Year: 1872

the dOgWO0d mere ana tnere nad pllcheo
its snowy tent, on hanging bank, above
the highway. Patience wandered on un'
til she gained a lookout through the
boughs, down the road that wound under
elms and naples. 1t was 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. Al
length, there came faint murmur o1
voices, and with her heart futtering, she
parted the branches and peered out. Two
persons were coming slowly along the
path, through spotted shadows, and SUM-
CLEANS wholly absorbed in each other
The young man was tall, with tanned
gaunt face, beaming now with look that
made it handsome. He was dressed
in the faded blue of the army, and carried
one arm in a sling. His companion q
young girl as sweet and pure as the rose
bud walked by his side. She had taken
off he. 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 little near where Patience sat,
and where the dogwoods seemed to make
a white drift agains6 the bank.


go Huldah," Patience seemed to hear
her boy say, eff you could know how
used to think of you first and last on the
long marchesi The remembrance Of VIII.
you had promised kept me up in the wet
and cold! Most of the boys 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 bad 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 bis return, he thought only
of this girl, who never bore pang for his
sake. He had gone first to her, and put
his mother in the second place!


Patience would have moaned but she
restrained herself; she took hold of sap
ling that grew near, and unconsciously
crushed clump of ferns under her hand
Huldah was speaking now: " must turn
back. Alvin" said she timidly, for I'm
half frightened at the thought of meeting
your mother. have tried to make her
love me since you went away; but she is
always cold. If 60 TO see her she never
asks me to come again. ] have presen-
timent she will never consent to give me
a daughters place.


"You are trembling like a little
scared bird" said Alvin with laugh
DO you suppose my mother is such a
bugbear2 Why she is just the dearest
woman in the world and she is 40
fond of me that she will have to love
you, Hnldah, for my sake. I shall tell
her all about it tonight. [ meant to
have told before / went away; but you
timid little goose wouldn't let me.
Come on up tos the old hickory tree
by the orchard, and will let you &c
| 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 moment she felt
that it would have been easier to bear if
he had been brought home feet foremost
into the old red farmhouse. He would
have been blessed memory then, and all
her own; there are moments when ii
seems less heartrending to give our below
ed up in death than IN life.


Patience rose to her feet instantly, and
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 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 romance of
her being had come through motherhood.
She was old; she had not thought of the
intoxicating draught given young souls to
drink, nor the bliss which narrows the
world over again, to single pair, and
makes new Eden of clasped hands and
meeting eyes


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


An hour may have passed, for Patience
sat down to rest once or twice as she
slowly approached the house the lovers
still fingered in the shade of the old hick-
ory. Alvin heard step behind him, and,
turning round, saw his mother standing
there. Something like blush of shame
Redeemed his cheek for the selfish indul-
gence in happiness which had caused him
10 loiter so long on the road to sacred
duty. But Patience only clasped him
about the neck, and sobs would not let
her speak. Huldah turned in confusion,


oY1t