Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-11-28

served to distinguish her from all other of hi'
friends
Mr. Brewers calls were not frequent, but
they never failed during the many months in
which she set and sewed in the humble attic
| room.
Alas for the struggling, tossed, brave and
weary girl These visits, so comforting al
first were coming to be a source of pain-iI
fact especially in prospect.
He came and went as kind disinterested
friend always considerate and apprrciative
but always selfpoised Knowing aud trusting
| the man but what she saw in her own home
| He never talked of himself The lad who came
and went with the bundles had once or twice
| spoken of " father" in a manner that cOnVnc-
ed her that Mr.. Brewer was husband, and
this his son. That was all but it was decis-
i've. And yet, thou Oh settled on this from the
first, as time wore on, the companionship and
sympathy Of her one visitor grew into need,
| and then a necessity. No reasonings, no will
! fol checkings, no condemnation even, could
stay the growth of that giant presence by
which at last she was covered and oVerpower-
| ed. In vain Jennie flashed indignation on her
| self, that she loved the love of another wo-
mans heart-a husband and father. In vain
she wept and struggled and prayed. The chain
grew tighter, holding her to a misery to which
all the sadness of her life bore no comparison.
x X
The afternoon sun Of a September Sabbath
wrapped in a cherry light the dark and sea-
washed hull of an ocean steamer coming up
the bay to the crowded pier.
tho cornn mODonnt friopJ t,rnn6
down dull, dark street, entered doorway
and assembled the creaking stairs 1t was one
of the brick houses with their smoke and smok-
ing chimneys, lay the always changing picture
of the bay.
To-day, after long discussion of the beau
ties and the blemishes, first of 1.-The Old Gu
rosity Shop" and then of DeQuincey's Confes-
sions, with other and minor talk, Jennie touch
ed on the scenery of the bay, with its white
winged butterflies and the black beetle that,
an hour or two before, had been crawling up
the harbor
" l always think" she said, " when l look
upon the harbor, that perhaps some day it will
bring my brave brother back to me and then
shall not be alone, nor unhappy, nor tired
any more. Oh if | could ouly know wheth-
er he is living or dead-Bhether | shall ever
have him again !"
The tears would come, and her eyes were
all glIstening as she looked into the face Of
her friend
Mr.. Brewer seemed absent, yet present
tender, yet i'll at ease The thought darted
into her mind, "perhGps be knows more of my
brother than IL
Have ever told you anything of myself"
be answered at length.
Never"
Upon this he moved O chair close beside
her, but so as not to meet her glance, and told
the story of his life down to the present hour.
1t was told couciSely but all the prominent
facts were there. Then changing his place,
taking her hand and looking nto her eyes, he
brought tears to them again, and bushes to
her face, by the question:
" VIII you trust me and love me y
Jennie whispered could not find her
voice
" VIII l !? l always have"
When they had both found words for other
sentences, and Jennie had been talking, Mr.
Brewer exclaimed
" Married ! | never even loved before"
a slow step was heard on the staircase a
gentle rap at The door, and a pale young man
entered.
Jennie !"
" Robert !"
Aud the maiden had another Joy added to
the sweetest bliss of life.
But Robert had come home to die--as the
day dies, slowly receding to the other side of
life
But had brought the gold which he had
spent his Young life in earning for the two at
home One had no need of gold now the
other had no wish for it; but the dust was
hers; an6 when the weeks had gone in which
they had sweetened his receding life with the
breath of love, leaving him at last where flow.
ers grown upon live stalks and chains and clus-
tiers cut in snow marble made his last home
beautiful, it flowed from her own and her bus
bands hands in channels which gladdened
many poor girls life, and made the sister and
her other noble self happier for the JOY of thus
making his lost life bloom in many relighted
eye and rekindled cheek.