Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-11-26

dark eyes ,beaming bright through thei
, long, heavy lashes,
"Lena," said he, at last, "will you COM
and sit down by me, for l have something
to say to you?'
She came with a smile halfcurious
halfconfding. for Lena, had learned to
know Wilton very well during that month
"Lena," he said, stroking the little hand
he had taken in his and looking into hel
clear eyes, 'do you love me any?"
Love you any?" answered the girl, with
that frankness which contact with the world
had never taught her to conceal; "to b.
sure do. Where you not my mothers
best friend, and are you not my own now
Oh. 1 love you better than any one in the
world, Mr.. Hughesr'
"Well enough to be my wife, Lena?".
She sprang up in her wild astonishment,
and her cheeks were incarnadined with
bushes.
81 your wife. You do not mean it, Mr..
Hughes?'
He put his arms around her.
ayes, Lena, should not jest on such a
subject. Twenty years lie between us, and
my hairs may be growing gray while your
cheek still keeps the loom of its youth
Shall you love me less because loved your
mother frst-because 1 shall be old before
you, Lena?'
She drew close to him. "No, no. l
was not thinking of that; only I am so
different; l know so little, and am so un-
fitted to be your wife"
81 am in no hurry, Lena. You are
right in thinking yourself too young to
marry now. 1 will wait for you three
years. Twill not tranmel your girl-life
with any engagement which gratitude
might induce you to make me. You shall
be free and you shall pass the intervening
three years at one of the best schools in
the Union"
The pride of Lena's father, and the deli
cacy of her mother rose in her answer.
"But to be so dependent before l am
married! Forgive me! but cannot bear
the thought of it, Mr.. Hughes"
II have looked out for all that, my
Lena. The gentleman at whose school l
would place you, desires an assistant in
drawing. In two months you can be this,
and yourself defray your expenses"
"How can 1 thank you?" said Lena,
with burst of happy tears. How l will
study, so you shall not be ashamed of me
| when l am"
She did not finish the sentence; but be-
fore she buried her burning face on his
shoulder, there had beamed a glance
through her swimming eyes, which told
Wilton Hughes that she loved him.
Three years had passed. Wilton had
Just returned with Mr.. and Mrs. Hills
from their annual visit TO Saratoga. Mar
tha, his eldest sister rode up the next day
to welcome them home again.
81 hear you had an unusually gay sea-
son at the Springs" said the lady. Was
Wilton as Indifferent as ever to the beauties
he found there, Sara?".
ayes, just, Martha. I have given him
up now. He's confirmed old bachelor"
"No, he isn't either" said the gentleman
in question, coming in from the next room,
he bad over heard these remarks; sand to
prove this to you, expect to be married,
Providence permitting, four weeks from
this dayr'
"To whom?" cried both the ladies, as
they sat down pale with astonishment.
ado you remember, Sara, young girl
a Miss Arnold, who some three years ago,
did plain sewing for you a few days9 She
is TO be my wife~
"Wilton Hughesw shrieked both the
Mortified ladies; will you SO disgrace your
self and your family? We will never,
never receive her-never speak to her."
"Martha! Sara! Be STILL" The tones
were so stern and commanding that even
the proud woman yielded TO them. "List-
en- to me-" and Wilton sat down and told
the sisters the story of his youth-of his
love for Mary Wills, and Of the lie that
had made her another's, and how his heart
had holden that one memory in silence
and tenderness for so many years.
Then he told them of the winter night
and his meeting with her child, and thus
he concluded.
"Whether you receive her or reject my
wife, is matter perfectly optional with
yourselves; but, remember, she is never
to be insulted in my presence" And he
left them.
Wilton's words had reached the woman's
heart of his sisters. There was something
of truth and beauty in his deep, long en-
during love, which spoke to their souls
through all the pride and false shame which
had overgrown. .
Mary Wills had been their playmate in
the days they had since blushed to remeu1-
Der, and her sweet voice came back to
them once more, and in that better mo-
ment they said:
"The,e is no use in finding fault with
him, and, after all, his love has been very
beautiful. She will be his wife, and we
will receive her as SUCH"
And they did not alter. their determina-
ton, when Wilton brought Lena to them;
and they looked upon her graceful and
yicelike, in all her rare bridal beauty; for
she was happy as few wives are in the bus
band who had first loved her mother.
MAN MIss1NG.-A Mr.. Farley G. Dim
ick, of Claridon, Geauga county, for some
months has been engaged in buying cattle
for a cattle-dealer in Connecticut. On Sat
urday evening last the two men met at the
American House, in this village, intending
at o'clock that evening to take the cars
for Michigan, where Dimick represented he
had lot of cattle recently purchased. A
few minutes before the time for leaving for