Year: 1872

money was sacred. Patience had
already spoken to Enock Holbrool1
about putting it out at interest.


In the long winter evenings, when
she only heard the slow tick of the
clock in the corner, or the sough
of the wind in the pine trees, her


brain was busy with plans for her
boys future.


Deacon Spiccr brought the paper
in every third day, after he had
slowly spelled it over for an hour
or two at home. The news had
travelled two or three hundred
miles by rail and stage before it
it came to her hand; but
Patience watched for it with a beat
ing heart. The account of bloody
battle generally drove her to bed
with bad headace, caused by the
harder aching of her mother heart.
Rachcrs sympathics were mainly
on the mothers side; she did not
think so much Of the stricken
wives or dcsolate young maidens
mourning over their dead. She
had one Of those intense but mar
row natures which Pulitani-m de-


velopes, with little imagination, but


strong and fervent feelings. Her


mind was so deeply religious that


the whole Of her life was invested


with sort of sacred ardor; even


her JOY found expression in some
grand old coycnantor's hymn, that
seemed to fill the pauscs Of the


wind in the forest grove near at
hand.


Patience had looked forward
many times to the possible harm
that might come to Alvin. She
had thought Of her loneliness that
perhaps might end only in the
grave; and how, in some distant
autumn day, when the c1'icllets
were chirping il the stubblc, she
might feel glad that she had pluck
ell out her heart and given it to
God, remembering that he would
save his life if she must lose it.


But there were other days when
q sober gladncss colorcd her mood,
and the sublime old hy1ns that told
Of persecution and victory over
death came rolling out on her rich
voice. Then it was easy for her to
believe that Alvin would be spared,
and then she Thought Of his home
coming as Of q second birth, when
tho Lord would again put him in
to her arms as q free gift. With
her deep heart, that took such ca
ger hold Of what it loved, kindling
and warming as it held, she pictur-
ed the life that they would lead to-
gether, and slowly picced out
story of exquisit kind in that little
white-washed room, where all his
history had written itself. A GER
tain narrowncss of vision, rs well
as the absorption of her love, made
Patience almost blind to what ma
ture might bring to pass in Alvin's
heart. The child and the man
were obviously blended in her
thought. He might want a wife
sometime, but he was hardly grown
up yet. There would be time
enough to think of that years
hence.


Beyond the pine grove stood the
Ray farm house, and their lived
DER Rays daughter Huldah, who
had been a plain child, but had
grown into a lovely young woman,
with soft voice, and brown eyes,
and long lashes, which when down.
cast rested upon pearly cheek.
Some rumor about Alvin and HUI
dah had come to the ears of Pa
ticncc, but she blew it away like a
feather floating on the air. DER
Rays wife, she thought, was a
talhative woman, not malicious or
bad-hearted, but foolish about her
girl; so she avoided going to the
farmhouse beyond the hill. When
Mrs. Ray reached over in meeting
to shake hands, with Huldah look
ing down from the singers scat, in
her pretty straw bonnet trimmed
with pink ribbons, Patience met
the overture rather coldly; still
she was obliged to confess that the
sweetest voice which rose above
Deacon Spices wheczy bass vial,
was IIuldahs Rays.


Once when Patience was sick with
and Tuldah came to
offer her services, bringing loaf
of her mothers snow white bread
done up in the clcancst of towels,