Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-02-28
asli { ella ise q II s !.
Port in a s torn.

inc as we all sat about the drawing. room
fire. One after another, as nothing to.!ow-
ed. we turned our eyes upon her. There
she sat, still silent. cnluoideriag the cor
ucr Of canlbrc handkerchief, apparent
IL unaware that she had spoken.
Ii was IL very cold night in TIE beginning
Of " inter- My father had COME honle ear
". and We had ained carly that We mig lit
have II long evening Together. for it Was
my fathrr and mothers wedding day, and
We always kept it as the hoanliest of hell
DAYS. My father was seated in an easy
chair lif the CHI nney corner. with ins OF
sufguRdv near him. and my mother sat by
his side, ROW and then taking sip out oi
his g,ass.
Ellie was now nearly nineteen the rest
of lis were younger. " hat she was thitk
ng about We did not know lhtn. though
We could all guess now. Suddenly she
locked up, and seeing all eyes fixed upon
her, became either aware ursuspIcl0us, and
blushcd rosy red.
You spoke to me, Ellie. What was it,
my deat!
% yes. papa. ! wanted to ask YOU
whether yol wouldn't tell US, to night, the
stoly about how ,ou--'
Wei, ny .oyc!'
About how you
i an listening. eay dear
Il mean about mamma and ydn.
Yes, YES. . About how got your nam
ma for IA mother to you. Yes. | paid a
dozen of port Tor her
We all and each exclaimed PdPa! and
NV mother laughed.
Tell Us ali about it, was the general
cry.
We'll. will, answered NY father. 4
must begin at the beginning, though.
And, filing his glass Wj,h Burgundy. he
began.
AS far back as can remember, lived
with nv father in an cid mj nor-houee i'll
tie country. 1t did not belong to my ia
tncr, but to an elder brother OF his. who al
that time was captain OF scvcnty'tour.
He we'd the sea niole than bis life; aud DIS
Yet, apparently, had loved his ship better
than any wD4lan. 1T least he Was not
married.
My mother had been dead for some
years, aud my father was now in vely del.
icate health. He had never been strong.
and since ny mother's death, | believe.
thl ugh | was too yOan, to notice it, lie had
pincd away. | am not going to tell YOU
anything about him just now, because it
does Hot brlon. to ny story. When ! Was
about five years old, as nearly as can
judge, the doctors advised him to leave
England. The house was put into the
hands Ut an agent TO let,-at least, SO
suppose; aad he took me with him to Ma
dcra, where he died. | was brought home
by his servant, and. by my unc,"s direc.
lions, sent 20 Il boarding school; from there
to Eton and from there to Oxford.
Before | had finished my studies. my
uncle had been an admiral for sumo tine,
The year before LETT Oxford lie married
Lady Georgiana Thosnbury, IL widow lady,
with one daughter. Thcreupon he hade
farewell 10 the sea, though dare say lie
did not like the parting, and retired With
his bride to the house where he was botl
the same house toid you was h0rn ii.
which had been in the family for man! gen
eratious, aud which your cousin noW lives
in.
1T was late in the autumn when they ar.
rived at Cnlyerwood. They were 10 soon
er settled than my uncle wrote to ne .
spend Christmas-tide with them at the old
place. Aud here You may see that my
story has arrived at its beginning.
1t was with strange fee ings that | en-
tered the house. 1t looked 50 old fashion,
ed, and stately. and grand, to eyes wkich
had been accustomed to all the modern
commonplaces Yet The shadowy reeol.
lcetions Which hung aboal ii gave an air of
homeAness to the place, which, along With
the grandeur. occasioned sense O. rare
delight. For what can be better than to
feel that YOU are in stately company, and
at the same time perfectly at Eome in it,
am grateful to this dav for the lesson