Year: 1866

very tender of you But | will never talk
about that any more. will be your kind,
trusty friend, and manage every thing for
you just as your father might"
| If my heart had not been to full of Joe his
sad gentleness must have won it. AS it is.
he did win my gratitude, and friendship
that will last our lives through,
The next afternoon | reached home.
went into the room where grandmother and
had talked, that spring day, and found her
there, sitting by the round table, sewing
placidly as of old.


Grandmother" said, ~ have come 1
am going to joe"


II thought you would" she answered, in
her kind, low tones. 81 believe | under
stood you last spring better than you un-
derstood yourself"


My heart misgave me little as knock
ed at the Widow Scarborough's door. An
geline opened it, with her funeral looks,
dressed in her unmitigated mourning. She
held the door in her hand, and did not ask
me to walk in.


II have come" | said meekly, "to see
Joe. | heard of his accident, and came home
from Montclair to be with him."


"He has good care" she answered, un-
graciously, land we don't let company see
him but you may walk in, and I'll speak
to mother"


She let me go into the best room--an
apartment cold and uninviting as her own
manner | heard a confused sound of whis-
pering voices outside, ard then NJ rs Scar
borough came in where | sat- read de-
nial on her face-resolution stiffened her
! lips. She looked at me with almost an ex-
preston of dislike. Instinct suggested the
only way to make my peace with her. |
was capable OF any sacrifice of pride if
only | could get to Joe. So told her, hum
bly, enough, how mistaken | had been when
| parted from him--how dearly had loved
him in spite of all-and begged her not to
drive me away from him.


Perhaps the thought of what Joe himself
would say, if he ever recovered, influenced
her somewhat At any rate she gave an
| ungracious assent at last.


"Your fathers in there, now," she said.
"You can go in, if you are sure you can be
still. Remember it won't do to have any
cryin' or takin' ON in there"
So | took off my bonnet and went in Fa-
ther just nodded to me. He was counting
Joe's pulse-beats, and he wore an anxious,
doubtful look.


When he lett | followed him into the en-
try


Father" said, II went away because l
cid hot want to marry farmer, and I've
some back because | love Joe. Can you
dave him for me 7"


"God only knows child. He was hurt
terribly; but there's chance-just
chance" ....


just chance! Those words were my
strong staff during the dreadful days that
followed If human love and care could
save him he would be saved.


He did not know me his head had been
hurt in his fall, and he was delirious This
made it SO much harder for me. | could
not strengthen myself with the feeling that
| was a comfort to him. Then, too, in his
frenzy he would call sometimes upon my
name revealed in some wild sentence, as
he never would have revealed it otherwise,
how he had suffered at our parting. And
all this made Mrs. Scarborough and Ange-
line so much the more bitter against me. [
think dozen times during the first week
they would have sent me out of the house,
but for the consideration that Joe might
recover and blame them for such a resent
ing of his wrongs.


After while it seemed to me that my
patience began to soften then. They trea-
ted me with more kindness, and sometimes
left me to watch alone beside Joe On one
of these rare occasions | sat and looked at
his worn, wasted face until my grief over
came me utterly, and bending my head down
on the side Of the bed | burst into a passion
of weeping. At last felt feeble touch
upon my hair, and Joe's voice-oh, so weak
and faint, but his own natural voice again,
thank God, said


"Helen Can this be Helen ?"


forgot all Mrs Scarborough's cautious
about disturbing him. just threw my arms
around him, and sobbed out


"Oh, Joe, only get well, and forgive me |
l found out that your life, whatever it is,
must be my life for the world is nothing at
all without you"


A sudden, passionate joy kindled his face
One cry-"Oh, Helen, my love,my love !"-
and then his head fell back in deathlike
swoon.


Somehow | was not frightened. The ex-
citement had been too much for him just
now, but | felt in my heart that it would
not kill him. | believe in joy as Heavens
own balm Of healing. l went quietly to
work without calling any one to restore
him to consciousness and when Mr.. Scar
borough came in, half an hour afterward he
was lying with his hand in mine at rest and
in his right mind


Mother" he said, with fervent joy and
resolution, 81 am going to get well. think
Helen has saved my life"


After he was able to walk about he ask
ed me, one day, when would be ready to
marry him, and told him | would be ready
whenever he said. You see my pride was
gone now, and my love reigned triumph
ant.


"When am well again" he said, thought.
fully, 81 have been thinking that it might
be best for me to make a home for you
where we could be quite by ourselves l
ought to have remembered, last spring, that
you might not like the idea of coming to
live with mother and Angeline. Of course
they could never be to you what they are
! to me-" ..
l considered the matter for few silent
moments. | knew it was best for Joe to
stay there-that is what he really in his
heart would prefer-should / be selfish
enough to change his plans?


NO." said, at LEM 9Th, eff you will let
me choose, for the present we will live here
/ | know them better now than I knexu tbau