Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-06-10

uItANNtu rlEll ~ EFsIfNs hHh ~ tiN thluo
time my hear: asccnded in gratitude 70 the
Father Of all Gcod rs my eye rested npon
the little pale face looking 20 lovingly lnio
mine through tears: "My own little Lu.
cy." cried, as opened my arms. and the
mex, momcn, the weary head was phlowel
epon my bosom.
"You no doub. may have wondered
why did not speak plainly 10 my friends
in rrglrd to wha, | c,nHdrrsl great err
ror In their dealings with Lucy. and here I
will explain 1t. often thought this to be
NY duty. but shrank from the task, feeling
IL to b. delicate matter for comparative
stranger 90 interfere between parent and
child. At one tins quite decided 10 lay
aside these .cruplcs and open my heart 10
them; hut when | mentioned thi. 10 Lucy
she pleaded 50 earnestly against IL that I
yielded the point, and promised never to
break my .ilsnc, on the subject.
Arrived AZ home. az once commenced
housekeeping. and ycry happy was | to
ini my little charge all that bad pictured
her ani even mor,. Removed from the de-
pressing iblucnc,s that surrounded her,
her bodily health improved. while her spir-
Its became elastic. To- mo she was very
b,iutilul. loved to watch the varying
expressions Of hcy lars, gray eyes, % trace
the smiles that littcl about her prcttily
formed mouth, displaying her hultIcssly
bnutilul tooth and to see the warm cilor
come and ~ on her once hurlc~ check d.
not misunderstood M. Hattie. | would
not have you think h,r bilutiful; ior with
her features. thi. cilil not b.. II a -irin-
gcr. sh' couIl 10, nothing hut plain Lucy
Lambert; but to IN, VIA, loved her, thors
wa' something lndr-criblhly fascinating in
her every expression. | could watch her
hour. aud never b. weary.
Five years gldsl 50 noisoles,ly into tho
past that bad scarcely toli their aIsht
whru was rsminl,l OF the truth. by Ict.
tor lcom Lucy's father. urging us 10 spend
tho ensuing .prins months with them. |
could not well rill,c. ior f,lt that Llcy's
parents had still slni claim upon her; ., |
wrote - ready consent, aud then cJmmen-
ccd preparations.
While was overlooking slmc articles Of
clothing IN Lucy's trunk. discovered -
miniature. nni m taking /, up found !,
va. Harry Mays. now remembered hay-
ionuI Lucy several times d,cply absorbed in
looking at - picture. which she had conceal.
Ell on mg aPprnch. Dar lirle Llry q
.tli called her ~ 81, had refused tho sew.
er4I oiT.r. Of mirriisi shi hll received
aud. when | urs-i hr, sh,wIuli smile a
swcstIy al smile. AMI say
- think that shall ngyir marry, Aunt
Mercy"
Pp,r child! Npw hal obuin,l the
key to her long h,,ri'i ,,cr,t; yiz., hr
dl'liiy To her g,rIish love. Was Harry
May yet minilul of the plain IittIe Lucy
L,mh,r,-he whom report sail q be
wealthy. talented, and endowed with manly
charm,2 o.. early llys-lf love it wa.-.
had G.dol iron him a. drs,m Ing b'lore
,hi-, was the answer my heart gave. So
with sigh. | rcidrnsl tho m'niltur1 to It's
hid,ns plac,, and Lucy wa, nnn, th, visor
Tor the sccrs. I hll lnyoluntirily b'cIm,
mistress ul-l secret never known o. one
save herself, and tha, Biins who reads the
hidden thoughts of his children rs though
they w,r, open books.
Wcarriysi nt C,ncinnttti. FIVE years
had wrought great changes in my friends
family Frank AMI Walter were no longer
bpys, but h.hionibIe appurin; young
men yet they both held their inds itity,
tor Frank vas gay. d.,hins, with a spice
Of hi' old fan loving propensity about him
Will, Walter was s1lt ani tender in his
ways as u woman, yc; he did not lack man
lincs,ol character. Bat Bella how shall |
find words q d,-crbe her? Her charms
had far outriyalled the promise OF her girl
hood Ny poor little Lucy seemed To sink
into her former lnHgnifcinco by the side Of
her. and was forced u own that dear as
she was to ne. she was still plain little Lu-
cy Inmbert. IL was evident that the fam
ily thought the same, though they aid she
was much improved.
Lucy sat m her own room, IN Der favo-
ri,o scat at the window, her head reclining
on her hand and her eyes resting dramily
ON the landscape before her. | knew wlicre
her thoughts were, for few hours before
we had received the intelligence tina, Harry
May had returned from Canton. Soon there
was ring ut the door. aud in n few mo-
mcnts B.la cime bounding along the PAS.
sage was aud into the room exclalmiug
Lucy-Iuey Harry May Is down stairs,
and has inquired lOr you. liz Is one OF the
most splendid looSing men ever saw, aud
90 polished in his manners. COms-come
down quickly. for he seems quite impatirn,
to seo YOU. the gay girl continued, not
needing tho deathly plllor that had over.
spread Lucy's iaca. as she danced away.
30, Aunt Mercy, what shall do?" es.
capped Laey's white lips, as che rose and
sinking on her knees on a sofa at my side,
threw her arms around my neck and laid
her cheek ag,ln't mine. endeiyored To
soothe her. AMI after time she became
more composed. Then | smoothed her
brown hair frum her brow, arranged tho
folds Of her white muslin dress which was
fastened at the throat by moss rose bud
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