, 1862-11-27

said the old man, giving Mrs. Arnott's slender
palm huge squeeze in his brown paw.
"And you are as welcome as flowers in May =
cried she, affectionately. "Come in, Cousin ia.
bez, and let me take your coat Now don't re'
sist; you're going to stay with US q month al
least I have not seen you for so long. Mary,
my love, that is your cousin from Vermont; you
have often heard me speak Of bis kindness tc
me when child"
Mary put up her coral lips to kiss Uncle Jabez
and repeated her mothers cordial welcome.
John will be here in q few minutes" said
Mrs. Arnott, when she had established her guest
in the rocking chair before the CHEEKY blaze "he
will be so glad to see you. Do sit nearer the
fire, Cousin Jabez; there-that's right Why,
It seems like my childhood over again to see you
in our little Thanksgiving circle"
YOU'RE the same warm.hearted gal as ever,
Ellen" said the old man, putting his hand earess.
ingly on the fair head, where q few silver hairs
were already beginning to CLEAN among the brown
tresses.
How his heart expanded in the genial influence
Of that bright little home-happy In spite Of its
too evident poverty. How joyons Il seemed be-
side the frigid splendors Of Mrs. N. Howard Har-
rington's mansion.
And when they all sat in the crimson glow Of
the red eInbers, at twilight, chatting oyer the
past and present. he uniolded all his kindly
plans.
al am alone in the world" he said, "and I
want some one to cheer up the old mans solitary
hours ! am rich and have enough for Us all.
Come to Varmont all Of you, and live with me.
The country air will strengthen you up, John.
Ellen shall see the place where she was gal,
and little Mary shall be my heir. What dye
sayH
What did they sayp The warm flush in Mr..
Arnott's thin cheeks responded instantly, and
Ellen gratefully clasped the old mans hand,
while little Mary whispered under her breath -
"The country--the country for poor papa
o, Cousin Jabez, we shall be so happyl"
Six months afterwards, a red dag waved over
the Harrington mansion. n. Howard had failed,
and with his wife bad retired to the friendly
shades Of a down town tenement house, Miss
Georgy having taken an opportunity to elCpe With
her music teacher. II was dreary sit, that
scanty furnished apartment with the meager fire
in the CRATE and the broad light Of day faring in
through soiled and uncurtaned windows Mrs.
Harrington sat BY the hearth, in dirty silk
wrapper, pondering on the " III luck" when the
door opened, and in staggered N. Howard, some
what the worse for liquor, (NIrs. Harrington had
to thank her "aristocratic dinner parties for
this proelivity Of her husband) a
Here's news,n he grumbled. "Old Jabe
Higgings IS dead, and has leit IOrty thousand DOL
lars to Jack ArnOtt's danghterl"
Forty thousand dollars !" cried Mrs. Ha=ring,
ton, with the eager glare with which drowning
wretch sees the only spar floating away out Of
his reach. "Who would have supposed he was
worth so much money! Oh, II | only had"
"n you only hadn't been . fool" snarled the
husband. Z" But that's the way you generally
manage matters. u itwasnt for you, We should
not have been here now"
Which was true enough, as Mrs. Harrington
acknowledged to her own remorseful heart
And al the glittering over Of wealth now de-
scendng on Mary Arnott might have been hers
IL she had only spoken kindly to the old man in
the butternut coored sutton hat sventfnl Thanks
giving day.