THE WOODLAND HOME.
To Susan Peter's cabin seemed like a palace; for he had taken care that
it should look clean and pleasant when his new wife came.
It was shaded with the beautiful boughs of the wood; and the door stood
open, for he had no lock and key. There were inside some comfortable
seats, and a fireplace, and table, and some wild flowers in a cup; and
on the floor were patches of sunshine that had crept through the leaves,
and made the room look only cooler and shadier.
Peter opened a closet, and showed his stores of meal and sugar, and all
his pans and dishes; and he took from his pocket the stuff for a new
gown, which he had bought at the fair on purpose for his wife, and
wheeled from its dark corner an easy chair he had made for her, and hung
upon the wall a little looking glass, so that she might not forget, he
said, to keep her hair smooth, and look handsome when he should come
home at evening.
Poor Susan could hardly believe her own senses: but a few hours ago she
had been a beggar in the streets, without one friend except the old
woman that dragged her through the dust and scolded her. Many a night
they had slept out of doors, with only a thorny hedge for shelter and
the damp grass for a bed; and if it rained, and they were out, had had
no fire to dry their shivering limbs; and when they woke up hungry in
the morning, had no breakfast to cook or eat.
And now the lonely beggar girl was mistress of a house, and the wife of
a man whom she would not exchange for the whole wide world, and who
seemed pleased with her, and even proud of her.
So you see, dear children, that it is never worth while to be unhappy
about our trials, because we do not know what may happen the next
minute. We never can guess what good fortune is travelling towards us,
and may, when times seem darkest, be standing outside of our door.
The poor debtor in jail may suddenly hear that he has been made a
prince; the dear friend that is sick, and seems almost sure to die, may
arise all the stronger, and the dearer, too, for the illness which
frightened us; the sad accident that causes such pain, and perhaps
mutilates us for life, may have kept off from us some more dreadful
pain--we cannot tell.
But of this we may always be sure, that the good God, who never sleeps
nor grows tired, loves and watches over us, and sends alike joy and
sorrow, to make our souls purer, and fitter to live in his beautiful
home on high.
Susan never was sorry that the strange old dame had put her hand in
Peter's; for he led her through the pleasantest paths he could find,
and when the way grew rough, he was so careful of her comfort, and so
grieved for her, that she almost wished it might never be smooth again.
They were very poor, and worked hard from morning until night, and often
had not quite clothes enough to wear nor food enough to eat; but they
were satisfied with a little, and loved each other, and enjoyed their
quiet, shady home.
Many a time they talked over the strange events of their wedding day,
and wondered if they had really happened, or were only the recollections
of a dream; and Susan would declare that she had not yet awakened from
her dream, and prayed she never might; for the cold, cruel, lonely world
she always knew before that day had changed to a beautiful, sunny home,
where she still lived, as merry as a bird.
Susan was not so ignorant as you might think; for before her old mother
was taken sick, she had lived at service, and though unkindly treated,
had learned to do many things, and could prepare for Peter little
comforts of which he never dreamed before.
She had, too, a pleasant voice, and she and her husband sang together of
evenings; so that it happened, after his wife came, Peter never heard
the snakes or wolves again.
Ah, and there were more cruel, more fearful snakes and wolves that Susan
kept away. Suppose she had been ill natured or discontented, and instead
of enjoying her house, had tormented Peter because it was not a more
splendid one; and when he came home tired, instead of singing pleasant
songs to him, had fretted about her little troubles, and they had vexed
and quarrelled with each other; do you think the far-off voices of
snakes and wolves outside would have made the poor man's home as doleful
as those angry, peevish voices within, which no lock could fasten out?