Year: 1870

For Aunt Nabby's chronic habit of dy-
ing had passed into joke.


"Ohl if that is ALL" said DR.. Styles,
"tell her I'll be there in the course OF hall
an hour"


And he leisurely settled back to his
newspaper again.


AS Paul walked home over the frozen
ground, munching apples as he went, he
fell to thinking what trial a nervous
woman is.


"If Aunt Nabby ever does die-which
isn't at all likely-there'll be a great many
dry eyes at our house." said he, firing an
apple core into pasture.


He would have been still more indig.
nant if he had known that Aunt Nabby
had been treating the boil on her cheek
to small blister that evening. For,
said she to herself, "the doctor won't have
the least idea how sore it is unless it looks
as red as blaze"


No, Paul was vexed enough as it was,
without knowing this last whimsey OF
Aunt Nabby's.


"Mother is saint; but she needn't tell
me everything is blessing in disguise.
Here am I called away from splendid
fire; presume l shall catch cold-if there's
any blessing coming out of this, I'd be
pleased to see what it is"


1t was a long and rather lonely road
no house for quarter of mile; and
Paul remembered how in his little boy
hood he had always whistled as he ran
by the graveyard, to keep his courage up.


Il wish we didn't live so far away from
everybody. Stop! what's that light
coming through the treess Can't be the
moon?"


No, the moon was in quite another part
of the sky, daintily picking her way
through drifting white clouds.


off it wasn't the moon, what was it ?
Growing larger every minute! Couldn't
be fire?"


Eyes, it was, it wasl Oh! where?'


Paul ran with giant strides, his heart in
his mouth, till he came to an opening in
the trees, and could see just what he had
feared to see-the roof of his own home
in flames.


Not soul in sight No one to call on
for help, and the house on fire.
care they all abed and asleep ?" thought
Paul, screaming Justify and beating upon
the door with his boots.


The noise aroused his father from his
first nap, and his mother from the pile of
stockings she was mending as she sat by
Aunt Nabby's bed


1t was not too late. A spark had crept
through crack in the chimney and set
the roof on fire, but as yet had gone no
further; there was'sti time to save the
house.


A ladder through the scuttle; all hands
at work bringing water; and IN halt an
hour the danger was past.


When the doctor arrived, he found the
r. o4.+1 90 anf CO ofE-
full and happy withal that the two young
est girls were ready to kiss him as they
met him in the hall.


"Only think" said Edna, eff we hadn't
sent for you, we should have burned up
in our sleep. Paul came only just in
time"


$50 the old lady has done some good for
once in her life. Thank the Lord !" ejac-
ulated the doctor, not without emotion.
"By the way, how is she now?"


In the confusion, Aunt Nabby had not
been informed that the doctor was coming,
and having forgotten him entirely, she
was caught refreshing herself with hasty
plate of brown bread and cheese, and a
cup of strong tea. Not very dignified
death bed scene but the doctor had the
grace not to smile. He and Paul and the
whole family had their heads too full of
the mysteries of Providence to be very
observant of this humble instrument"
who sat groaning between her mouthfuls
of tea, and looking as if she meant to die
yet, if she could only get any one to at
tend to her.


"Things are braided together in such
queer way" thought Paul, washing the
charcoal off his hands-''in such a queer
way You can't unbraid 'esa and get the
strands apart. I feel overawed somehow.
l don't know. as / shall dare dispute
mother again when she says we mustn't
quarrel with our trials Sometimes they
do turn into blessings. that's fact p
Hearth and Home. 17