Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-08-21

anu tlliH Wnh Win huf M hiHit hhu
token. After this there was nothing
tho little girl enjoyed no we'll ~ walk.
Ing with Miss Mann through the or.
ehard, on by the rye fields, or down by
spring whore the mint grew, cool and
fragrant on the moist ground,
And this lady had such long, do.
llghtnll stories 20 toll Of her mother !
of the days whom they used 10 go ber.
rylng and nuttlng In tho woods, and
tho rides they used 10 have on the
top OF the hay IN vacations,
'Deborah, = said Marlory, oonhden-
TALLY, "Ailaa Mann isn't u bit like an
old maid, Idbe willing tobeone my
self II | could BIO just exactly like
her"
II waa surprising, too, how eofand
gentle the little girls manners became,
IN less than week after Miss Mann'a
arrivals for, u the truth must bo told,
those were somewhat hoydenlsh be-
fore.
Ono day Miss Mann and Marory
sat sowing together In tho llttio par.
lor, when Grandfather Ellis oamo In
suddenly, holding something very
tight In one hand
"Guoss what have here for you,
MarIeY' ho said.
II cant, grandpa. oh, please give
10 10 moW cried tho now impatient
girl,
"it's lcttor, pussy" opening his
hand and revealing II.
"a letter lcttcri" clapplng her
hands, and plrouettIng around the
room. "l never had one In oil my
lifal Who can have sont IL 10 MOP"
Grandfather Ellis put on his large
silver glasses, and looked Mt tho nd.
dress.
"its from California, mychild,p he
said. at must be from your Uncle
Charles"
At that moment tho work slipped
from Miss Mnnn's fingers, totho floor.
She bent hastily, and raised IL up but
If Mariory had not been too much on
gagged TO observe hcrat that moment,
she would have seen she had grown
pale-oh, 80 very pale
Well, Marjory opened the lctter,
with n pleased futtcring at her heart,
and read II slowly, very slowly, for
she was not accustomed to the old,
scrawllng hand Of her dear Uncle
Charles.
Ii was very kind, loving letter,
which Mariory's uncle had written to
his "dear little orphan niece" us he
called her, and il brought the. tears in
to her eyes, when he spoke Of her
mother-his blue-eyed sister Ammo,
who had reached first the green shores
of that beautiful land, whittier he
hoped they all were following her.
The gentleman also told his niece
that he hoped TO see her before anoth-
or juno had ripened the strawberries
on the hills of Stanton; and he inten-
ded TO bring her somethingnice, made
out of 'real California gold"
"Oh, what good duncle have got,
said Marjory, after she had read it
twice to her interested auditors. ~
wonder If he will know me. You
know it is so long since / saw him
last
eyes, he's been in California nearly
five years. said Grandfather Ellis;-|
"he's got into some government Office,
and they do say he's made quite for
tin there. Letssee, you used toknow
him well, Miss Mann"
"Yes-I knew him very we'll when
he was young man" was the lady's
rather laconic reply, and she bent
very steadily over her sowing.
"Ilis wife was n little beauty, but
she was delicate sort of creetur,
that looked as if n smart wind would
blow her away | always thought it
was her death that sent him off; for
you know he set great store by her,
musingly continued the loquacious old
farmer.
eyes, responded the soft voice of
Miss Mann, "Charles was very fond of
her, and she deserved all of his affec-
ton
"You knew her, then2"
"Oh, yes. | met her ut Anne's be-
fore and after she was married"
Just then somebody called to see
the old farmer, and this discontinued
the conversation; but Marjory's little
tongue run on faster than ever, us she
confdentially related to Miss Mann
all she should write about in her re-
ply TO Uncle Charlie.
And shall tell him all aboutyour
visit here, and how much | like you,
and how / wish you would stay al
ways" said the little girl.
And Miss Mann drew her to her,
and kissed her forehead silently but
Marjory did not see that the lady's
eyes were full of tears.
That night Marjory took some
Strawberries and cream to one Of the
neighbor's little boys who was sick,
and on returning she searched all
over the garden for Miss Mann, but
i'm vain.
AT last she went up stairs, andvery
softly to the lady's room. The door
was ajar, and she sat by the window,
for il was growing into night, and the
stars were throbbing slowly into the
summer sky. Marjory saw she held
letter in her hand-yes. it certainly
was her uncles letter, and suddenly
the lady's head leaned down, and
kissed it very fondly, murmuring, 80,
Charles Oh, Charles y and then, the
little girl heard distinctly two or three
sobs.
She stole noiselessly away.
81 wonder, unused Marjory, "if Un-
Gle Charlie everdid any thing to make
dear Miss Mann unhappy. Well, he
will be here next summer, and III
tell him about it then"
Marjory said nothing to any one
else about this, and n few days after
,ro.I., Me- Maa,