The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-06-15

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it looked familiar, and remember now.
1t was one my daughter Susan wore for
a season or SO, and then gave to your
mother" pursued Aunt Hester, growing
complacent over the memory of by-gone
benevolence. "It is very excellent
braid, with a great deal of wear in it.
Out of shape, to be sure, but L think it
could be made over into a very suitable
bonnet for you"
The every excellent" article had ap-
peared old enough and ugly enough be-
fore, but it looked trife older and
uglier still to poor Jemima now, though
she scarcely knew why. She turned it
about on her hand, and fell to wonder
ing a little drearily why it was she never
had any thing new-any thing all her
own. 1t seemed to her that all her life
she had been obliged to build upon
other peoples foundations, to make
| straight where others had blundered,
and take up things where others had
stopped. Her work never came to her
in the raw material it was always what
somebody else had used, or spoiled, or
begun. Back through the twenty-eight
| years of her life, so nearly as she could
remember it had been the same. House
| keeping cares had fallen early upon her
childish shoulders, when her invalid
mother died. Then there had been the
constant planning and working to pro-
cure what her careless, improvident
father did not provide, to eoonomize
where he wasted; a pretty sister to be
snubbed by and worked for, until she
made a runaway marriage with a gen.
tlemanly scamp; and the same sister to
console and care for during what re-
mained of her brief life, when she came
back, deserted and broken-hearted. Rob
and Teddy were the legacies she left.
| Well, they were not Jemima's own, Ell
| ther; but they were a wonderful comfort
to her. The very thought of them made
her pause suddenly in the midst of her
Questioning whether she would not have
builded better and more successfully if
she could have laid her own corner
stones-reared Il structure of her own
instead of filling breaches in the broken
walls of others. Those two little faces
stopped the train of might have beens,"
and made her murmur, woman that she
was, Dear boys wouldn't give them
up for any thing"
at can be whitened, pressed into
shape, and made very presentable," 1"
broke in Aunt Hester's voice.
"True," answered Jemima, slowly,
thinking of her life instead of her bon
net. "Yes, hope it will be made pre-
sentable at last, though it does not look
SO now"
Why, it's the best of braid" inter-
posed Aunt Hester, with some severity
She fancied the remark was slight dis
paragement of daughter Susan's taste
a thing not to be tolerated.
That tone aroused Jemima from her
reverie at once. She discovered the
good qualities of the braid Immediately,
and Aunt Hester, somewhat Modified,
took her departure.
"Send it to a milliner's, and have it
bleached and made over; advice very
easy to give, but not quite so easy to
take, under the circumstances" COM
mented Jemima, left to herself again.
"No, most excellent bonnet, you will
have to submit to being sewed over by
my own fingers, and no others, and take
such bleaching as 1 can give you. Pity,
considering your past grandeur, but it
can't be helped"
She was an energetic little woman,
and so in a very short space of time she
had arranged in the back yard closely
covered barrel, with a pan of Goals
sprinkled with birthstone placed in the
bottom of it, and the antiquated straw
fastened near the top, and lett to whiten
in the smoke. Rob and Teddy were
duly advised of the contents of the bar
rel, and warned not to molest it and
then Miss Jemima went cheerily back to
the house and her work of darning small
stockings and planning for diminutive
! jackets. The out-of-door world was very
lovely that spring morning, and she stole
glances at it now and then through the
little Misunderstanding in the fresh
green grass and blossom laden trees of
the tiny yard in front, and watching
with kindly, human interest the oc-
casional passers-by on the road beyond.
These last were not many, for it was
only quiet village road; but presently
there passed team with an unusual
load-a large, heavy milestone. The
driver walked beside it as it moved
slowly along, and following it q short
distance behind was another person,
whom Jemima scanned more closely
a man some thirty three or four years of
age, medium-sized, bronzed and bearded,
and dressed in plain suit of gray. There
was nothing very remarkable in his ap-
pearance; nevertheless, he was person.
age of some interest to the villagers as
being the new owner of the mill over the
hill. The former owner had failed to
make it profitable, and for year or two
it had stood idle. When, therefore, it
was known that it had been sold, and
was to be repaired and put In running
order, there was variety of opinions
and some shaking of heads among the
sages of the little place. There were
some who carried their disinterested
kindness so far as to inform the new
conner that it wouldn't pay" he would
"sink money" etc. To all of which
Cade Barclay listened good-naturedly,
answering but little, except with his
frank, sunny smile, and then went
steadily on his way, apparently quite
undisturbed by their predictions.
OF the merits of the question or the
man Jemima knew nothing; but there
was quiet, resolute air about him, a
certain self-reliance and determination
betraying itself even in his firm, Quick
step as he passed, that gave her the i'm
preston that he saw quite as clearly
into his own affairs as others could see
for him, and made her fancy that she
should trust his judgment as soon as
that of the wisest OF them all The
road wound around the little house, and
up over the hill at the back of the gar