Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-09-05
VOL. XVII.

frightful accident Whoever Ben liked,
liked him; he was the most coveted piece
of humanity in the Hilbro' mills; the girls
| were always talking of him, and long be-
| fore [ saw him, l wondered about him.
| and tried to think how he looked.
Father was determined to keep his
| girls out of the mills as long as possible;
he thought them bad place for Young
people, SO mother and l did plain sewing.
Four of the children died-little
Matty was the last. 1t seemed hard to
shut down the coffin-lid over those glori-
Gus eyes, but we did, and I often think
how beautiful she must be in heaven.
There was a baby; John, my oldest
brother, worked in the mill, and little
Annie, who had been famed by a fall, had
to be helped about more or less by mother
and me, for, poor child, she would never
walk like the rest of US, the doctor said.
| shall never forget the day l met
Lottie Hill and Ben Munsen. 1t was
strange L should have seen them nearly
at the same time and recognized them
| both without knowing either
eff ever you see Lottie Hill, you'll see
perfect beauty; she's not Lottie Hill,
now, but Pm coming to that. l was drag
| ging little Annie in queer box on wheels,
when this girl, 'bit of marble family
| flushed Owe seen that somewhere, being
a great reader), stopped close to my poor
| sister, who was leaning back and smiling
| up to the blue sky.
Dear little thingl she's sick, isn't
she? she said, in sGoh tender voice that
my heart warned to her.
She 70 lame answered, saying to
myseIf, 'y0u are Lottie Hill
ga tiny creature she was, dressed in a
| pretty spotted muslin, that made her look
| pure and sweet. One or two little rings
of pale gold hair trembled on her fore,
| head, under her hat. Her eyes were large
| and sunny, though there was sadness in
| her smile, but that only made it more be-
| witching.
&C Poor little birdiel what pityp she
said again, and gave the child a rose
You can't think how it made me love
her.
81 had just turned the corner after she
had gone, when somebody came hurrying
by with quick, light step, and jostled
the carriage as he passed.
"'And y0H are Ben Munsen, thought,
as he turned back to apologize.
''There stood 1, staring with all my
might; and l shouldn't wonder if he had
read my thought in my face-'you are
Ben Munsen, and you love Lottie HILL
LIZ hdo OltCh Sditt oIuCC ludb l. 1Sll Ill
love with him just on that spot. Maybe
| did. If feeling strange and lonesome
after one is gone is an indication, why
then fell in love; but you see l was so
busy putting it this way-that girl as
beautiful as Lottie Hill, and young man
| as noble and handsome as Ben, even in
his dusty mill clothes, must of necessity
| be in love with each other, that, if I did
fall in love, it was after queer fashion.
l was from that time always putting my
self in her place. 1 believe l never
thought of him at first, but imagined 1
was Lottie Hill; l, plain gray goose that
| was.
"Would you believe-that very evening
father brought Ben to the house.
Now y0u are the one l need, he said,
smiling, showing such splendid teeth.
| You had child with you, in a sort of
| CRADLE
1T wasn't cradle, spoke up poor lit
tie Annie, eager to defend her fathers
taste, it's wagon, and daddy made it
hisself; didn't you, daddy?
"Papa smiled his tired smile, Ben fold
ed his arms, tilted back his chair and
made himself quite at home, while I hur-
ried to help mother with the supper. Papa
never seemed to think it was any matter
that we were poor, when he invited folks,
but mother worried. l was always ten,
der of mother Someway, there was a
feeling came to me that she wouldn't stay
with US very long, and she had worked
hard all her Hfe-poor mother So
made her sit down and take the baby,
though she didn't want to, for 1 had been
at it all day, washing, and my hands
were red and tender
"Well, put on the company CLOTH
was always proud of that-we had two
handsome linen covers that my grand
mother left US. Twasn't much we haC
else, to be sure, but even bit of colo
corned beef tastes good to hard working
people. 1 took my few boarded pennies
and bought a treat of cakes, and ]
couldn't help being ashamed of the chill
dren, who showed plain enough, pool
things, that they seldom had anything o.
the kind
"When supper was ready I took the
baby, and waited upon table, too mother
seldom had any rest except at her meals
and that l was always determined she
should have, and she knew it.
'Jessy, dear, you're tired, mother said
putting her arms out to take the child
but I wouldn't let her.
'Jessy's my darling girl, and tht
mainstay of the family said father, look
ing at me as I never saw him look before
That was enough for me. l don't know
when he had spoken word of praise
like that before, and it was sweeter to mt
than meat and drink.
''Let me see, / was little over sixtee1
then, though such tiny thing. Ben il
five years older, but never should have
taken him then for twenty-one.
81 had never had a lover-that is, 6
real one. To be sure had my fancies, as
/ all GIr1C haVn and If
strange to see Ben's eyes on me whenever
l looked up, for, though didn't know it
to be sure, till afterward, he was more tc
me even then than my life.
II never saw such sensitive, pas
sionate creature as / always was. thinl
time and trouble have somewhat siftet
me, but if I loved any one, or any
thing, it was as if I were swal
lowed up by it. Even the thought tina
father or mother might die sent me al
most into spasms of trembling terror. 81
now the love got hold of me with stron!
clutch, though didn't realize it till after
| ward. All that evening, and days be
side, felt the haunting of his looks, ant
still was sure that he loved Lottie Hill
and she loved him.
Many of the mill girls were rude
others were as true ladies as the worlt
holds. One of these was Mary Lawrence
who sometimes came to our house. Sh
told me often about Lottie-of her charm
and her lovers, and how old Vassar, tn
proprietor of the mill, had sent his son t.
Europe for fear he would marry her
But its my opinion that now she like
: Ben, and Ben her, she added 'They'r
e often together; I've seen them dow
by the Lovers Walk myself many
time; won't they make a splendi
!, couple p
: "Then I knew what allied NE, an
e what the dull pain meant at my heart
: Why did he come to our house so often
What right had he to speak to me so ter
der? [ began to feel strangely towar
7 Lottie Hill, and cried angry tears wher
ever thought of her and Ben. 1t woul
[ have made me happy any time to hes
e that she was dead. This feeling gre,
s stronger and stronger till it seemed as
e Lott and Ben were in my thoughts fro1
!, morning till night.
7 cat last the trouble affected my healtl
F~4l~ I, H. r