the beautiful nursing they
had given him was telling on him, so
tile doctor assured Mrs. Tallboy. Quite
hS HluCn ITS ny tIic SiEDS Vi RETURNING
health the parents hearts were glad
dened by seeing in their wayward boy
new humility of spirit and a thought
fulness for others.
The next afternoon Mrs. Tallboy
was sitting in happy silence beside his
rocking chair on the little porch facing
the glorious mountains. He took her
hand softly. 1.-The night Mr. Hey
ward brought me here | tainted from
weakness, and they both thought l
was dying. He kneeled down by me
and prayed for me-and for you,
mother, | never heard such a prayer
1t went to my heart, that and his kind
ness before. | said to myself then, for
the first time in my life, l too will be a
Christian, whether die or live and
mean it still. mother"
Can you not imaging the depth of
feeling in Mrs. TalIboY's voice as she
said to her husband that night, "Oh,
what if l had refused to take any
guest at the meeting of the Board -