Year: 1859

sell dress and many little luxuries any other wo


man would have called indispensable, in orde


to buy gotd strong books that would help her {,


mould herself, until her character should b,


somewhat in unison with all noble, beautiful


things. She called no work beneath her


Anything she could find she made her hand,


do, and withal there was not better daughter


or sister in New Hampshire.


Of course there were moments Of sadness


almost despair; but she noted Gods discipline


with the hardy mountain pine near her own


door, and said, $50 He deals with me- it is


hard, but l can bear it." Full we'll she knew


that she1oved Paul Brownlow-that knowledge


came to her with the sickness ofheart that fol-


lowed the cessation of his letters-but she did


not repine, although her eyes were yery dim.


and her lip quivered painfully as she tried to be


brave, and tell herself, "That the love would


be very blessed if God had given it, but so long


as He withheld it, He could make up for it


wholly, entirely"


And so her beautiful youth passed; and when
the intirm old father died and one brother
married, Hester took the other, who was par
TALLY insane, into the city with her, and with
brain and few manuscripts attempted to sup
port herself and him. She did not know how
how much her stories and poems were worth !;
but she could not help hoping that the words
she had prayed over SO earnestly, and felt SO
keenly, would not fall entirely unnoticed by
her fellows. That city life is too painful for
me to write much of Ifyou have ever haunted
publishers offices, beseeching them to give YOU
work, not for fame but for daily bread. YOU can
tell a little about II; if you have never done
it, bless God that you have no such bitter
experience to remember. As Hester was
unknown, the sketches and poems, although
accepted, were not often paid for, and when
she found no money came from them, she
procured sewing, and managed to do what
Thomas Carlyle says is the first problem of all
philosoPhy-"Keep soul and body together
Day after day she sewed, and waited patiently
her time, which came at last; for her poems be-
gan to be copied, and one day she received let
ter from the editor of popular newspaper of
ferIng her steady work and good pay. Now that
her books are the fashion, she thinks with sad
ness OF the first money that gentleman paid
her, for she sees again the childish look with
which her helpless brother regarded the bright
fire she dared afford that night. She knew not
all the agony of that upward ascent until she
stood upon the summit


Very soberly, very earnestly, she did her
work-God never losing her from his care for
one single day; for no band but hers ever min
lstered to her brothers wants, and every even
ing she sang the simple hymn which would
alone persuade him to lie quietly in his bed
There was no great variety in Hester's life; but
still she persevered, and at the close of every
year she might have said, II am gaining-near.
er my end than was a tWelvemonth sinceI"
and the day came when she lived comfortably,
and allowed herself to rest now and then.


And all this time Paul Brownlow was in the
same city, about his own business, their paths
never for one moment crossing. He had not for
gotten Hester-his love for her kept his heart
young and pure, and many times he drew back
his hand from selfish act, for he felt those
pure eyes upon him. Life gave him very much |
OF success. He came from Europe, and found
himself famous for the skill with which he had |
managed an intricate law question; but almost |
every evening he thought, Life has given me |
all but the treasure l valued most-that was not |
for me But God was very good to these two |
lovers. One Christmas day friend handed |
Paul little volume, saying, "Here, Brownlow, |
to be Hesters poems. PAU reau many OF InerT, |
and liked well their quiet, tender beauty. It was
as if the heart of the writer were opened to him;
he saw how it waited, suffered, conquered, too,
at the last; noted its wonderful acquaintance
with nature, its earnest sympathy with truth, its
loving faith and invincible will. Then he read
descriptive poem, but stopped at the last line
in perfect amazeneDt. Who wrote this book
He remembered one such day, one such scene.
IN his life, snd-Hester Grahame was yery near
him. And the line was certainly an allusion to
himself


The book was thrown down, and he went,
from his room, hunted up his friend, and in q
few words obtained the information he wanted
He sought Hester's quiet, secluded home-more
than ever solitary on this Christmas evening,
foF out of it she had followed the. dead body Of
her brother not many hours before She sat by
her west window, and as the servant opened the
door Paul saw again the face which was dearer
to him than aught else upon earth. Sne knew
him directly, and held out her hand; but when
! tel you that she is now Paul Brownlow's wife,
you will not doubt his right to the kiss which
he certainly took. They had been long parted,
these lovers; they had loved more than most
men and women do, and yet, by Gods grace they
had been able to stand alone, to do each their
iife-work WE'LL and you can understand why, as
they sat together, they spoke no passionate
woFds-why silent caresses and murmured
thanksgivings were their only signs of betFoth
al They had nothing to wait for, so on the
morrow they were married--aRd you know, now,
why Paul Brownlow loves his wife SO much
why, when you turned the leaf down in the vol.
ppe Woodstock, "he told you, ''You may do
It IN any other book of mine, but not in that"
for that was the first book of his that his wife's
fingers ever touched.


heard him ask Hester, one day as they sat
very close to each other; eff she was CONTENT
and when she said, "PeFfectly content" knew
they were the dearest words he had ever heard.