LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1468, 30 October 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A BRAVE WIFE.

["Argosy."]

(Concluded.)

Not but what her courage sank as they went on, and on, and on, seemingly interminably. But now, when her brow wag getting moist with deferred hope, her voice faint, they came in view of a house. Actually a house! It was that of an adventurous settler As they rode up, a man —the sett'er himself—stood at the door, aa axe over bis shoulder. They alighted, and were received with a most; hearty welcome.

'Mother,' oalled he, running back to the dior. which was only a faded bed quilt hanging with all the grace of tapestry against the opening, «Mother, here are travellers. '

A kindly-looking, motherly woman immediately appeared. She put Delia in mind of Mrs Dawes, only that she was years younger. A wide-eyed infant lay in her arms, two flaxen-haired children, also wideeyed with astonishment, were hanging to her apron. She was more glad to see them than tong'ie could tell One must live in these solitary places, beyond the ordinary foot steps of man, tj know what joy the sight of a traveller bri"gs. Thn settler was one James Eittering, who, with his wife and little ones, had come out a year or two ago. So hospitable were thefe entertainers, so hearty was the cheer, that before the evening was over Mrs Walden | caught hersdf feeling quite.at home. Her husband wrote a letter to the Quaker, and Eittering rode with it the next day (: unday) ! to the distant post office. On Monday moyning Mr. Walden, leaving his wife and children behind, started forth with the axe and gun, with which he had i not forgotten to py vide himself. He took with him a week's provision of dried venison and corn cakes, with which the settler's wife provided him, also some valuable advice given bv James Rittering, and a faithful d"g. With these he marched onwards to fix upon a favorable place in the forest, there to hew himself out a settlement. Iu those days the American Government gave whatever wild land the adventurer chose to clear, as the i'3wr,rd of his industry and energy, and so, Mr Walden was sure, as long as iais right arm failed him not, of a \ spot on, earth which he might call his own. : He crossed a branch of the Onion River, and I found there a location to his mind. Here he foiled trees for nearly a week, making a booth f'r himself of hemlock boughs for bis dormitory. Saturday at noon he took ujihia axo and started to retrace hia my by the marked trees—for he had, gashed the trees, as he went, for S\ guide. It was a long way to go Lo bu sure-, but—— j Suddenly Robert Walden was startled by the appearance of a woman. She was crossing his clearing. Another glance, and his heart leaped. It was his own wife " ' Delia ! how came you here ?'■ 1 1 followed your xaarked trees, to be sure.'

' And yoa came all this way, brave little kearis, to go back with me !'

' Not at all. Hoberfc lam come to stay with you. You must be wearied out with your labor, ami need a rest. Let us spend the Sabbath iu these floijioua woods, and Monday morning we will both go to work ; yes, though ~k may not be able to cut down trees, "k can help, I know, in many little ways. Where there's a will there's a way, you know The children ? Oh, I left them behind with Mary Bittering ; they are as happy as the day's long. And see, I have brought a fresh bag of provisions, and you sh-II kill game, and we will strike a fire and roast some meat,

Robert Walden fell more deeply in love with the pretty woman before him, her cheeks aglow with exercise, and her havrabout hor face, than ever he had with this girl Didia Fane at quilting, party, dance, or apple-paring ; but ho tuvmad from her for a few moments, fc;; th* sun, or something else, had moist#ia<yl his eyes, * Youa T e.::, brave woman, Delia ' 'Did- you think I came out to W »n encumbrance to you, Robert ? Better I had stayed behind with Mrs I>aweß thaa that. Audi have something, to tell you. Elijah Dawes came Ujjy&stcrday for the horses, and is gone ' ' A,litah Dawes ?'

' Ye* ; he had you letter, nx\d thought it sa F er to come himself : besides, lie knew the way. People are raging rampant, he Ray 3, at your having got away, and all. our dear household are being turned topsyturvoy, aud the yalc is, to be uext week,

They think I ought to be hung, I expeot for having such good dresses. That new pink I got for Mrs Plymouth's ball ought to Bell well; it has never be< j n on.' Robert Waldeu made no comment. He was picturing his once happy home. ' And Eachel Dawe3 sent me a few uceful things from their own store,' added Mrs Walden; ' she knew we could not have brought away much. How good they are, she and her husband 1 What a friend Elijah has been to you, Robert!' 'Aye, he has been that,' auswered Robert Walden. 'l'll tell you now, Delia, what I have not told you before—that he is one of our largest creditors. Hart took him in.'

The circle that this new settler had already begun to e'ear was immense. Be felled the trees so that the top of one, falling, touched the trunk of the next, making a hasty fence for as much land as he thought he could ever manage to clear, and it was a good many acres, I can assure you. Then the trees were cut within the circle, and there was wild work among the poor little birds' nests, but the war was with the gaunt wolf, hunger, and the crash of these little homes could not be helped. These trees were burnt to ashes : there was a better hut made, and, at the end of two or three weeks, they weut back for their children, bringing wheat and corn to sow. It was hard work for the unaccustomed hands of Walden, but the muscles grew inured to it The woods grew warmer, and, before the cold weather came, a spacious log house had been built, and there was corn harvested, and wheat and dried vnison hung in the comer of the room, and bears' meat was lying frozen under the snow, easily made ready for And a cow was bought, and two or three fheep came, the produce of the first wheat sold. And Delia, in her independence, was a happy woman, always at work or instructing her children They prospered. The hand of the diligent maketh rich.

A few years, and the farm was fertile and fair to look upon, lying on the banks of a mad little river, that went rushing into a larger one. Sods were born in the forest, and labourers on the farm increased. The creditors had long been paid in full, interest and principal : everything the Waldeus touched seemed to turn to gold. Mrs Wa'den did no rough work now; she had women and men servants.

Emigrants from Massachusetts and New Hampshire were attracted thither, and the Walden farm, large enough for a city, was pieced cut to the settlers at a good price. A flourishing town started up. Mr Walden was a father to the new comers, their nevertired referee, their adviser and friend. His sons and d .ughters, a goodly show of them grew up around him, worthy, respected, honest, as he was, with the same simple dependence on the guidance of God. His fame, as an upright man and a man of substance traveled far and ne ir. He was made Judge of %he Probate Crart; other

honors were pressed upon him. The town bore his name ; it still stands and flourishes in the green heart of Vermont. You ne*=d not, however, get a map to look it out, for I have not given you < r udpe Walden'a real name, only his veritable history. One good oid Quaker Dawes and his wife, Rafael, travelled to the large farm, and spent a whole summer tHere Ah ! no need now to conceal from their townspeople the place of retreat of the Waldons, or that they were about to stay with them ! All that; trouble has passed away for ever. 'We had pleuty of hard work and little crosses and cares to contend with since we first settlfd here,' observed, Mrs Walden, one afternoon that she ws,3 sitting with her guests under the trees in the orchard, «but no real drawback from the first. All things have been prosperous and happy. S > much so that at times I marvel whence it all comes —how it can b?.'

'I cau tell thee, Delia,' replied the old lady, whose sun-bonnet, shading her placid faoe, was whiter and larger than ever. • The blessing of the Lord ; it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.'