The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-09-07
Gust like Mr.. Abner Charel, aunt

| y
eight. But then he was very youns
looking, and had such young ways, ant
such boys laugh, and such gentle
manners, that if he had chosen to 50!
he was twenty-one, we should have al
believed him. / used to wonder some
times how he managed to hold his owl
so well among the young men of Blea
berry, for some of them were so rougl
aud quarrelsome, and he was a grea
deal more at home in the parlor, Of
taking an evening stroll than be wa
at shooting, or boating, or playing
cricket, or any Out-of-doors sport
Somehow or other he made every bod!
like him, aud Anna Lot liked him bes
of all.
Il shall never forget the evening they
first met. 1t was at private party
given by young Archibald Philson; he''
middle-aged now, but he was young
then, and suppose he'll always be
young to me. Archibald Philson's uncle
married my father-in-law's foster sister
which, of course, makes young ArchI'
bald sort of great cousin of mime"
My Aunt Patched, looking at me with
"a whimsical expression of half distIust,
| gavs significant nod indicative of a
lucid understanding of the relationship,
and she continued, catching herself up
where she had left off:
"Sort of cousin of mine. Of course,
Abuer Charel was there, and was intro
duced to mean old woman, old enough
to be his mother, even then. He was
talking to me when Anna Lot entered.
Oh, she was beautiful, beautiful, beau
tiful! Delicate as the blossoms in May,
and rich as the golden leaves in Octo-
Der. Abner Charels face flushed up
with pleasure immediately. He inter
rupted me, and that was very rude in
him, and asked me who she wasl l told
him her name was Anna Lot. He turn
ed on me with look shall never for
get, and his counteuance fell immedi-
ately. Then told him the whole his
tory of her father, all that knew about
him, just as l have told it to you, my
dear. He asked me-he was the great
est hand at asking questions, and of
course had to tell him. When men-
toned that Adam Lot was away, and
there was no knowing when he would
return, his countenance cleared of. l
saw, OF course, that he was tired of
talking to an old woman like me, so
released him and got him an introduc-
tion to Anna Lot. Now, my dear, I'm
not a matchmaker; | may have good
many things laid to my charge; but
when come to breathe my last | don't
think that the spectres of any unhap-
pily-wedded couples will rise up before
me and reproach me with having
brought them together.
am no match maker, say, but do
like to see two young persons who seem
suited to each other brought together
1t was so with Anna Lot and Abner
Charel. They seemed just as much
formed for each other as one of pair of
wings is made to meve in harmony
with another. After that evening Ibid
not see them much together, and much
of what ! know now only came to my
ears after-well, after long while. But
in II small place like Bleaberry, you
know, things get talked about much
more than i'll large place like Phila-
delphia. People said they were engaged;
but know for certain now that they
never were engaged until some months
after. They never were regularly en-
gagged until news came of the death of
Abram Lot, in one of the small villages
on the frontier of Persia
"Poor Anna! her father to die SO far
awayw
"Now just you wait my dear; I'm
coming to that. Ofcourse Anna mourn
ed great deal after her father, but in
the few conversations l had at that
time with Abner Charel on the subject,
/ could not help noticing that he seem
ed relieved and glad. Perhaps | should
not have thought of coupling this with
his altered looks and tones the evening
he first met Anna, when he learned
what her name and who her father was,
if it had not been for the truth which
came out. At any rate,
within q week after the reception of
the news of Abram Lots death, every
body had sufficient reason to under
stand that Anna Lot and Abner Charel
were engaged to be married. From
the day ! lea, ned that this was really
u fact ] never looked on Abners fine
and open CountenanGe without bless
ing it for its noble, ingenious, gentle
honest look; nor Anna's sweet face
thinking what a dear, good
treasure of girl she was. Everything
went smoothly in this love affair. | re-
how different it was in Archi-
bald Philson's case. He didn't marry
for love, poor fellow-more's the pity -
he married for money. His father made
him. And his wife was old Silas Blea-
berry's grand-niece-you've heard me
speak of old Silas Bleaberry, my dear
He was one of the original settlers here,
and his son, Captain Christopher Blea-
berry, was the one that scalped three
Indians-scalped them, mind you, at the
battle of Tippecauoe. But l must say
that the courtship between Abner
Charel and Anna Lot promises to be
very happy indeed"
Then something did happen to pre-
vent it, aunt" l asked.
"Now, my DEAR" said my aunt, speak
ing very slowly, and cycling her kitting
still more closely, rs If she were ap-
preaching a critical point in both her
story and it; "now, my dear, keep that
little mouth of yours shut, or you'll get
your teeth sunburnt. you'll excuse me
for talking old country fashion, the way
folks do about here. But, being an old
country woman, can't very we'll help
it. Yes, something did happen to pre-
vent 1t. Three months after that, on
the very evening before the day on
which they were to be married, letter
arrived from New York, bearing the
date of three days previously, written
by the hand of Abram Lot, and posi-
lively forbidding the marriage on any
terms whatsoever"
"But l thought you said old Mr.. Lot
was dead, aunt" exclaimed.
Now just you wait, my dear, I'm
coming to that" answered my amt,
who had anticipated / would run into
the trap which her msmentary pause
after her last sentence qad provided for
me. "Old Mr.. Lot, as you call him, had
been seized with catalepsy-at any rate
it was lepsy of some kind-and had
in that state for days, and had
beer thought to be dead. Acting upon
this supposition, hisfriends had written
to his daughter, merely stating his
death as q fact, but without entering
minutely into particulars. 1t seems
that Abram recovered just in time to es
cape being buried alive, and made
up his mind that, taking all