Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-08-19

cred away. She herself dropped, an
the roses fed from her checks, and sh
took melancholy pleasure in visiting
the spots where side by side, she an
Harvey had passed some of the delic
ious spring hours of their young lives
7 During one of these rambles she cam,
to retired place some distance from tn,
village where they had often met to tall
of the future, and indulge in the poe
try of eourtship. 1t was the margin Of
q brook beside which stood an aged oaI
in certain hollow of which they sed
to deposit their messages and little love.
tokens. Annie gazed upon it with mel
anchciy interest, and almost instructive
ly put her hand into the cleft. Tremb.
ling she drew forth a letter, which she
persued with hutter of delight min
gled with fearful sorrow. It ran thus;
DEAREST ANNIE:-Grieve not for
me. am unworthy of you. go away
to render myself worthy of the past as
regards your sweet self, not with any
views to the future. How could I? My
daily prayer shall be for thy happiness,
and whether you wed another or not,
1 shall be faithful. hare been so, and
that is the only self consolation can
carry away with me. My intention is
to redeem my errors by honest industry
and not sink under either regret or des-
pair. [ take with me some of your
own strong angelic spirit. Farewell, God
bless you, dearest Annie!
"P. 81 need not say to you that
Jimmy Thompson's children are father
less. L know noao what you meant by
the pale face at the wicket gate
Wet and soiled as this missive was,
Annie placed it in her bosom as she
mentally said, 81 shall see Frank Har-
vey again"
The orphan children were provided
for. Annie undertook the charge of
the eldest, a girl, and the other two
were placed by the influential ladies of
the neighborhood, in a school where
they could be reared and educated until
able to go forth into the world.
Two years elapsed, during which An
ME became thin, and very staid in her
demeanor, repulsing all suitors at once
and decisively still she was not unhappy
for the little flower had again raised its
head, and difused fragrance through
out her soul. One day letter arrived
it was directed to herself. When she
had read it, she with heightened col
or and brighter eye, handed 1T to her
father. the old man persued it with
visible satisfaction, and to conceal some
emotion, or probably to correct what he
deemed a weakness, he opened the old
family Bible, and while engaged over
the sacred volume, Annie was in her
chamber on her knees, with her face
buried in the snow white coverlid of her
bed After this letters came more fire.
quently, and at last regular once week
and it was noticeable that with each ar
rival the bloom on Annies cheek in
creased, her step became frmer, and her
voice more cheerful She was even oc-
casionally heard to hum snatches of old
ballads. Mr.. Lee to the surprise of the
whole village, undertook long journey
and was away several weeks. The sur
prise deepened into astonishment when
upon his return he announced his in
tentions of disposing of his property,
and retiring for the remainder of his |
days to another part of England. His
were speedily completed,
and father and daughter departed amid
the tears of many.
AS the reader has anticipated, they
had gone to share in and augment the !!
renovated fortunes of Harvey, who, to
use the old mans terse expression, had
himself" Having offered
his services to a distant relative in
Yorkshire, they had been accepted, and
his knowledge of modern farming hav-
ing proved SO really excellent, in the
course of few years, with his savings
and influential recommendations, he
found little difficulty in obtaining a |
farm for himself. In fact his cultivated |
in all matters relating to |
what is termed high farming, and pro-
cured for him the substantial favor of
one of the most popular noblemen and |
land owners in England. So situated |
he did not scruple once more to offer his
hand to Annie, and it was accepted, her
father volunteering a liberal advance of
We must pass over few years, and
in troduce our readers to the last scene
in this little domestic drama which fell
under our notice. Let them imagine
a toerablc sized residence, with flower
garden before it, fronting a good road
and Aankcd by orchards. In the rear
there are kitchen gardens, and beyond
them large farm yard, surrounded on
three sides by buildings, and in the dis
tance fields stretching far and wide. AT
the front of the house stands the owner
talking to a gentleman on horseback
The latter waves courteous adieu, and
the owner, tall, portly, handsome
Englishman, about the middle age, O.
pens a door in one of the orchard walls,
and gazes within. Under tree sits
white haired old man, laughing at the
gambols of some rosy children playing
on the grass, and not far from him sits
a beautiful English woman, who looks
much younger than she really is: Her
figure, although full, is still perfect in
symmetry, and not line marks her
bright beaming face. Her lips are rosy,
and her eyes sparkle with animation
Bv her side stands fine boy of some
twelve years old, who is attentively lis
tenlng to a book she is reading, the val
ue of which she is attempting to impress