Year: 1874

ed a hard. stony farm, eighteen miles from
Hartford. One September evening about
nine O'Clock, rs he was returning home
from ii neighbor's, he suddenly recollected
that he had left his bride hanging on :,
| bar-post, by his sheep barn, when he
turned his old white mare into the pasture
that afternoon He sprang over the wall
and struck across the lots, hoping to Sc
cure it before any greedy y-mawed bovine
| should make ii forever useless for bride
purposes AS he drew hear the barn he
| thought that he heard voices inside. What
any one should be there for, he could not
| conjecture He stepped lightly as he could
| on the unmoWed rowen and slipped in be
| hind the door which was standing alar,
| and listened


Philip, his eldest son, was there. and
! Clinton Dexter a son of the man at W hose
! house he had been to call The lads We're
| about OF an age-both nearly fifteen


Philip was talking when his father Went
up to the barn, but he finished what he
was saying just As Mr. Raymond got into
position to catch the words and young
Dexter commenced to reply. lie said


We'll, Phil. my father is Just as ncon-
siderate as your father is | don't think





There is scarcely a day in the year that he
does not ride out--he rides more n he used
TO before he was first selectman and You
may be sure that he alWays has something
on hand to be done, Just as your father
does Soon rs the frost is out OF the
ground, IN the spring, he tells me before
he rides OFT that may pick up stones or
spread manure till it is time to milk and
fodder. After that comes ploughing and
planting A little later IN the season he
tells me 10 hoe corn on potatoes, or Weed
the garden, till il is time TO get up the
COWS; and if he IS at home when | take
the pals to 60 out and milk, he always
tells me to be sure and strip the COWS
clean, Just As though he thought | should
be lulN and dishonest enough to leave
halt tho mill in thui4- bags IL he ALL MOT
tell me SO, and he would be lust as likely
to tell me that before a dozen visitors IL
any Way-makeS Il fellow feel mighty
uncomfortable, NOu know. In the lntel
| have To chop wood most OF the time that
| am not in school and don't think my
father feels quite satisfied II l don't chop
as much, and hoe as much, and plough a
much as a full grown man could do IN
the same time. | didn't know till the
other day Just how it was with you, Phil


don't wonder that your patience is worn
| out; and | assure You that | am quite as
tired OF living in this way as you are


II hestated good while, Clint, Phil
| replied, "belore | decided to speak to you
| about ii but made up my mind in hay
| ing time that it was the last summer that
should stay at home and help hay it and
fare as did then. Father is always ready
to find tault--he generally says when he
| gets home i don't think that you've hurt
yourself working, to-day, Philip And
sometimes he asks Inc il my back doesn't
ache, I've chopped SO much OF hoed Sc
much and, no matter if | work as hard
as | can from sunrise til sundown, never
hear anything more encouraglng-never
! get one word Of praise. | fell sorry tC
clear out on my mothers account 1 love
her, and | believe that she loves me; but
| il father loves me he never shows it
! never speaks Il tender, loving word to me


My mind is fully made up Clint. | an
! going to run away and | want to get of
tonight. Never mind about your clothes
I've got shirts and handk erchief5 anG
stockings enough put up, and I'll divide
with YOU till we can earn more. Last
week / thought it over and thought that
it would greve mother So pretty much
decided to give it up; but / got so pro-
| voked the day that father went to Hart
ford, determined that l would go any
way. You see, acre I've lived ever since
ford. but never was there, nor in any Other
city. asked father if might go with
him last June, when he was going, and
al. | n,


but | should go with him the first time
that he went alter haying. Well, when
he spoke ot going last week, asked him
IT he was going to take me along. and he
answered, pretty cr;lbbedly; " No Sin
pretty time for you to think of going
when the hired man is gomez | told him
that | would get You to come and do the
chores, and that you would be as faithful
in doing them as | would be; but he
wouldn't hear Il word about It, | didn't
feel very light-hearted after he was gone,
but | tried to brave it out the best that
could and worked hard, all day. That
afternoon was a dark. cloudy afternoon
and got up the cows and MIXED them Il
little earlier than | supposed that did :;
but don't think the sun was five minutes
high when got the chores done | took
the newspaper and sat down in the door,
so as to be on hand to take care Of the
horse when father came; and | hadn't
read Il quarter OF a column when he drove
up. Well, Clint rs true as | live and
breathe, after his promising me that |
should go to Hartford with him the first
time that he went after haying, and then
breaking his word and leaving me to feel
disappointed and to work hard all day,
the first thing he said 10 me, when he
drove up was: What are YOU sitting
there a-reading tor? Why aren't YOU do
ing your chores?" 1t CALLED me, | tell
you, but replied rs calmly as | could
that the chores Were all done; and he
said 80, no. that is it? You do the
chores in the middle OF the afternoon,
when | am gone, and then sit down and
read, do you ?" 1t was contOunded cut
ting if he had stuck knife into me, it
wouldn't have hurt me any worse. 1
vowed then that 1 would see Hartford on
my birthday and shall be much mis-
taken if ! am not there tomorrow morn


ing; and if my father sees me again for
year. he'll see more'n think he will.
will be here at the harm at Just midnight
My bundle Of clothes is here now in the
oat bin Don't fail to be on time, Clint.
We must get little glimpse of the city
before the steamboat goes out. | don't
know what the fare is to New York. |
doubt if we have money enough to take
us there. If we haven't we can stop at
some of the landing places on the way"


What variety Of feelings Peter Ray
mond had in the fifteen minutes he stood
behind that barn-door and listened At
first. he was so utterly surprised he could
hardly believe his own ears: but as he