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M ©OBE’S BUBAL ISEW-YOBKER. 
THE OLD FARM-HOUSE. 
At the foot of the liill, near the old red mill. 
In n quiet, shady spot, 
Just peeping through, half hid from view, 
Stands a little, moss-grown cot. 
And straying through lit the open door, 
The sunbeams play on the sanded floor. 
The cusy-ehair, all patched with care 
Is placed by the old health-stone; 
With witching grace, In the old fire-place, 
Tno evergreens are stren n. 
And pictures hang on the whitened wall. 
And the old clock ticks in the cottage hull. 
More lovely sttlf, on the window-sill, 
The ilew-eyed flowers rest. 
While •midst the leaves on the moss-grown eaves 
The mart'n build* her nest. 
And all day long the summer breeze 
Is whispering love to the bended trees. 
Over the door, all covered o’er 
With a sack of dark green baize, 
Lies a musket old, whose worth is told 
In I ho events of other days; 
And the powder-flask, and the hunter's horn, 
Have hung beside it for many a morn. 
For years have lied, with noiseless tread, 
Like fairy dreams away, 
And left In their flight, all shorn of his might, 
A father—old and gray; 
And the soft wind plays with his snow-white hair, 
And the old man sleeps in his ensy-cliair. 
Inside the door, on the sanded floor, 
Light, airy footsteps glide. 
And a maiden lair, with flaxen hair, 
Kneels by the old man's side— 
An old oak wrecked by the angry storm, 
Wliilo the ivy clings to its trembling form. 
©ur ^torg-3C([Ui|r. 
THE LIGHT OF LOVE AT HOME, 
BY MARGUERITE. 
CHAPTER I 
“ Kitty, what do you know about snow ?” 
and Sadie Warner, lifted the pet kitten to the 
window, leaving the impression of its paws in 
the purest thing that falls to earth. “ You 
never saw any before, did you, Pussy?” 
“How cunning it is getting to be,” said Ed¬ 
gar. “It acts lately as if it knew it was our 
special property and that wo love it.” 
“It is like people,'' said Sadie. “ Love is as 
essential to our proper growth as sunshine is 
to plants.” 
“Really, Sadie, our family don't show much 
love for each other. Hero Christmas Is coming 
and there U never any preparation made for it 
by father and mother. We used to hang our 
empty stockings up at night, and find them 
empty in the morning. I don't cure what little 
thing father would give me if it was nothing 
more than a whistle he whittled himself,—I 
could be sure then be thought and cared for 
me.” 
“Edgar, Edgar i have you fed the bays and 
watered the yearlings in the far stable!" 
“Yes, sir: I’m ahead of you, father—have 
everything done, and SADIE and myself are 
talking about Christmas. Say, father, let us 
turn over a new leaf and have a Christmas for 
onee in our lives.” 
“Christmas JlddlestlcksI I wonder at you! 
These are hard times, and I want to finish pay¬ 
ing for the east farm in the spring; besides, I 
never buy things we do not need.” 
“Ob, father, there are any amount of tilings 
we want I” said Edoah. 
“Enough said. Here, take this corn out and 
feed the chickens,” and away Edgar went at 
his father's bidding. 
Mrs. Warner, a meek-faced little woman, 
stood in the bedroom and heard all that her 
children bad been saying. She loved ( hem and 
they knew it, but she was as helpless to do 
some things for tlyjrn as though her iinds wero 
bound witli cords. Still she would have re¬ 
flected more sunshine into the home, only that 
her husband's stern ways cast a shadow over all 
her efforts. 
Sadie felt all this more than Edgar. She 
was the elder of the two and was not so impul¬ 
sive as her brother; but down deep in her heart 
she had longings and desires of which few 
dreamed. Day by day she grew restless over 
the home life, and earnestly wished to be learn¬ 
ing something. She had advanced as far at the 
district school us her teachers, and now she 
was anxious to go away where she cou'.d have 
advantages. Everything reminded her of her 
ignorance. Even the flowers lifting up their 
innocent heads seemed to taunt tier with se¬ 
crets she could not fathom. She looked long¬ 
ingly at the piano and thought how she could 
while away the winter evenings if she only 
knew how to strike the mystic key3. Perhaps 
Cousin Abuik’s sending it there was what 
awakened her. It seemed a mockery to her 
sometimes to have It standing in the corner, I 
draped in a rich spread—a perfect treasure- 
house of sweet sound, but incapable of calling | 
any forth. Many an hour she and Edgar had 
spent teaching themselves “Greenville,” “Old 
Hundred," and several Scotch airs; but Mr. 
Warner always had other duties for Edgar to 
perform and no money to spare on lessons for 
Sadie, and so day after day his children moved 
around with stifled longings, while he planned 
to buy more land and enlarge bis barns for the I 
cattle. 
One afternoon Edgar drove up to the door 
and, calling Sadie, said, “Put on your water¬ 
proof and have your first sleigh-ride. I am 
going beyond the village to see Freeman and 
find out what will be best to do for the white 
heifer, and I am in a hurry.” 
