Year: 1872

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It was a pretty spot, full of tremulous
green light from the young leaves, and
musical with the song of birds. There
Patience sat on the moss, waiting she
could not tell how long, such sweet
fantasies filled her brain and spun
themselves before her eyes. At length
there came faint murmur of voices,
and with her heart futtering, she part
ed the branches, and peered out. Two
persons were coming slowly along the
path, through spotted shadows and
sun CLEANS, wholly absorbed in each
other. The young man was tall, with
a tanned, gaunt face, beaming now
with a look that made it handsome
He was dressed in the faded blue of
the army, and carried one arm in a
sling. His companion, young girl
as sweet and pure as rosebud, walk
ed by his side. She had taken off her
little brown hat and was letting it
swing by the ribbon string. Her great,
wondering innocent eyes were raised
to his; faint pink had futtered into
her cheeks, naturally pale; the breeze
was untangling the braids of her silky
hair in tiny rings and curls. The
young man had hold of one of her
hands and was pressing the shy finger
tips to his lips. They paused a little
near where Patience sat, and where the
dogwoods seemed to make a white drift
against the bank.


go, Huldah," Patience seemed to
hear her boy say, eff you could know
now | used to think of you first and
last on the long marches! The remem-
brance of what you had promised kept
me up in the wet and cold! Most OF
the boys in camp had sisters and lots
of relations you and mother were all
| had in the world"


1t was her boys voice. Patience
knew the eager, frank tones. She had
carried him in her bosom as baby
she had worked and saved for him; she
had lain awake nights to pray for him
through lonely months she had lived
on the thought of his coming back
and now, in the first hour of his return,
he thought only of this girl, who never
bore pang for his sake. He had gone
first to her, and put his mother into
the second place.


i Patience would have moaned, but
she restrained herself; she took hold
of a sappling that grew near, and un-
consciously crushed clump of ferns
under her hand. Huldah was speak
ing now: 81 must turn back, Alvin, y
said she, timidly, 'sfor I am half frigh-
tened at the thought of meeting your
mother. Ihave tried to make her love
me since you went away; but she is al
ways cold. fl 60 to see her she never
asks me to come again. I have pre-
sentiment she will never consent to
give me daughters place."


"You are trembling like a little
scared Bird" said Alvin, with light
laugh. "Do you suppose my mother is
such a bugbear? Why, she is just the
dearest woman in the world; and she
is so fond of me that she will have to
love you, Huldah, for my sake. I
shall tell her all about it tonight. I
meant to have told her before [ went
away; but you, timid little goose,
wouln't let me. Come on up to the
old hickory tree there by the orchard,
and will let you go back"


They moved past, and Patience could
moan now. She sat there among the
brakes on the hillside, with her face
bent down to her knees. In the long,
lonely days she had thought Of only
one kind of loss that could come to
her through her boy; for a moment
she felt that it would have been easier
to bear if he had been brought home
feet foremost into the old red farm
house. He would have been blessed
memory then, and all her own there
are moments when it seems less heart
rending to give our beloved up in death
than in life. Patience rose to her feet
instantly, as she did so the baser part
of her self-hood dropped off. She felt
her way down the bank by the tree
trunks and bushes, and a new world
of reflection was opened to her mind.
For the first time it struck her as right
and natural that Alvin should have
this beautiful experience. There had
been no great blossoming time in her
life; she had married late, with respect
and liking, but all the passion and ro-
nance of her being had come through
motherhood. She was old; she had not
thought of the intoxicating draughts
given young souls to drink, nor the
bliss which narrows the world over
again to single pair, and makes a
new Eden of clasped hands and meet
ing eyes.


Patience felt humble, almost remorse-
full, as she walked under the blossom
ed trees, wavering and tottering little.
She had grown old in a moment; her
senses, always remarkably acute, SEEM
ed dull. The thought that she would
not last great while longer came to
her with a sense Of relief. Why should
she live now that her boy had no more
need of her? Is it not written a man
shall leave father and mother and
cleave unto his wife?


An hour may have passed, for Pa
tience sat down to rest once or twice !;
as she slowly approached the house