The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-12-27
LIZZIE LEIGH
Or,
THE REDEMPTION.
A CHRISTMAS TALE.

AS thou wilt" said, she sadiy, " 20 ths, We,
go that's AL"
Before the wild d.Icdils were in flower in the
sheltered copses round Upclosc Farm, tho Jslghs
were se,,lcd in their Manchester home n,hcy could
ever grow TO considor that place 8 . home where
there no garden outbuildi7gs no frssb breezy
outlet, no far stretching view, over moor and hol-
ow,-no dumb snlmsls 10 be tended. and, whs,
more than all thOy missed, no old haunting memoir
ses. though those rcmembranees told Of sorrow,
and the dead and gone.
Mrs Logh needed the loss Of oil thsss things less
than her sho bad spirit in her counter
than abe h.d had Cor months, because now abe
hal hope Of a sal enough Kind, TO be sure but still
1t was hope She performed all her household du.
ties, strange and complicated they were and be-
wdercd she with all the town necessities Of
her new manner o. life but when her house was
"sde.i," and the boys came home from their work.
In the evening. aha would put her things and steal
out unnotccJ, as she thought, but not without
many heav agh from wiz, amer she had elooed
the house door and departed |. often past mid
night before she came back, pale and weary, with
almost guilty look upon her face but that face 20
full Of disappointment and hope deferred, that viii
had never the heart 10 say what he thought II do
folly and hopelessness Of the search. Night after
night 1t was renewed, till days grew 10 weeks and
weeks TO months. All this time Will did his duty
towards her as we'll as he could, without having
sympathy with her. He s,sid at home in the even.
ngs for Toms sake, aud oacn wished he had
Toms pleasure in reading, for the time hung heavy
on his hands. as he sat up for his mother.
| need not tell you how the mother spent the
weary hours. And yet vii. tell you something
She used to wander out. at first as II without pur-
pose, till abe rallied her thoughts and brought all
her energies TO bear the point then she went
with earnest patience along the least known wars
70 some part OF the town, looking wistfully
| with dumb entreaty into peoples fAces; sometimes
| catching glimpse Of q figure which had . kind OF
| monentary likeness 70 her child's and following
| that figure with never-wearing perseverance,, I'LL
| some light from shop or lamp showed the COLI
strange face which WAS not her daughters Once
or twice q kind-hesrted passer-by, struck By her
look OF yearnng woo, turned back and offered help,
| or asked Der what abe wan;ei. When 50 spoken
| To, she answered only, "You don't know . poor
girl they call LiErio Leigh, do yout and when they
denled all knowledge, abe shook her head. and
went on again, think they believed her To DO
crazy. but she never spoke first TO any one. She
sometimes took few minutes rest on the door.
stsp~. aud sometimes livery seldoml covered her
ace and cried but abe could afford to lose inc
and chances in this way; whilo her eyes wore
blinded with tears, the lost ono might pass by un.
seen
One evening In the nch time OF shortening au.
tumn-dsys Will saw an old man, who, without be
ing absolutely drunk could not guide hi self RI ghty
along The foot-patl and Knocked for his unstea
iucss Of gait by tlo IDLE boys OF tie neighborhood
For bis hiher's sake viii regarded old aye with
tenderness even when most degraded and removed
roru the stern virtues which dgnlhcd that father
10 he took the old home, and seemed to bailey,
bis oten-repoa,ed ASSERTIONS that ne drank nothinl
but water. The stranger tried to stiffen himself VI
nto ssesdiness as he drew nearer homo, as # Their
were some one thsre for whose respect he care,
even in lis half-intoxicated state whose feeling
lie feared 10 grieve. His home was exquistcly cles
and neat even In outer appearance; Threshold win
= | dow, aud window sill. were outward sigma Of som
SPIRITS Of purity within. win was regarded for hi
attention by bright glance Of thanks, succeeded b,
. blush Of shame, from young woman OF twent!
= Or theresbouis Sue did no, speak, or second he
fathers hospltable invitations to him TO 30 seated
her fathers attempts at stately sobiety, aad Wi
It could not bear TO stay and see her distress Bu
l. when the old man, with many fsbby shake Of la
hand, kept asking him to come again some othe
: evening and see them, VIII sought her down-ea,
eyes, and, though he could not read their vele
meaning, he answered nmidly. "n irs agreeable
a every body, I'll come-snt thank yo." But ther
- was no answer from the girl. TO whom this speec
was In reality addressed and viii left the hou.
!. liking her all the better for never speaking.
He thought about her . great deal for the mel
~ day or two he scolded himself for being so FOOLS
s aud thought " her more than ever. He tried TO d
a. preciate her and told himself sbe NOT pro,t!
and then made indignant answer hat DO liked hi
looks much better than any beauty Of them MI.
wished be was not SO country looking, 40 re'i.face
10 so bToad-shouldered; while size wss like lady
with her smooth colorless complexion, her brigs
dark hair and her spotless dress. Pretty, or Il
g pretty she drew his footsteps towards her he cou
III not resls, the impulse that made him wish to sc
70 her once more, and End out fault which shou
unoose his heart from her unconscious keeping
Bu, there sho WAS pure and maidenly n before. l
Z. sat and looked, answering her father s crosspu
" poses while she drew moro and more into the sh
4. dow Of the chimney corner out Of sight. Then
~ shirt that possessed him di no, he himself SUI
Ii. hat did 80 impudent thing9 made him &c, up Al
carry tho candle to different place, under the pr
tencs Of giving her more light a, ber sewing, b,
IN reality, to DO ablo TO her better she could