HOME AGAIN, FROM A FOREIGN SHORE.
Jonesville wuz bathed in the rosy hue of sunset when Ury let down the bars and we passed up into the lane leadin’ to our dear home—that sweet, restful haven, into which Josiah and me truthfully felt that our barks would sail in and be moored forever and ever.
Yes, we both felt that nothin’, nothin’ could tempt us agin to spread our sails and float out of that blessed Home Harbor.
How soft the light fell onto the white curtains with lace agin’! How sweet the rosy glow illumined the piaza and front yard, and how it played round the red chimblys and Philury’s collar, as she stood in the front stoop to welcome us home! Inside the house wuz all lit up, and when we entered, there wuz the children all come to surprise us, and welcome us home. They had sent Philury out, like the dove, on the front doorstep, while they stayed in the ark to surprise Ma and Pa when we come.
They had sent Philury out, like a dove, on the front doorstep to meet us.
Oh, how glad they wuz to see us, and visey versey. Yes, indeed, I guess it wuz visey versey—the children and grandchildren almost eat us up, and we them.
A beautiful supper wuz a-waitin’ the tired-out travellers. The girls had laid to and helped, and it wuz a supper long to be remembered, and the children’s and the grandchildren’s demeanors to us wuz as tender as the briled chicken and cream biscuit, and the ties of love that united us all together wuz as strong as the coffee, and stronger, too, and mellered down by our happiness, jest as that wuz with lump-sugar and rich cream. And, oh, how good! how good it did feel to be to home! Josiah the first thing pulled off his boots and went round in his stockin’ feet.
I sez, “Why do you do that, Josiah?”
“Oh, for no reason, only to swing out and do jest as I’m a-mind to. After bein’ cramped and hampered for months, I’m a-goin’ to act and feel to home, and I’m a-goin’ barefoot for a spell,” sez he, “as soon as the children go.”