Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-04-05
flowers vanishing, or the sunshine going

1 eS, u YOU please ana the clllld slid
softly from the arms of Matilda. But-at
her knees she stopped and hung clinging.
with her check resting there. us though she
disliked to go away.
Shall We go now! says Matilda again.
No, must not trouble you, papa said
| will go alone, or grandma will 90 with
me: won't you, dear grandma!
And she SHE'D away toward the door.
looking wistfully back. but not teasing aud
pulling. or making any noise whatever.
Directly she came back. while vet the two
women We're saying what a dear little thing
she was, holding up her tiny white apron
which she had filled with all the flowers
she could find. Then glancing shvly up.
as 1t to ask permission, she seated herself
ON the floor and began to twine and twist
them into long fantastic wreaths. When
they were completed she divided them very
fairly between the grandmother and the
sehoolmstress, balancing. and weighing
the matter good while in her own mind |
before she came to a final decision. Attel
this she set herself to work and picked up
every smallest leaf from the floor, holdin. !
them close in her apron. and making all a-
tidy as it was before. She slipped aboLt
like a shadow. though not as one who
would be sly, now standing on tiptoe to
look out OF the window, and now lying
with her face close against the hearth to
watch some cricket perhaps. She was ma
urally quiet III all her ways, but toward
Matilda she seemed to feel u sort OF tender
reverence, and, as she moved about, fol
lowed her with her eyes. IA asking leave
to be with her and to love her.
i guess you will take to her for all SAYS
the delighted grandmother. catching her to
her bosom, aud kissing her eyes. hci
hands, and her hair. And the words for
all including all the fllusion that Was made
that day to Nathan.
1t was a month after this, perhaps, that
| little Eunice said to her mistress one even
lng after school was dismissed, pulling TIM
! idly at her skirt and lifting such besecch-
eyes. May | go home with you and stay a
ietlc While to night-.jast Il little while-l
want to go SO much!
What Tor. my pctl' And Matilda, well
pleased, took the soft little hand in hers.
When they We're come into the simple
parlor she must put away Matlda,s shawl
and bonnet, ANA then she must. all with
her own hands drag the big chair close to
the window and nave Matilda sit down in
it. Then she said, climbing up by the
arm of the chair and slipping down into
her lap:
You asked me why I wished to come
with you, Aunt lilly She had never
called her Aunt lilly TIL then. aud she look
ed up into her face with that tender be-
scechlng OF hers tor leave. Il don't want
to call you MISTRESS she said Il want to
call YOU something sweet And then play
ing III bashful confusion with the ribbon
Matilda Wore round her neck, Ia which a
slender finger ring and silver pencil case
the latter given her by her pupils--was
attached she went on: 4 want to call you
mama. Would you be angry if called
vou mammal
NO; darling, Should not he angry,
says Matilda, hugging hei close; but it
would not be truc, an0 50 you had better
call me Aunt Matilda as the rest do And
as she said this she blushrd, though no eye
was upon her save the chld's.
wv That makes everybody call You Aunt
Matilda ! the i"quisiiive piaitler asks next.
slipping the slender ring on her own finger.
And then she says This linScr-ring isn t
like my mammals used to be-
No, says Matilda. 1T Isn't like your
mama's; 1t is Il poor little ring, of no worth
to amy body but me and because hay
en't IL finer one the people are surAy for me,
and they cali me Aunt Matilda IN IL sort of
plying Kindness
The child opens her c.es wide With scr-
Gus wonder. and thea she says:
Did you bay the ring, Aunt Ti,ly !!
'I,s, darling, bought it with great
price, And the tears that had cone to her
eyes by this time dropped silently on the
uptunicd face OF the wondering little one.
Matilda found a certain sort Of pleasure
in this talk with the child, though she did
not expect nor desire that she should ull-
derstaud II single word Of il. She under
stood move, however, than had been rcck-
oncd upon->hc un lcrstood .hat in some
way Matilda was unhappy because she
had paid so much for it, Or the reason Of
ITS being So slender, or for what other
cause, she did not mt all understand. In
her soft gNjet way she Kissed Matiida's
hands ANA hugged her arm clo.e under her
ehln, ami told tie: she would tell her papa,
and he would give her beautiful ring like
her own inama's.
oh no darling. yOu must never tell him
that so long as Yen iive-not 10" the world
The earncstIrSS Of her manner tended
doubtless to deepen the impression already
made on the child ) mind. Il don't mean
to tell him for the world she said, und,l-
standing the words literally, but just for
the new ring
She had got the central fact, and there
WAS no dislodsinS it ast then, ami. trust
ing to time, Matilda sn"othcd the dark
har in silence as the Young head leaned
against her bosom, and the child went on
directly but | haven't told you why l
wanted to come home with you Vet ?
No, my darling; why was it ?
because had something wanted you
to see. and somehow | couldn't show it to
yol in school
And what is it, my dear ?
We'll, theii. shut your eyes close and
(I'll tell YOU
Matilda shut her eyes to humor the
playful humo. of The child and leaned her
head low.
There now. I've told you
And slipping from her knees aud clap
ping her hands for delight the child hid be-
mind the chair of the mistress. She had
dropped something III her bosom.
The next moment Matilda had a small
enameled ease i'll her hand, fastened with
golden clasps.
'Unclasp it says the child, peeping
slyly from behind the chair. and, unclasp-
ing the clasps Matilda heheld the face of
her lovef-not as she knew him i'll the
DAYS that were gone. but as he was now,
gray, earnest.fa faced, serious man, past
~ H.. Il al,