Year: 1859

IoOk as the SeCtIng sun guided Its small windows
over which the luxuriant grape vines wer
carefully trained In the open door sat the far
| mer, with little moroco-coYered book in hi
hand, on which his attention had been fixed 70
| the last hour. He was a man of method an
! order-old Richard Heath-and aside from hi
regular account books, which he always KEEP
with scrupulous care, he always set down in thi
little book, in the simplest manner possible, al
his expenses, (no very complicated account b,
the way,) and all be had received during tn
year, in the metal, as he said, not by the way o
trade


The last account he had just reckoned up
the result was highly satisfactory, if one nigh
judge from the pleasant expression of his face
as he turned to his wife and addressed her BY
her pretty, old-fashioned name.


"Millicent," said he "this has been a lucky
yea-. How little we thought, when we moved
to this place, twenty-five years ago, that We
should ever get FIVE hundred dollars year out
of the rocky, barren farm


at does pay for good deal of hard work, u
said she, "see, too, how different things look
from what they did then"


"Now, am going to figure up how much





a noise with your knitting needles, cause it puts
me out


The wife laid by her knitting in perfect good
humor; and gazed over the broad rich fields of
waving grain, which grew so tall around the
laden apple trees, that they looked like massive
piles of foliage. Hearing her own name kindly
spoken, led her own thoughts far back, to the
past; for after lapse of twenty years the sim
pie sound of the name she bore in her youth
means more to wife, than all the dearest ep-
thets of dearest love, and daring, so lavishly
offered in long past courtship.


Very pleasant was the retrospect to Millicent
Heath. The picture of the past had in it some
rough places, and some hard trials, but no do
nestle strife or discomfort marred its sunny as
pect There were smiling faces on it-happy
children's faces, without which no life picture
is beautiful. Soft blue eyes shone with uncloud-
ed gladness, and wavy hair doated carelessIy
over unwritten foreheads. She forgot, for a
moment, how they were changed, and almost
fancied herself again the young mother, and
tiny hands nestled there as of old.


The illusion vanished quickly, and she sighed
as she thought of her youngest born, the reck-
less boy who had left her three years before for
a home ON the sea. Once only had tidings
reached her of the wanderer The letter spoke
of hardshjps and home sickness in that light
and careless way that reached the mothers
heart more surely than repining and complaint.
To know that he suffered with strong heart,
with noble and unyieding resolution, gave her
a feeling of pleasure not unmingled with pride.


'He will surely come back murmured the
affectionate mother to herself; ''and | read the
paper so carefully every week, that if it says
anything about the ship Alfred sailed in, shall
be sure to see it,


"AIrs. Heath said her husband, interrupt
ing her mcditations somewhat rudely, 1--WE have
spent thirty dollars more than usual this year
where can il have gone top


''The new harness, suggested Mrs. Heath
that don't come every year, you know


"Well, there's twenty dollars accounted for.


1--WE had the carriage fixed up when you
bought the harness" continued his wife.


"Well, that was eight dollars that's twenty
eight we don't spend every year-but the other
two, where can they have gone? ?"


Glancing his eye over the pages of the mem
or andum book, he continued


''Ill tell you what it is, the newspaper costs
just two dollars, and we can do without it. 1t
isn't any thing to eat, drink or wear. l don't
do any thing with it, and you lay it away up in
the chamber. 1t may as well be left out as not,
and I'll stop my subscription right away"


"0h," said his wife, "you don't know how
much l set by the newspaper. always have
a sort of glad feeling when | see you take it out
of your coat and lay it on the kitchen mantel-
piece just as do when some of the children
come home and when | am tired l sit down
with my knitting work and read. l can knit
Just as well when I'm reading, and feel so con-
tented l don't believe Queen Victoria herself
takes more solid comfort than l do, sitting by
the east window, on a summer afternoon, read
ing my paper.


But you are just as well off without it, an
swered her husband, for want of any thing else
to say.


Il never neglect any thing else for reading,
do / ?" asked Mrs. Heath, mildly.


mo, don't know as you do answered her
husband; "but it seems an extra LIKE shall
stop it." he added. IN a tone that showed plain
ly enough he wished to stop the conversation,


4 shall take the paper remarked his wife,
"if have to go out washing to pay for it."


This was not spoken angrily, but so firmly
that Mr.. Heath noticed it, though by no means
remarkable for discernment in most matters.
1t sounded so different from her usual quiet
"as you think best that he actually stopped a
moment to consider whether it was at all likely
she would do as she said.


Mr.. Heath was kind husband, as that in
definite description is generally understood );
-ttrsrt-is; did not-beat his wife, and always
cave her enough to eat. More than that, he
had certain regard for ner '.h:anTpiness, .:T which
already made him feel ashamed of his decision,
but like many other men who have more obsti-
macy than wisdom, he couldn't bear to retract
any thing, and above all to be convinced he
was wrong by woman.


However, with commendable wish to remove
the unhappiness he caused, he suggested that
as the papers were carefully filed, and she had
found them interesting, she could read them
over again, beginning at January, and taking
one week clear through the year--they would
just come out even, he concluded, as ifit were a
singular fact that they should do so.


Notwithstanding the admirable proposition,
he still felt some uneasiness. It followed him
as he walked up the pleasant lawn to the pas
ture, ana It made him speak more sharply than
was his wont, if the cows stopped while he was
driving them home, to crop the grass where it
looked greenest and sweetest on the sunny slope.
1t troubled him till he heard his wife call him
to supper, in such cheerful tone that he con
cluded she didn't care much about the news
paper after all.


About week after this, as Mr.. Heath was
moving one morning, he was surprised to see
his wife coming, dressed as if for visit.


"Im going" said she "to spend the day with
Mrs. Brown; leave plenty for you to eat :
and so saying she walked rapidly on.


Mr. Heath thought about it justlong enough
to say to himself, "she don't go visitin' to stay