A merry ride they were having behind a spir¬ 
ited horse. On passing Mr. Jones* house a dog 
bounded toward them, giving a quick bark; 
the horse shied off to one side of the road aud 
the cutter struck a stone, and Sadie was left 
in a snow-drift, while Edgar glldeiy safely on¬ 
It by getting up a club for a paper, Here is the 
choicest of all, ‘No Cross, no Crown,’ embroid¬ 
ered in canvas. This is for her, too, and ‘The 
Lord is my Shepherd’ is for father." Both 
were framed with autumn leaves. “ I want to 
hang them where no one will see them without 
looking," said Alice. 
A step was heard in the bail and Alice 
whisked the things out of sight iu a twinkling. 
Mrs. Jones entered bearing in her hand a love¬ 
ly, blooming, monthly rose. 
“ What a beauty 1" exclaimed Sadie. 
TRY -A, G- -A. I KT . 5 
ward. Squire Jones and wife were there in a 
moment and lifted the laughing girl from her 
soft bed. Edgar was ready to receive tier, but 
she was borne off captive until he would finish 
hln errand. An easy chair awaited her in one 
of the cosiest aitting-rooma she ever saw; at 
least it seemed so to her. One window and 
corner were filled with choice plants; an open 
piano stood in another, while near the tabic 
was an old-fashioned bookcase, well filled. 
Pictures hung on the walls and pressed ivies 
clung around the smaller ones. The curtains 
were looped back gracefully with a cluster of 
autumn leaves, while brackets peered forth In 
unexpected places. 
“How nicely your plants are growing!” ex¬ 
claimed Sadie. “ It is like renewing one’s age 
to look at them." 
“ Our plantaare nice,but I have to haul wood 
these fine days to keep them from freezing. 
That reminds mo that the team Is waiting and 
I must go. Come, daughter, a little music 
flist;” and while Alice was being seated on 
the stool he drew his wife from her task of 
darning stockings to the instrument. The two 
sang merrily 
" When you and I were young, Maggie,” 
to the accompaniment, and then, with hat and 
mittens, Mr. Jones was gone. 
“How very nice that was,” said Sadie; and 
as Mrs. Jones looked into her face she could 
not help but see a tear or two. 
“ I am very glad be is gone,” said Alice; “ I 
can work at these mittens now. They are for 
father’s Christmas present. I suppose you are 
busy getting ready for Christmas, too, Mi3s 
Warner ?’* 
“ Not very busy. I scarcely know what to do. 
How handsome your mittens arc 1” 
“ And just as warm as handsome. You might 
make some for your father,” said Mrs. Jones. 
“Tf I only knew how," said Sadis. 
“Oh, I’ll show you,’, said Alice, which she 
did immediately. 
“ For brother Willie I am making a game of 
‘ring toss,’ or ‘ship coil,’ as Mrs, Whitney 
calls it in * We Girts.’ As her mother had 
gone out Alice drew a book from its hiding- 
place and said, '‘This is for mother, I earned 
“I want you to take it to your mother, and 
tell hor I sent it,” said Mr3. Jones. 
“ f cannot let you rob yourself of anything so 
choice," Bald Sadie. 
Mrs. Jones insisted, and her husband came in 
time to say, “You must take it. It will freeze 
in the kitchen, and you see there is no room 
here for one more—and it would be wicked to 
cast it in the cellar." 
“How can I get it home?” asked Sadie. 
“Alice will wrap it in paper and you can 
cover it with the robe and get it there all 
right,” said Mrs. Jones, 
“ If we don’t get upset,” said Sadie. 
“I’ll order all dogs bound,” .said Mr. .Toner. 
Edgar called for his sister then, and while 
Alice assisted her with her wrappings she said, 
“I don’t know but that you may think me silly 
over my little presents, that cost nothing much 
but work, but father says. * Anythino to show 
our love and thoughtfulness for each other.* 
We have not much money to spare, and we are 
economizing so that I can go to school.” 
“Oh, Alice Jones! God only knows how 
much I want to go too!" Her chin uuivered as 
she tried to frame her “good-by ” in words, 
and with a shaking of the hands the friends 
parted. 
Mrs. Jones saw all at a glance, “rattier," 
she said, “there is a girl that needs help. 
■What, kind of a home have they? Not much 
kindly feeling, is there?” 
"A comfortable home, with little visible 
signs of love," he answered. 
“ Who is to blame—Mrs. Warner?" 
“No, John himself. His wifo is like a frail, 
clinging vine, that would like to creep up to 
the light. He Is like the hoar frost, and Just 
nips the tender shoots as fast as they start.” 
“I wi9h we could do something for them. 
What will it be?” asked Mrs. Jones. 
“ Invite them here, 1 guess, and do our best 
to let John see what pleasant living is without 
an extra farm,” said Mr. Jones. 
CHAPTER I I. 
“Mother, Mrs. Jones sent|"you a Christmas 
present,” said Sadie, holding up the plant so 
it could be seen to tlie beat advantage, 
“ Sent It to me l” exclaimed the little woman. 
“Mrs. Jones 1” exclaimed (he liege lord. 
