Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-11-26


friend, and Cora was instructed in this
accomplishment, and furnished with
sufficient employment, at fair prices, to
allow her to give up one pupil after an.
other, till all were provided with teach
ers who paid moro attention to tunes and
less TO solid instruction.
When The spring opened, and fine days
shone, Mr.. jameson had a delightful
habit of coming suddenly to the door
with large. easy hack, bundling the
whole iamily-Eddy included-inside,
and driving far out into the lovely coun-
try, where he would produce mysterious
lunchcons, and picnic in shady spots, al-
ways iull of fun, jest aud kindness.
Ii would make my tale too long, were
TO attempt to describe halt ,he eccentric
Kindness and generosity of the queer
little man; his love Tor the children. his
respectful attentions to Henrietta, his
tender calc for Cora.
IIo had been an inmate OF 287 for near
" year, when one day he invited his
andlady TO taSc walk with him, and
thus accosted her:
Miss Henrietta. | am thinking OF
getting married, and want you to tell
me how to furnish my house Come in
and SEQ il"
They had left the small streets long be-
fore he spoke. and stood before large
handsome house in a fashionable neigh.
torhood.
II mean to make this home as perfect
as possible lor my bride" he said, open
inS door after door; "this must be
Jcnnie's room. this for Eddy"
Then it is Cora?' said Henrietta, and
as she spoke her head sank, for she fear.
ell her kind friend was courling disap-
poinlment.
Cora he cried 'ah, yes. Cora will
live here, Of course. Now will you help
me? must have carpets aud curtains,
crockery, aud a thousand things of whose
very names | am ignorant. am anxious
to move in time Tor n thanksgiving dinner
TO commemorate when first saw-CUra y
OF course she would help him. They
went from store to store consulting, ar
ranging aud ordering goods, the little
lady feeling all the time rs if she was in
dream. aud must pinch herself before
she could wake up. The odd lost feel
ing lasted all day, and when she came
home weary and pale, she shut herself
up in her own room, and tried to face
calmly this terrible possibility. To lose
Cora to lose the children and above
all. to lose her eccentric boarder How
could she bear this. LONELINESS that seemed
threatening her. She had no claim, nc
right To complain. Ii Cora married q
man. whose generous love extended tc
The children, surely there could be nc
greater happiness for all. Mr.. jameson
Was noble and thoroughly good, that
could not DO doubted; but Henrietta tell
half sadly. that ii Cora married him, il
would be Tor home. for the sake OF the
children, perhaps from respect and graft.
tude, but not from the loving impulse o
her unlriod young heart.
The little old maid had no heart )
tory Of her own TO guide her misgivings
she hal lived lonely lie OF slavery to
n tyrancal. invalid father, and since his
death, the uneventlul lilo of keeping 2
small boarding house Tor the poorer class
always having women for inmates. Yet
this womsn's heart in her little frame,
knew by its own pure true instincts that
this was marriage that would bring
misery and disappointment, not happi-
ness. Cora was Just twenty, Mr.. Jane
son certainly double that age. She was
q dreamy girl, musical enthusiast; he
was practical, bustlins and energetic.
Kind as he was TO Cora, he could never
fill her heart, OF that Henrietta was con-
vinced. Her forebodngs were more than
confirmed lew hours later, when Cora
came to her room TO say goodnight
The young girl was very pale.
"Aunlie she said, using the familiar
name to which she had only the claim OF
love, ''do you think Mr.. Jameson Isl:
wanting to marry me. You think an
unmaidenly," she said. in an agony o.
shame, "but he has been talking very
strangely to me. He has bought house
and he has been asking me how | would
like TO furnish room, and what thought
of different household arrangements, ant
putting odd questions, that seem rs il
they could have but one meaning"
"And that was what?"
That he meant to ask me to share his
home"
Il think he does, Cora. Indeed, he
told Inc the same thing"
"Be his wife N Cora Hills face wa;
very pale as she said this.
II think he will ask you, dear. He viii
be kind. good husband, Cora"
Too kind, too good to have me for
wife | could respect him, | do now
can give him gratitude beyond measure
and could be dutilul and affectionate,
but-Oh, help me, auntie, help me-"
my darling, no one can help you."
"He is SO good to Jennie, to Eddy
Such a brother for them should reconcile
me to anything. For their sake could
4 s.