The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-04-23

hamper Us. but 60 where the best op-
portunity offers and as soon al may
be. My wife will be q pearl of great
price," he added fondly. and I intend
to provide a right setting for her"
Ivory was right. Waitstill Baxter
was indeed a jewel Of a woman She
had little knowledge but much wis
dom, and after all knowledge stands
for the leaves on a tree and wisdom
for the fruit. There was Infinite rich
ness in the girl, a richness that had
been growing and ripening through the
years that she thought 80 gray and
wasted.
Those lonely tasks, too hard for a
girls hands, those unrewarded drudg-
cries, those days Of faithful labor in
and out of doors, those evenings Of
self sacrifice over the mending basket.
the quiet avoidance Of all that might
vex her fathers crusty temper. her pa
tience with his misery ex%actions. the
hourly holding back Of the hasty word
all these had played their part: all
these had been somehow welded into
a strong. sunny, steady life wisdom.
there Is no better name for 1t. and so
she had unconsciously the best Of all
harvests to bring up dover to a hus-
band who was worthy of her.
These were quietly happy days at
the farm, for Mrs. Boynton took a new
if transient hold upon life that de-
ceived even the doctor. Rodman was
nearly as ardent a lover as Ivory, how
ering about Waitstill and exclaiming:
You never stay to supper, and it's so
lonesome evenings without you! Will
it never be time for you to come and
live with us. Waity. dear? The days
crawl so slowly" At which Ivory
Waitstill nearer to his own side. say
ing, IF you are in a hurry. you young
cOrmorant. what do you think Of me?
we can Y wait two more days.
Rod: let Ms kidnap her. Let us take
the old bObSlcd and run over to New
Hampshire where one can be married
the minute II feels like it. We
could do it between sunrise and moon
rise and be at home for Il late supper.
Would she be too tired to bake the
biscuits for us. do you think? What
do you say. Rod, will you be best
man." And there would be youthful.
unaccustomed laughter floating OFT
from the kitchen or living room. bring
ing a smile OF content to Lois Boyn-
tons face as she lay propped up in bed
with her open Bible beside her. HE
binds up the broken hearted" she
whispered to herself. He gives unto
them a garland for ashes. the oil of
Joy for mourning. the garment Of praise
for the spirit Of h~eaviness."
The quiet wedding was over. There
had been neither feasting nor 6nery,
nor presents nor bridal journey, only a
homecoming that meant as deep and
sacred a joy, as fervent gratitude as
any four hearts ever contained in all
the world. But the laughter ceased.
though the happiness flowed silently
underneath. almost forgotten in the
sudden sorrow that overcame them,
for it fell out that Lois Boynton had
only waited as 1t we're for the mar
riage and could stay no longer.
80 There are two heavens -"
Both made Of love-one, inconceivable
Ev'n by the other, so divine it is;
The other. far on this side Of the stars.
BY men called home.
And these two heavens met over at
Boynton's during these cold. white,
glistening December days.
Lois Boynton found hers first. After
a windy moonlit night a morning
dawned in which a hush seemed to be
on the earth. The cattle huldled to
gether in the farmyards and the fowls
shrank into their feathers. The sky
was gray, and suddenly the white
heralds came floating down like scouts
seeking for paths and camping places.
Waitstill turned Mrs. Boynton's bee
so that she could look out Of the win
dow. Slope after slope. dazzling ir
white crust, rose one upon another ant
vanished as they slipped away into thu
dark green of the pine forests.
Then,
-" there fell from out the skies
A feathery whiteness over all the land;
A strange, soft, spotless something. pur'
as light.
1t could not be called a storm, for there
had been no wind since sunrise, NJ
whirling fury. no drifting. only a still
steady, solemn fall of crystal fakes
hour after hour, hour after hour.
Mrs. Boynton's book Of books wa:
open on the bed, and her finger mark
ell a passage in her favorite Bible
poet.
"EIere it is. daughter" she whisper
ed. II have found it. in the sam
chapter where the morning stars sin,
together and the sons of God shout 70
~ II