Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-08-18

immensely. She wore a white dress
and bonnet and the coral drops hac
fastened few days before in her little
ears. l was very proud of her. coulc
not help looking into her eyes, touching
her hand with mine When | left hel
| kissed her. 'lee 4
Goodnight, my child | said.
And she answered, Good, night,
with cheek dyed on the instant deeper
scarlet, and ran away as Betty came Out
to chat with me. -.
From that night I dated an ode
change. My adopted child seemed shy
OF letting me keep her hand-shy even
of chatting as she did She was graver.
more womanly. I fancied she did not
care for me as she did Perhaps some
of those farmers who leaned over the
gate at sunset, some of those young fell
lows who so often escorted her home
from church, had won her from me. |
grew a little moody. l found myself in
brown studies when I should have been
at work At last I determined to dis
cover whether | was really to lose my
child, and went down to the cottage -
| found her there sitting at work with
Betty. ta.
After all it was no easy task. could
not do it as I had hoped. | tried jesting
and spoke of one and then of another of
the young fellows near 'We shall have
Nellie stolen from US suppose?' 1 said.
There is nothing so easily lost from a
family as pretty daughter But who is
to have you, Nellie ?
She looked at me as children look
before they burst into tears-her chin
quivering, her throat swelling-then
she dropped her work, and stole from
the room without answering me.
what ails the child, Betty I asked
Have I offended her?'
Old Betty stood before me sturdy and
sterr-a look in her face l had never
yet seen there.
Master Albert, she said, whatever
she was when she came here, Nellie is
no child now. Oh, Master Albert, |
can't believe you've done it Oh purpose!
You couldn' t-such a sweet, innocent
thing-but it's done. All l can say is
go away, or let her go, and maybe the
wound will heal | ought to have spo-
ken in time. l was an old fool Oh,
how could you, Master Albert-how
could your
what have l done?' I cried. l
would rather die than harm her
AND yet you've made her love you,
said Betty, sternly. You who knew
you never would love her. You've been
very selfish, Master Albert
A new light dawned upon me, a ra-
dance brilliant beyond my hopes.
Betty said I, you are dreaming.
She must think me old enough to be a
grandfather, with my long face and bald
crown and this crutch I've had one
dream broken; don't set me dreaming
again for Heavens sake p
Betty looked at me; then caught my
face in both hands and kissed me-
Master BERTHE, said she, 4 sham
tell you word more. The child is un-
der the grape vine out yonder; go and
find out what you want to know for
yourself. You silly, handsome, good-for
nothing fellow 7 FL
| found my child under the grape
vine, hef face wet with tears. | sat
down by her and put my arm about her
waist
Nellie said I, don't shrink so. l
am your true friend. Your friend,
whatever answer you may give me now.
| am older than you. l am not vain
enough to think myself a young girls
beau ideal. But love you dearly, Mel
| y. Can you love me enough to be my
wife? If you can not, if another claims
your heart do not say yes from graft
tude Tell me the truth, and still re-
tain fathers, brothers, friends
affection. Nellie ?"
l bent over her, and my life seemed
in her keeping. Until that moment l
had not known myself. loved her
madly. | felt it now better, far better,
than in my youth had loved Aletta
Stanton.
She spoke no word. ta
Nellie 2 Isaid, Nellie 2 and a brown
hand was laid of its own accord in mice
and beneath my gaze the dark eyes
dare not lift themselves, but hid their
sweetness on my breast. Nelliewas mine
l sat with her beating heart SO near
my own, and thought it all over l
remembered the child in her cotton
gown standing in the gallery of the
church on that wedding morn I re-
membered the child whom I had taught
the girl with whom I had passed
such happy years. And | felt that this
living love, sprung, phoenix like, from
the ashes of the dead one, was the pur-
est feeling of my life
So my fancy of keeping house with
my child came true at last; only when
she crossed the threshold of my home
with me I called her wife. And still
the touch of her brown hand brings
comfort with it still her sweet voice is
better to me than all the music in the
world And, as in my youth | fancied
myself old, surely in my age shall be-
lieve myself young, for while we. love
and are beloved, youth can never die,
and while we live, and my Nellie
must love each other.
nor, furnad a hald hoadad