Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-05-06
Otuuille Dnilq Datte RerurG.
from The Golden Era.
ELMIRA
Or the MasOn's Paughters
BY JOHN II. FITZGERALD.

er, and my dear daughter, bear lit
tie space yet with feeble old father,
who is morose and disagreeablc to such
an extent that strangers avoid him,
and the patience of his only child is
almost exhausted
Forgive me, father she pleadingly
said, as she threw her arms around his
neck, and imprinted a kiss upon his
forehead, while the thin, gray locks Of
the father mingled with the dark tres
ses of his only child.
The winter rains Of 40 had set in
with severity, and the cold. damp, hea.
Wy atmosphere clogged the lungs Of the
debilltated invalid. At his side was
his ever-attentive daughter. Friends
had gathered about his bed, aud each
seemed anxious to aid their brother.
The oiten-repcated word Of 'brother,'
which the visitors addressed to the
father, and the kind attention they uni
formIy bestowed upon her, caused hrr
to make enquiry as to itssmean'ng. and
when Informed ,hat it was the brother
hood Of Masonry they alluded to, she
he longer wondered at the chart which
hung 50 long on the wall of her fathers
study, or Of his constant pcrusal OF the
'Mason's Manu- H. A smile OF pleas
ant meaning would lingrr on the old
mans face, as his eyes rested upon the
form of his child, as she contemp plated
the various pictures upon the margin
of the chart, which now hung at the
foot Of his bed. Among the few who
called to see the sick man, was young
clergyman Of two>and twenty, who
used the rites Of an 'entered apprcn-
tice' to a 'Patriarch.' He was colrte-
Gus, kind and agreeable, and III those
stirring time. when time was money,
he hnd many a leisure hour to spare,
encouraging the sick man. cheering the
daughter, and prepa Ing her mlHd for
the parting that must soon come be-
tween her and her father
One sabbath morning, in December,
the clouds had cleared away, and the
sun shone out, dispelliug the gloom of
u long-continucd rain, when pioccs-
sion followed a hear>e down Stockton
street, vending its way slowly to the
graveyard at the base Of Telegraph
Hill. After the hearse walked NM
istcr, carrying a Bible saroud,d IN
Grape; then followed eight pall-bcar-
crs, and then woman, tn only mourn-
cr, while at her side walked two men
with uuccyer,d he IDS, ont OF rc~pct t
to her sorrow, and ca.blcm ,i"al f
their sympathy at her ms >toy'uuc, then
came tew PERSONS, distinguished from
those that followed by small green
sprig, which they wore on their breasts.
The procession stopped at new-made
grave, the prayer was said, the {. cen
twiss fell upon tie co1hA, a..d the sod
covered the old mans resting place.
Elmlrl found home with the fans
ilv of a friend 1hc winter rolled
round, and the spring Of 80 found her
still there. She called On day at the
post office, and rec ived letter dated
several mouths back, and addressed TO
her father. She delayed breaking the
ec,l until she reached hrr home, and
then, to her astoni>hment, found 1t adj
dressed Dear Father. 1t was from
her husband, and alluded to her tatE-
er's sickness, apologlzed for breaking
the silence that he had imposed upon
himself, and requested that he might
be permitted to visit him if he came to
San Fran isco, and closed with the
avowal, that if his daughter preferred
anv one to him, he would resign his
right to her hand and leave her free
to choose.
This generosity was unexpected and.
engendeied in Elmira a secret wish to
see him to whom she had been plight
ed, FIR in the excitement Of the mo-
mcnt she had not looked iuto his face,
but became bride to one whose tea
lures were unknown. The release left
her more at liberty, and enjoying that
freedom so natural to Young hearts,
she often srolcd over the hl IN COM
pany with the yo,ng cl rgyman; aud
it was not lon. before her heart told
L. L i -..{f