“ Ves, but 1 am ahead of my story. As we 
were passing their house, their big dog barked 
at us. Dick turned out of the road and loft, me 
in a snow bank; did not hurt mo at all. Mr. 
and Mrs. Jones rescued me, like good angels, 
and sent Edgar on alone. I am real glad it 
happened, for I had a glimpse of the pleasant¬ 
est sitting room imaginable, and hoard good 
tntialo too. Whatdo you think, father ?— Alice 
played and her father and mother both sung. 
It was splendid, and his voice is not naturally 
half as good as yours. Just to think what nice 
times we might have too." 
“What is Jones doing?" asked her father. 
“ Haullngwooit to keep the plants from freez¬ 
ing, so he said. Their pluuts are beautiful. I 
am going to bring ours out of the cellar and see 
if the room won’t bo moro cheerful." 
Mrs. Warner’s eyes dropped. 
“And keep up an extra flro at night," said 
Mr. Warner. 
“ You will do no such-” Edptf. stopped 
him from finishing the sentence by slipping his 
lingers under his chin and tickling himsllghtly 
—a boyish trick lie had—and said, “ Papa, we 
have plenty of timber land, and* I’ll promlso to 
bo a model at cutting wood; besides,it won’t, 
take any moro wood for all than for ono rose." 
“Sadie,” said Edgar next day, “ let us make 
father a Christmas present this year. Mother 
will help us.” 
“ I might make mittens for him ; I see mother 
is mending a pair,'* said Sadie. 
“There are some zephyrs in a box Cousin 
Abide sent here that ought to be worked up 
and-” 
“ Why I never saw them !" exclaimed Sadie. 
“They arc in the store room,” said her 
mother. 
Sadie hurried off to aoo them and found quito 
a variety. Pieces of embroidery, partly worked, 
of different dcstgns, and a pair of slippers nearly 
done. “Abbie wrote mo about them,” said 
her mother. “ Sbo commenced them for her 
own father, but they wore too largo and slio 
thought maybe I could use them for somebody. 
The shoemaker owes me for butter aud I can 
get him to sole them." 
“ l do wish A i ,ice Jones was here. She could 
teach me what to do with ail this material,” 
said Sadie. 
“ Well, daughter, 1 know the stitch for filling 
out the slippers. You work at the mittens and 
light, will oorne.” 
, “ The slippers will be your present to father,” 
said Sadie. 
Verily, the vine was finding sunshine and 
climbing toward it. Only a few days passed by 
and Alice and her father came to the farm. 
The former went into the house, but the latter, 
on seeing Mr. Warner at the door, went 
thither. 
“The box of worsted proved a perfect mine 
to Sadie, for Alice showed her how to knit a 
breakfast shawl for her mother, and a scarf 
was coming to warm Eddie’s ears, as no “ box 
with five nails" ever could. 
The men found (heir way in at last. On en¬ 
tering Mr. Jones spied the piano. “Whevv! 
Is not that rich !" he exclaimed. “Itlsa jewel 
beside our old one, but we love it dearly for all 
that.. Give us some music, Sadie.” 
“T wish I could, but I’ve never taken a les¬ 
son. Alice will favor us in my place.” 
“ What a fine tone it has," said Alice the 
moment she struck the keys, “I’m afraid I 
will go homo dissatisfied," Him played and sang, 
and then her father asked her to play a certain 
piece, adding that “ It used to be a favorite of 
Mr. Warner’s. He used to sing It, and I want 
to hear him again." Before Mr. Warner real¬ 
ized It. he was standing beside the piano sing¬ 
ing his old favorite, much to the astonishment 
of lii* own family. 
“You dear piano, I woulddove you too much 
if you woro mine,” said Alice, as sbo ran her 
fingers over the keys in a “good-by” sort of 
way. 
“Nevermind, daughter; after you are through 
going to school you shall have a new one if I 
can afford it. Now, friends,” continued Mr. 
Jones, “we came to invite you ai! for tea Thurs¬ 
day evening at our house. Do the chores, eomo 
early and stay as late as you can, and let us 
have a real good time.” 
Thursday evening found them attheappoint- 
od place. The evening passed off pleasantly, 
interspersed with music and games. The two 
men wandered off by themselves to see the 
apples In the cellar. 
“It is strange,” said Mr. Jcoes, “where wo 
hide things about Christmas time," and slip¬ 
ping a head out of a barrel be drew out a book 
of poems for his wife, some sheet music for 
Sadie, and an ovex-coat for Willie. “ I could 
not think of another place in my dominions 
that no one would discover. Besides, I want to 
give Alice some money to use for going to 
school. Could we not send our girls off togeth¬ 
er ? They would enjoy it." 
“I know Sadie is crazy to go, but it is impos¬ 
sible,” said Mr. Warner. 
“ Willie must go too, but I'll let him try the 
Academy a year. Could we not send them boys 
together?” 
“ I cannot spare Elgar. Have too mucb land 
for that,” 
“ Alice is eighteen and Willie is two years 
younger. If I do not attend to their education 
now they they will lie behind others of their 
age. I'll have to sacrifice a good deaf, though. 
Am going to sell my best team or horses and 
rent a few acres at the south side of the farm. 
You think we cannot plan so yours can go too. 
