Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-01-03

Nhli NtNhi'NEH.
but suppose somei,etly has left nW for
tune. Martlm.'
Martha sl,nol; her h,'ad in solemn warn
ing.
20 Miss Cbrssy, don't he for rsting and
going after that had man. The parson
preached the other dnS about wolves in
Sleeps clothing. and it's m, belief this here
Mr.. Rudge is one of them shere wicked crea-
tures.
We'll, Martha. rm going 10 tell Aunt
Sarah all abou, it, and you may he sure
shan'i do any thing she doesn't approve"
And left the kitchen aud went NV wa, to
the parlor as spoke.
Dear Aunt Sarah. There she sa, in her
arm chair by ihc fire, her knitting in hrr
hand, whence she looked up, smiling her
own bright smile on me rs / entered. Such
dear aunt She was. She had never been
married, and she was nearly fifty years old
but she wasn't the least like an old niaid rot
The least bit iussey or iigeiy, OF prini, or
cross grained; she was gentle and forbear-
Ing. not to my shortcomings only, but to
those OF the wilolp world She had sweet,
loving temper, and was altogether more
like an angel than any one have ever seen.
She was sweet-looking, too, quite lovely,
thought. with her small, delicate features,
and neat figure, always SO exquisitely.
though so plainly dressed her loylincss was
not in the least impaired TO my eyes by the
look OF hnbitaal ill-heal,h on her face, and
the silver threads that niinglrl thickly with
her soft brown hair. She had been more
than mother to me since l had lost my
own when was hardly ten years old, and
before that seemed to have two mothers,
for Aunt Sarah had always lived with us |;
the Two were much alike, and ! scarcely
knew then which was the dearest. My
father had lived when ! was baby, and |
was an only child, so now Aunt Snrai, and
lived alone together, and were all In all to
each other. We were poor, but had enough
for our simple wants in the cottage which
was our own, enough and to spare,--for
besides the half-yearly hampers we sent to
the Smiths of Westminster, and to some
others in our own rank OF life, there were
those in the village poorer than ourselves,
who blessed Aunt Sarahs charity, not once
In the half-year, but every day of the year.
Well, then, Aunt sarah lnoked M and
smiled at my entrance.
"Is the hamper packed already, Chrissy =
she said.
"No, auntie, dear; | came in because |
haa something to show you, and gave her
the piece of the newspaper. Aunt Sarah
took her spectacles from her poGkot; her
dear eyes had been failing the last year oi
two; she could knit, but read without
glasses. She had soon adjusted them, and
glanced through the few lines of the advcr
tiscment but she did not speak imcmdiate.
~. At length, almost with a sigh, sh'
said,-
"We have been very happy always
Chrissy, haven't We! 1t is not the riches
people who are happicst, dear child. Bu
this mayn't be riches, il may be only littl,
lent you by the good God to do good with
The advertisement may not be addressed tt
you, but Christina is not common name
and l think we ought to inquire. viii
write to our cousins at Westminster, vii
not be much trouble for them to 20 to Mr.
Ridges office
so. Aunt Sarah, but it says Christina
sn,i.h is 10 apply in person. couidnt go
to London n,yaoif'"
/ was amazed at my own temerlty, and
Aunt Sarah gazed at me with as much won
der as III had proposed journey to the
moon, the one seemed to her almost as i'm
practicable as the other. True, we had both
Of us been to Exeter more than once, and
there vas railroad all the way from Exeter
to London; but Aunt Sarah had never trav-
elcd by railroad in her life, had never trusted
me to do so; in her young days there had
been no such mode of transit railroads,
balloons, and M. Blondins feats on the
tight-rope, they were all fraught with strange
peril in her imagination.
81 fear not, my darling. would take
you indeed IL ! could, but you know the
doctor told me to avoid all excitement, and
I'm afraid the journey would be teo much
for me. must take care of my poor health
for your sake, Chrissy, till you have some
body else TO take care of you"
How could Aunt Sarah think | would be
so selfish? would not have had her go for
the world. But was young and strong, -
/ should not be afraid even of the railway
with its great rampant fire-enginc, and had
been thinking BY degrees l unfoldod my
plan. Farmer Malard would drive me to
Exeter; there were the Bepsons there, kind
friends with whom Aunt Sarah and had
both stayed before; they would be so glad
to give me- a bed for the night they would
take me to the railway station the next
morning, sec me safely into the train, aud
should reach London before dark, even
though the time was Christmas, and the days
were short. And would not the Westmin
ster Smiths meet me there at the station. and
let me stay with them for week? A week
would be quite sufficient time to settle all
my business with Messra. Rudge and Finch.
how important felt as / uttered these
words land not long enough for dear Aunt
Sarah to feel lonely, and miss me much.
The Westminster Smiths had always written
such kind letters OH receipt of the hampers,
and manifested such warm interest in their
dear cousin Christina, ! thought they would
only be too glad to have weeks visit from
her. had rln on so fast that Aunt Sarah
had not been able TO get u word In, but as
she noted my eagerness. her face had
changed, and ! saw should persuade her
according to my wish. had told Martha
should not do anything Aunt Sarah did not
approye--ah but didn't Martha and both
know she never in all her life refused her
approval to anything on which had set my
heart, when 1t was not absolutely wrong 2
And there was no wrong in my going to
London.
Aunt Sarah demurred a little at first at my
staying week with the Westminster Smiths
they might not like it, and could not well
refuse, if she asked it as favor. And she