Year: 1859

And then the tears rolled over her Cheeks
After a while she grew calmer, and told her
story to cousin Alice and me, sitting in her
large rocking chair and tanning herself with
the palm-leaf fan.


"You see Farmer Pike had just risen from
his afternoon nap, and was going out the back
door as ! got round by the meadow in front
Of the house. sped him, and hurried round
there as he got up to the we'll.


"How dye do, Farmer Pike = | said, in a
free, neighborly way, as | came up to him
cant you let this child have a drink Of wa
ter He's had long walk, and he's got
prettd nigh tuckered ont


The old man was completely taken aback.
| could see that by the way he looked at me,
and looked back at him, as cool and inno-
cent as a lamb. Then he looked at Weston, and
l saw the muscles about his tight mouth
quiver a little. but he didn't say a word; he
took up the tin cup that stood on the spout,
and filed it from the bucket, and held it out
to me, but his great hand shook SO tho water
spilled over the top but of course | did not
notice that kept on talking in the most
natural way you can imagine about the wcath-
err and the good crops we were like TO have.


Nov say, thank you, grandpa, ! said, as
flung out the water after Weston had done
drinking.


THANK you grandpa came out in the
soft, small notes Of the little child, and
knew they went away down into that old
mans heart, like sharp, cutting sword.


"'Whose's that arc child : he asked, in
low, gruf voice, as If he didn't dare trust it
to speak louder.


"'Well now, Farmer Pike, says /, to
hear you ask that question If you canttell
the color Of them eyes, you must be struck
stone blind and did you ever see forehead
that was just the shape of that one. and
little round head that was never still, but al
ways kept shaking, and didding round like a
leaf on a silver tree; and if you don't know
that, you can't forget that heap Of golden
curls, just the color of ripe rye when the sun
strikes on it, / never see curls like them ex-
ceptng on one head. and that's under the
grass long way from here now.


The old man sat down on the stoop, and
| saw it was because his great limbs shook so
he couldn't stand. | sat down, too.


"''lis rather warm. farmer, | went on.
standing in the sun, to-day. though there's a
good breeze from the west. Speaking about
Weston, though. ] don't think he has his
fathers mouth. though Joseph had a way
Of setting down tight and grim just like
yourn, farmer, specially when his mind was
made up on any subject. But if you will
look, you will see that the pattern Of his
mouth was cut after Mary's, even to the dim
pie in the left corner. declare it takes me
right back to the time when Mary and | used
to go to school through the pasture What
merry. fun-loving creetur she was. | al
ways used to think her laugh sounded good
deal more CHEEKY .han the robins in the bush
es as we went along.


Don't. Esther, don't said Farmer Pike,
and he put up his hand as though it was more
than he could bear, and his face was as white
as chalk He hadn't called me Esther, tho, ,
for more than twenty years.


Il saw now was the time to strike, and
says l. Yes ! suppose it's trying to your feel
incs. farmer, to talk about them times but
its comforting to think you've got your wife
and son all made out like a picture there.
Weston, your dear bny,' called out to him,
as he was hunting butterflies on the grass,
and he came hotting up to us, now go and
say, "Graudpa won't YOU kiss me


"And the little fellow went and lifted his
sweet baby face to the old man, and lisped
ont so pretty. Wont you kiss me, grandpaE =


"The old man reached out his arms in such
quick, hungry sort Of a way, that was al
most scared, and then he groaned % Mary,
O Joseph, in way that made my heart stand
still, and he hugged up the boy so tight to
his bosom that I knew he would never let
him 20 from him again.


At this point in her story Aunt Esther
stopped and cried, and SO did Cousin Alice
and I, though we laughed at each other all
the time.


"Well what happened next, Aunty? l
asked. as soon as | could.


II did not stay another minute child,
could not slipped round the corner of the
house. and hurried home, but heard deep
sigh as | opened the gate softly. and knew
that it came from heart that had not wcpt
for more than forty years But it comiorted
me all the way back to think that if Mary in
heaven knows what I've been doing to-day,
she'll thank me for it."


"But we shan't have Weston with US any
more now. How shall we get along without
him." exclaimed suddenly, for all our
hearts had grown to the sweet child.


"Yes, we shall have him. answered Aunt
Esther, quietly untying the bonnet strings Of
Of her Leghorn bonnet "Former Pike said,
no more than twenty years ago, he wouldn't
trust any woman in the village but me to
bring up a child, and he amt going to think
less of me for this days work


Aunt Esther was right Just at evening,
Farmer Pike came round to our house lead
ing Weston by the hand.


"Miss Lee, he said, 81 amt got anybody
at home ia quite like to trust him with but
if you'll take the child, we won't say any
thing about the price, only I'll sec you don't
lose by it."


And Aunt Esther took him. But ev-
cry morning and evening Farmer Pike came
up to see his little grandson, and was never
tired of bringing him fruits and toys, until
the little one learned TO watch eagerly for his
grandfather coming


The little golden head somehow completely
revolutionized the old man The harsh lines
around his face grew softer, and he would sit
for hours and watch its play, or devise some
new pleasure for it. In short, the farmer $
life seemed bound up in his grandson's. for
the angel had struck the granite rock, and 10 !
the waters leaped out.


TV1I suppose that one of the seyerest trials
of sordid man is that which is caused by
the disgust he feels in the society OF his own
soul | once heard preacher remark that
it were not for the interpostion of sleep, by
] ,ta.l -