Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-02-19
MIS- c Il l. l. A N Y.
MEET LIZZIE AT SIX"
nv HELTS l.. BOsTwIcK.

That was all the dispatch contained. -Four
little words; yet what excitement they
caused In the household a, Maple Cottage;
the quiet. sober household. whose members
a, the moment Of its reception. were on the
point Of going to rest for the night.
Meet Lizzie at six?" Was our darling
indeed 50 near US? Two years and three
months had passed since our eyes had been
sladdcncd by her girli.h beauty. since her
voice had mingled with tho bird music that
(olied all the long summer days among
the naples. Two years and three months
she had been buried among books. in FAR
away city. bowling her sunny curls over
algebra anl geometry, grammar and phil
osophy, astronomy and boiany, French and
Latin; patiently a, first, because her parent.
desired ~ alierSari chccrfully. to please
the teachers sac had learned to love; aud
a, last. Gcalously, from pure THIRST for the
treasure. these studies unlocked TO her.
But |, wa, over now /; those ,oilsonc years,
and she was on her way to US once more
our Liriic--our Re, aud pridc-wc should
" meet her at six"
She had left u. 10 the morning had
journcycl without stopping, all day; this
We Guessed at once and ai eight in the
evening, finding a has,y opportunity, she had
,elrgrhphel to Us the words above. AtsiI,
the Eastern train arrived at our station
Lizzie was II rile all night, for the sake Of
reaching home thus early. IL was like her
impulsive. warm.hrarted child ,ha, she was
How little We slept that night What
slight sounds aroused Us; how early We
were all a.tir-e,cn the baby, and the white.
haired grandfather. Me-, Lizzie, eh :"
he said I" ave, indeed will We" And the
old mans ,oica caught yoithful tone, and
his cruiches an elastic movement. a. he hob
blrl abou, the housc, giving orders, as II
all the responsibility rested upon him. to be
sure.
There was Hannah. too, bcwildering the
mother abiut breakfast Dit LiIi,c like
coiI,o or cocoa bc,t?" And would she
make biscuits or wall,s? And the mother.
smiling all the time, nodded her head 70
everything. and wen, hurrying about, with
the gridirin in one hand. and the rss.boilyr
in the other, cnhHing Fanny TO curl the
hAby's hair. and looking at the clock every
five minutes. hut Fanny, with mysterious
aproniul. of something, was d,tins up stairs
aud down. leaving book here, a dover
there. disuerrcliyp, on the the tab!c, or
rosy checked apple in the window-sonc-
thing fur Lizzie to sec and smile NJ. Only
the father seemed unl.,urbed. We noticed
TO b. sure, that the dimplcs in his checks,
which Lizzie always said she made with her
nasrrs when shc was babe, look~l deeper
when ho smlcl, and that his yuice was
tril, les steady whcn be told Thomas to
bring the horses; but be dil not like g. be
considered dcmon,,ratiyc man, 80 We only
.lo,krI significantly at each other. and 'Aid
nothing Still waters are sometimes rory
deep.
At la, tho carriage came aroand, and we
20, in; two of ". beside the father who
was to drive. There wa. room for mere {;
but 1t was quite out of her line, the mother
said. 10 z, on - disaing drive before break
fast; 50 We Left her on the piazza, with the
pickle.di,h in her hand, and wipins her eyes
with her apron.
II WIS half mile 10 the depot, and the
sun bad not quito ris'n when We st'rte'l.
How halmy and pure the air vas, that soft
September morning We thought, esotIs's
as we are, in our happiness, that nature
symplthiicd with US. IL seemed as # there
had never been - fair sun.rising before,
and as II half the glory Of the morning
would have been wast,d, had Lizzie not
been coming home.
The car. had not arrived, when we stopped
at the station. hut we heard the whistle Of
the locomotive. not very distant; and then
thos, few sweet waiting moments-what q
world Of blessed anticipation they held. The
sun was rising-ah, Lizzie Lizzie!
At last the train came up-stoppcd. We
looked at the windows; only row Of
sad faces LiIlie must have sat on the
other side. 4 Few passengers came out,
solemn.faccd and silent. We pressed for.
ward-so did those who were going out on
the train. The conductor appeared, and
waved everybody back. then motioncd to
some one in the ear. Two men came out,
and slowly descended the steps, bearing
llfelcss body-a woman her features COW
cred by veil. They bore it into the saloon,
and laid it rcycrently upon the sofa. Still
the conductor waved the crowd baek-ex-
cept our party! He knew Us. and turned
away his face as We approached.
TAea we knew how it was; all except the
father; he could no. believe! Firmly he
raised the veil from the dead face. oh.
God! All merciiul l. it thus we NEE,
thee, Lizzie, darling, our best beloved, idol
Of our hearts
In a brief time we learned the story.
Learned how the Angel Of the Lord had
=. met Lizzie " before us. in the still twi.
light Of that autumn morning, and after one
pang, terrible we know, bat brief, bad Watt.
ed her gentle spirit to those who waited for
her in the homo OF angels