Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-17
miscellaneous.
OLD H U M D R U M.
A NEW YEARS. STORY.
BY S. ANNIE FROST.

"I wonder what old Humdrum will
give US for New Years present p
said Nellie Hastings, as she twisted
her curls before the sitting mir
ror, and admired her pretty face, a:
therein displayed
Don't Nellie" SAID her sister Ag
nes, looking up from her sewing
"nicknames are intensely vulgar, and
it pains me to hear our kind friend
so spoken Of"
kind friend, indeed" said the
beauty, saucily what has he ever
given Us but few prosy sermons p
"Oh, Nellie, what should we have
done without his care Think how
cheap the rent of this little cottage
is made for US. and how many schol-
ars he has procured for you, and how
we'll he pays me for the sewing. He
is kind friend" and tears stood in
the eyes of Agnes Hastings, as she
spoke.
Well, then, don't cry about it,
sis" and Nellie gave her sister has
ty kiss. "And | won't call him nick
names any more if it displeases you,
and l shall soon be independent of
his Kindness" with a scornful en-
phasis upon the last words There
is one of my tiresome brats at the
gate now," and she sauntered into
the parlor to meet the music scholar
coming up the garden walk to take
his lesson.
You would scarcely have supposed
the sisters twins, had you seen them
on dull December day that opens
my styry. Nellie-tall, graceful,
brilliant and beautiful, was in the
full glow of her youthful beauty !;
Agnes, pale and thin, with some
what sallow skin, hair brushed
smoothly back from her face AID
gathered in a heavy coil at the back
of her head, looked at least FIVE years
older than her gay sister. Both wore
mourning dresses but while that of
Agnes was a heavy unbroken black,
her sisters was modified by white
ruffles, and trimmed profusely with
glittering bugles. Another differ
ence more pitiful than all-Agnes
was deformed.
Five years before this dull Decem.
Der night Helen and Agnes Hast
ings, then just seventeen years old,
made their debut into fashionable So
ciety as bellies and heiresses. Beau
tiful, accomplished and graceful,
daughters of reputed millionaire,
they became at once the center of the
gay circle in which they moved. They
were motherless from infancy but
their fathers sister had filled their
mothers place during their whole ex
istence, and still directed all house
hold affairs.
Two years after their debut, the
grave Agnes was betrothed to
young lawyer, poor but talented, with
"a heart full of devotion to his beau
tiful betrothed, and a head that
promised in time to win him distinc-
tion in his chosen profession. The
engagement was satisfactory to rela-
tives on both sides, and preparations
for the wedding were commenced,
when Agnes met with an accident
that crippled her for life. She was
driving out with her lover, when the
the horse became frightened, and
making a sudden plunge forward,
threw her from her seat into the road.
Her injuries at first appeared to be
slight, but as time went on, the ply
sicians found that the injury to the
spine was twisting the figure to one
side and making Iimping gait and
a curved back unavoidable. In the
agony and horror of discovering this,
Agnes dismissed her lover, spite of
his prayers and protestations, and
then months of bittel repining proved
even that her Chri tian spirit could
sink under her heavy burden. 1t was
a still greater affiiction that reused
instead of crushing her, and restored
in full her faith, patience and hope.
Her father committed suicide after
perilling his own and his sisters for
tune in one speculation, and losing
all and that sister. deprived at once
of home, fortune, and fhe brother she
idolized, in one short month followed
him to the grave.
Friends came forward to offer coun-
sci and assistance. and from the