The Portland daily press., 1866-01-30

/ nOCc. 7 p N-E
"That's masters niece," was the reply; "a
nice, sweet-spoken young lady as ever l see
Sine comes down on visit sometimes from
her fathers place near Albany. They were
burnt out, her fathers folks, last winter, and
the family oil went to Europe while the new
house was a-building. They came home about
fortnight ago, but they won't go into the
new house till spring, so some of them's
boarding in New York, and some in Albany,
| and Miss Lillian she's come to spend the win
ter with her uncle. They're all coming down
| for Christmas, expect"
| found my new patient very i'll, and for a
week my visits were frequent, and more than
once passed whole night by his bedside. I
| do not mean this for love tale, SO will not
| weary my reader with the why and wherefore
| OF my heart bending in allegiance to Lillian
| Graham's charms. Her beauty, gentleness,
| and winning grace touched my heart as no
woman had ever before thrilled it, and before
that weary week of anxiety and watching was
over loved her. Asher uncle began to re-
cover, my visits slid from professional capac-
ity to social one, and saw that my welcome
was sincere one from both the old gentleman
and the fair girl, whose devotion to his sick
bed proved her love. was agreeably surpris-
ed to find the hermit neither SO savage nor in
accessible as he had been represented to me-
| He had painful chronic disorder; his man
ner was brusque, and his voice often harsh,
but he could soften, and i was able to give him
relief from pain, for which he repaid me by
| gracious reception.
Christmas was drawing near, and resolved
| to lay my heart before Lillian, and ask her to
be my wife. was heir to considerable prop
erty left by my father, had good practice,
sapleasant home, and could offer her the pure
love OF young heart, SO was not without
hope, especially as could see the flush deep
en- on her cheek, and glad liz hit spring to her
blue eyes whenever was announced. She
wore mounmg' and often ionged to question
ner ABOUT the loss IL implied, but our in
terviews were very Or ct, and but seldom ,oc-
curfsu, anu sue never spo06e OF ner sorrow. l,
700 nad a story 10 tell. vi course, II she be-
came my Whe, sue must near ABOUT lrot.
u was Inc gay Deiore Cnrlstmas, and the
SNOW was smooth ana nard around Hopedale;
so ventured TO propose sielgh-ride, mean
ing 10 open my heart 70 ner as we drove. She
accepted my proposal readily, and we were
| soon on our way. somehow there fell long
Silence Detween US; longing out not daring
70 Spedh, NY eye, nAso upon tnat lovely race
,tamea IN its pretty, Iur-oound hood, the eyes
looking down, the sweet mouth set with sad
der expression than had ever seen it wear
suddenly sue spoke: =
- eApeo. my parehts' orothers and sisters
he ag, eo-rmorroW.
s For Cnristmas gayetleS?" 1 questioned.
No, 70 escape tnein. iney are coming here
70 pass the Gay quietly, TAR away from any fes-
tvity. IL - SAD day Tor Us. Doctor do you
Deneve In broken heart?"
Yes; know they exist" o okr
And are IataI
someone's! nave seen heavy sorrow drain
away iie." ~
an my poor sister, she said sadly, her eyes
nlilng with tears, Il fear her heart is broken"
And after pause she said: "a year aso-a
year agompoor little TrotP Ia
~Irotv cried breathlessly.
"My sisters only Child who died on Christ
mas day last year" g l.rf7ryr rfp{r7
aDied ~ said, my hopes sinking. JhtlA
Burnt to deathF she said sadly. "We had
Christmas tree for the children in the nurs-
cry. MY sister mad been widow only three
montns, SO we mad no holiday gathering, but
we dressed a Tree Ior me little ones and lighted
it on Christmas Eve. The next morning they,
the children mean, were all in the nursery,
ana we suppose one OF them tried to light The
a tree' Sersaln u Is Inat tney set the room on
nre, ana before we could save anything the
wnole house was In fiames. All escaped but my
sisters child, her only one; he persisted In the
nre.
Are you certain p lsdH
"Where else could he be? My two little bro
theirs and my sister were saved with difficulty,
and the root fell in while we were all frantical-
ly searching and calling for Arthur, or, as we
always called him, Trot. Ny sisters health
gave way entirely under this blow. She had
concentrated all the strength OF her love upon
this child after her husband died, and the loss
Frustrated her utterly. We took her to Eu-
rope; we have had the best advice Tor her, but
she Is slowly dying OF a broken heart"
a. ny Is rom no impertment curiosity" said,
rtnat auestlon you. WIN you answer my in
qulrlesr
we were speeding over the frozen ground
70 Yaro my nome, as sne answered.
Geftainiy.
in II, ilttie chld-he mad a pet name for
your
les; my nome name; Ihey call me Daisy,
Ala he caneu me Aunt Dalsy." - a
Anu your SISTERS names are Mary and Sue,
your Dfotners wafer ana BABY"
"a w., sne saul I III, very paie,T.
.tao, Aio' nurse' Ineh' aid she go TO Aus
'tarla
,.i 800 year ~ iass lan. -FOUR race is radi-
anu IN oPeak qucAiy|our ioSt Doy?
~ m v;.,s AZ ue aoor ner lace was ashy
VIM, wnl'e VIII sLuotlon, put She oneyed my mo-
oSc. msda he Il. ndt nroin IIe sielsn 70 my
,ia SI nsa o.. Iowh, anu began 70 ex-
E PaSa,-i NnaIiey come! Uncle
Tuo. y, : :s vu' loii my Pess voice, ana
c., ';.,s mi; MI, 'ne roon Lan rose 70 her
FEN ,He. w''n win cry Vi lrot! arthur! OAR
r.
sudJar r,,sh -, r,ar,,o's, 80" tnen
suuos iSIIi VI iueinory cane over the cnlidlsh
healt, anu ne sPrang INTO ner arms.
Aunt DS,sy! Mhergs mamma! want
l l1a: Suicn quicA oMcie Cnarley, Aunt
Da,sy, lake ne 70 mammal!
ror nearly uLree houIs we SAT IN the little Of
nce peiorG AInaI couiu tear nersel away rom
the child, but at last she let me take her to the
slelgn, consonng irot by promise that to-
m9r ,s . ne s d;Os' zee ms mother. y