The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-11-12

! quietly she took from her finger the ring whie
nad been the pledge OF her trothplight to hin
laid it on the table beside him, and sayin
gently but steadily, "Good bye, Franzw turr
ed and went out OF the room.
And that was the end. He never made an
further effort to change her decision, but hel
himself angrily aloof from her, and o fel
months after married Anna Rolfe, the bloom
ing daughter of q neighboring farmer. Wheth
er Margaret felt pang of feminine regret al
seeing another in the house which had peer
planned for her, cannot tell. If so, IL wa
never suffered TO ruffie the cheerful serenity
OF her outward demeanor. II the Wouno u
her affections was deep and sore,l IL was lett t(
heal in secret and sileHce. Inc scar Ieit II
her heart when the love for one unworthy was
torn up by the roots was uncovered to none
She kept on her way quietly as we have seen
always doing patiently the duty which Law
nearest to her hand, and giving herself M
time for sentimental nursing of her sorrow
Work is blessed panacea for grief. Work
for holy and dutiful purpose, such as animat
ed this young girl, is doubly blessed.
AND ner patient diligence had also its ap.
proprlate reward. The produce of her gar.
den surpassed greatly her expectations, and
when, at the close of the season she came to
reckon up her receipts, she was really surpris-
cd at her success. So well satisfied was she
with the result of her first experiment, that
the following year she enlarged her operations
by hiring piece Of land contiguous to her
own, and subjecting it to the same high cult
walton. The produce of her labors now in
creased SO largely that the single basket she
nad at nrst carried was wholly inadequate to
TO convey what each morning furnished. She
accordingly provided herself with little GOV :
cred market wagon and small, stong horse
TO draw it: This investment proved great
saving OF time and labor, and moreover the
iine sense OF Independence which she enjoyed
IN driving her little turnout was worth great
deal. And the picture which the young mar
ket woman presented, seated among the fruits
and flowers, with perhaps pretty child be-
side her, under the dark cover OF the wagon,
was something as fresh and fair as those sum-
mer mornings. In the city she soon came to
have her own particular set of customers who
depended upon her, and would buy of no one
else. No vegetables were so fresh, no straw
berries and ourrants 50 ripe and sweet,no pinks
and pansies SO large and fragrant as those that
Margaret brought. When her second season
was ended she found that Notwithstanding the
additional outlay, she had after all her bills
were paid, the sum of fifty dollars to deposit
10 the savings bank as a reserve for a rainy
day.
Time went by and Margaret throve and
prospered. Quietly she went on adding little
by little to her lands and to her gains. Twelve,
fifteen years glided by almost unmarked save
by the steady growth of her fortunes. The
tiny strip OF garden ground with which she
began, had Increased to noble farm which
gave employment to many laborers. The first
modest deposit of flity dollars In savings
baak, had been turned oyer and over, like the
SNOWFALL ip the SNOW, till the queer pigeon
holes Of the old escrutoire which Carl Hoff-
man had brought from the fatherland, were
stuffed with certificates ofstock and title-deeds
OF real estate. The cottage With It's low roct
and weathe%eoi0red walls had been enlarged
and beautified. The children, the incentive
and the solace of her lahors, taught In the best
schools and by the best masters, were grow
log in knowledge and beauty, and repaid her
care in the pure gold OF affection and grateful
duty. But amid all her prosperity she herself
remained nearly unchanged. The healthful,
rustic way ofliie, adopted at first from neces-
sity, was not relinquished because the neces-
slty no longer compelled. Always an early
riser, the first hours of the day still saw her In
her gardens, directing her Workmen, superin-
tending every department of the labors of her
farm, or working industrionsly with her own
hands. She still drove to the city her little
wagon, laden with fresh and tempting things,
and enjoyed the hustle of business, and the
making Of keen bargains. Often aud often
has she been seen ceiling fruit and vegetables
from her wagon at the back gate of some state
ly city house of which she was herself the ow-
ner. The lady who came daintily out to indi-
cate with her white finger the articles which
were to furnish her dinner table, WonId hard
iy guess that that busy, smiling little country
woman was the proprietress OF half the long
row of brick and marble splendors in which
she dwelt. Yet Margaret with all this devo-
ton TO business, was not mercenary. Her hand
and purse were always open to the call of
the needy, and she not only. gave largely of
money in charity, but she spent freely her
time and labor 10 aid the struggling and un-
fortunate. N A ar
And Franz Ritter ?-Margaret's quondam
lover had not prospered so well as might have
been expected. He had met with no great
reverses, and he had no bad habits, but his
fortunes had not risen; A humble carpenter
he had been when she first knew him, and
such he still remained. Whether In the ear
ly days of Margaret's lonely career, as he
watched her hard and toilsome life, he had
felt any softening of regret for the selfishness
which had left her to bear her burden alone, /
cannot tell. But certain it is that as, year af-
ter year, ne saw her gains increase and the
evidences of wealth accumulate ahout her, in.
the very depths OF his sordid soul he lament
ed that he had separated himself from SO
much thrift. Gain was the idol to which he
had sacrificed such affection as ha was cabable
OF, and he had the appropriate punishment Of
feeling that he had missed the very good for
which he had bartered honor and manliness.
BE had not even the poor solace Of thinking
that Margaret long regretted his loss, as in
deed, she did not. The pain had been sharp
at first, but it wore away, and left her happy
nd obsl boz nha rst h
neighbors, filled her kindly heart; and in her
busy life there was ne room for regret.
Twenty years have passed away since the
death ofCarl Hoffman, and once more we will
look in upon the group collected in the home
that once was his. Widely different is the
present aspect OF the apartments from that
which it then wore. Soft carpets and cur
tains, pictures, books and instruments of mu-
sic in place of the bare walls and homely fur
niture. 1t is Christmas eve, and all Margaret's
family are gathered to keep the festival with
her. There is Paul, grown now tall and
bearded man, but-wlth still the same smiling
blue eyes which had seemed to Carl Hoffman SC
like the eyes Of his lost Bertha. Paul is ply.
sician now, learned in the schools both of the
old and the new world. He has rising fame
and an extensive practice in the neighboring
city, where he has fixed his home that he may
be near the sister to whom he owes so much
That beautiful and graceful lady seated under
the hanging lamp, is Rose, the little one whom
Margaret has tended from her cradle. Nea
by stands her husband, a noble and digniHeC
man, one whose placeis among the truly grea
ones of the land. A pretty infant slumber
sweetly upon Roses knee, and bright haire'
little girl, whom her parents love to call BY th
dear name of "Gretchen," is fitting gail.
about the room. But the central figure 9th
group, the one on whom all eye are bent, t
whom all thoughts, all hearts are ever turn
ing, is her IN the armchair by the fireside.-
That straight form is still unbent, the sinootl
brow unwrinkled and the stedfast eyes undim
med. Some silver threads its true, are blend
ed with the braids of her brown hair, and the
peachy bloom of youth no longer mantles ol
her cheek, but the higher beauty Of a seren
and quiet spirit irradlates her thoughtful face
And the deep happiness which fills her hear
| and overfows on all around her is her ow
work. Years ago she put away the thought
/ of self, and left all for duty, and she has he
reward in the almost adoring affection of thos