Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-12-04

you are come, care for nothing ha,
; you. Oh, let US have fope-let us be com
fortedl'
But Margaret will not; and the sisters, i
,, their desolaton, weep in each others arms
A knock!-the sisters. in their deep grie
DO not hear it. A knock!-Margaret hear
it, but her feeble Come in is not hearI. /
knock. Then, as Margaret feebly rises.
back-door. leading isto the kitchen from tn,
rear of the house, is opened. and a voc,
says: a London letter for you, Mis- Butler
The post is not long in, for the rails have
been blocked up with the snow
Margaret goes and takes the letter. She
wonders who it can be from, as she has nc
correspondent in London, and as it is DARK
she cannot see the superscription.
Il was just to say, too,' adds the posiwo-
man, shat old John Broom has got tidyish
sized hamper for thee; and that, if thee'll
be good enough to sit up for bit, he'll send
the lad with it, as them as paid him for
bringing twas partic lar in saying it was
to be sent to thee at once
Closing the door, Margaret comes back
into the parlor, kneels down before The fire,
stirs up the dying embers OF wood till they
emit ftful blaze, and then tears open the
letter, from whence drops into her hand
bank-Dote for five pou IDS. The writing
consists of but few words, il.-spelt and II
indited; but they suffice to in form her that
the money is from the woman named Ann,
VINO. living in their house, robbed her and
Eleanor many years before. That this sum
is in part repayment, and that, if the writer
live, the whole shall be sent back again.
The letter is simply signed: Your repent
ant servant, Ann and bears no address but
that of London
Her consciousness as to want of faith
checks anything ike exuItation in the heert
of Margaret. The organ, resonant and
sublime, plays again in fency to her ear .and
utlers its lou d reproach; so, stealing gently
to the side of Eleanor, she kneels, and
whispers: Dear sister, my want of faith is
re5uked. Here is your dream come true
Here is FIVE pounds. Our hearth to morrow
will not be desola,e'
Again the sisters wcep--this time
gentler tears.
When they have TAXED the subject over,
Margaret rises, seeks for an ancient frag-
ment of wax-candle, with which for years
she has waxed her thread, lights it. goes to
the wood-house, finds wood .here, brings it
in, has soon cheerful fire, and then learns
that little Susan went home at four O'Clock,
ostensbly to go some errand for her mother,
and when done, to return. This she did not.
Thus was alone, dear Margaret says
Eleanor, 'and, as you know, was unable to
fetch wood, or prepare for you in any way.
My neglec: oi you must therefore be for
given.'
1t is--ths without asking.
just the kettle boils, and Margaret has
taken off her sOddened things, the hamper
Trrives. 1t is very large one, and Miss
Butler knows by the direction that it is from
Rose. Yes! Here is their beloved think
sing of them. Here new rebuke to her
wen. of fri.I,.--
'lf you pie Use, ma'am,' says the lad who
brings it, 'the carriage is paid; and Mrs
Bradley said was just to tell you that her
Susan went sliding near the barn and sprain-
her arm, and so couldn't come again; but
that she herself will be up right early in the
morning, and stay with you as long as you
need
TELL her to do so, please; and let one of
her boys come with her to bear a message
back tohia father. Fell her not to forget me,
as Miss Rose is coming
The boy gone, the doors locked, the kew
of one hidden where Mrs. Bradley will find
it in order to let herself in in the mornipr,
Margaret, tired as she is, proceeds to un-
fasten the hamPer-the kettle, though boil.
ing, being in the meanwhile forgotten.--
Eleanor holds the candle, and Margaret,
bringing the hamper to the side of the spider
legged couch, kneels down before it. R is
ing the lid, the first thing she sees, as she
expected, is note. She opens it. 1t runs
thus
DEAREST AUNTIEs: send you 3 Chris
mas hamper: holding as mlny useful things
as | could think of. What forget please
pardon, as have much to occupy me inst
now. | shall be with you tomorrow by
three O'Clock. Please dine at four; and, as
L shall bring company with me. let all eat
ables send be on the table Most of these
are cooked in order to save you the trouble,
Besides this, deac auDtieS, you must be in a |
very charitable and loving mood, for your
little Rose has been doing what perhaps
you will think is very foolish; but you must |
and will forgive her.
With love, your SHINING ROSE
BLESS me!' says poor Eleanor, her pale |
face growing still more intensely pale, 'what
can the child have been doingr
At once the whole truth rushes into Mar
garets mind; so, bending forward, she saws |
very softly: The child, l think, has been
getting married.
'Married' exclaimed Eleanor. TO whom! !
Charles Wooton is not vet returned, and she !
loves him, know; besides, she is so very
young-not yet eighteen
Miss Margaret then proceeds to tell her
sister what she heard at the canonry to-day;
and, putting this and other circumstances |
together, their conjecture amounts to cer-
tainty.
'Becaese,' says Margaret, sthe dear child |
has no money of her own. Ten pounds a
year, as puPl-teacher in country school,
wouldn't permit of presents such as this;
besides, the dear child had no money when
we sent her trifle a while ago. No; the
Squire, in his way ine-hearted old man,
though little crochety and obstinate, has
either taken Rose to Southampton, ard so
had her married there, or else Charles has
come down to Wooton Hall, and she was
fetched there from school,
CONCLUDED KR1r WEEK
PULPIT PECULIARIrIEs ant re MIN. |
"A clergyman was once travelling on board |
of Western Steamer, when among the pas
sengers was a man who took great pains to |