The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-08-10

go away and not give you anything.
his is what it is, Charley. / didn't
buy 1t new for you. It is one that |
have used. Mary and l have read in
1t at the Sabbath-school My name
was in it, and / just wrote yours right
under it. You'll keep it, won't you :?
and when you are great man you'll
sometimes think of your little Lottie.
At any rate, Lottie will never forget
you; and when we don't see each 9TH
er any more, she will pray for you and
Will love you just the same"
1t was the child speaking to the
man ; and yet, even in that hour,
Charles Alton felt his heart touched
very deeply 10y the simple, grateful
love of his sisters blue-eyed playmate.
He took the book and opened it. 1t
was Bible. And on the fly-leaf was
written, "Lottie Page" and under
meath, "To Charles Alton"
"Ill keep it, Lottie, never fear.
tie kissed her again, this time upon
the check; kissed her in the presence
of the company, as he would have
kissed any child that he loved; and
then he turned to others who claimed
his attention.
y =
Within n year from that evening
Charles Alton was called home to see
his sister die. The blow was a sad
one and it fell heavily upon him He
saw Lottie Page at the funeral, but he
could not speak with her In the
evening, however he called to see her
at her humble home.
"Dear Lottie,' he said, falling, be-
meath the burden of his grief, to see
how much of the bloom of womanhood
a single year had brought to her face,
you must be my sister now"
But Lottie Page shook her head as
she answered:
II shall always love you as my
brother and my friend; but we can be
no more as we have been. Now that
Mary has gone l shall have nothing to
call me to your house. Our stations
are vastly different, and our paths in
life will be wide apart.
She paused moment and then, with
swimming eyes, continues.
"But there is one way in which we
shall! be always near together. When
your thoughts are with the sister you
have lost they viii be where mine are
SO, in spirit, we may still have a meet
ing -place.
And then, in her sweet, quiet way,
she went on TO tell how happy she
believed dear. MARY was in that bright
er world where the angels dwelt, and
where her mother had gone before
her. And then, in lower tones. and
the holy radience growing softer and
brighter upon her sweet young face,
she spoke of those who were in that
better world waiting for her-her
father, and her mother, and little
brother
"Ah, Lottie, if I could look upward
with such Faith as yours p
You can do it Charles. Read
your Bible-Read it studiously and
trustingly.' You still keep the one l
gave you
Certainly. Do you think | could
break such promise as l gave you in
return for your gift? No, no. l
have kept it and shall always keep it
sacred.
The thought may have presented it.
self to Charles Alton that the child
was grown womanly enough to be-
come his teacher; but that other
thought of his dear dead sister entire
ly occupied his mind.
In one year more Charles Alton1eft
College, and within one short month
thereafter his father died And SO. Mt
the age of three-and-twenty he found
himself entirely his own MASTER with
out near relative to claim attention
from him, and the possessor of some
thing over hundred thousand dollars
For time he was buried in grief; but
by and by he came out into the world,
and began to think of business He
went to the great city, and conferred
with some of those who had been his
fathers friends, and they offered him
any help they could bestow.
But he would not go INTO business at
once. He would travel first and en-
JOY himself.
Alas for the kind, generous nature
that falls III the way of such tempta-
ton as beset Charles Alton
Within three months after entering
the city he had forgotten his errand of
business, and had gwen himself up
wholly to pleasure. Such genial, hap
Ply spendthrift companions us he found
were not to be cast off for duh, sober
business; and once in the whirlpool he
went on with rush.
One day Ambrose Whitman, the
white-haired old lawyer, came down
from Charley's native town to visit
him. MIR. Whitman had not only
been MIR. Atoms confidential attorney
through his lifetime, but he had taken
charge of such business as his son had
to leave at home. On the present oc-
casion the old man had come to bor-
row twelve thousand dollars.
my dear Charles" he plead, 'if /
could only have the use of twelve
thousand dollars for year-or, two
years at the outside-.I could make
myself independent, and have some
a