Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-01-27

right to ask me that question, ElAIn.
B4t I will answer it nevertheless
But / love another-because 1 have
promised to wait for Charley Way
land. YOUR own cousin ~
Elan Barstow's countenGnce fell
az thought you had forgotten that
boy-and-girl fancy long ago"
"I have not Otforgotten it-no, nor
never shallp
apo you believe he win ever come
back to claim your
eff he lives-yes J"
"And If he should be dead ~
ssThen l shall live aAd die true to
his memory P
The words dropped in low sound
ing. silent syllables from her lips
She had spoken them very quietly,
vet Elam Barstow felt that all the
world could not move her one hairs
breadth from her resolve. And the
sun went down behind the
clouds, and q gloom and shadow
seemed suddenly to enWrap the twi-
light solitude, just as it darkened
round his own soul.
every well, Rachel" he made an
II " a
more; but Rachel"
HYes2"
You'll come to our house to-mor-
row Your father and mother have
promised Hepsey to eat their Thanks
giving dinner with US. You'll
come, Rachel, just 10 show you don,
bear any malice for the foohsh
words I've spoken ~.
eyes, Elam, I'll come. ]"
So Elan Barstow left her, where
the red light from the brown cot
tage under Beech Mountain shone
| out across the lonely road, and Ra-
chel went home alone.
The light from the great wood
fire cleaned cheerily upon her as she
opened the door, disclosing quaint
little room, low ceiled, and fragrant
/ with the resinous sap which was
bubbling out at the end of the blaZ'
| ing Iogs-a room WSinscoted hal
way to the ceiling, and covered with
a well worn rag carpet, woven by
Nrs. Rivers own thrifty hands,
There were two rockers, cushioned
in rainbow colorsd patch work, anC
An old clock all with the red berrieC
apparatus, a spindle leg table, and
fat copper es-kettle swinging from
the crane, and cat purring softly
on the fire-brick-the various ele
ments OF the picture which consti
tuted home in Rachel Rivers eyes
Mrs. Rivers glanced up from he
Work-s fat rosy little woman, Will
cheeks like winter apples, and eye
| that still sparkled brightly behin'
| THAR Gnacfaela OlaRsAR
"Seems to me you are early to
night, Rachel"
@No mother, Pm a little late"
'Do tell and I've been so bus,
irwin to cut a vest out of your ia
theirs old butternut coat that some
how 1 haven't even heard the clocl
strikep'
| Mr. Rivers chuckled from his sta
ton in the right hand corner OF tn
T hearth.
"Mother's drefful smart at cor
/ trivin', he said, "but she can
make somethin' out OF nothln'; an
an old butter nut coat comes tn
, nearest to nothin' of any created OF
: iect I know of. Mays well put u
, your shears, mother, you won
: make it CO."
"I'll bet big apple will, theni
retorted the plump little mstroI
briskly. "Look, Ray-a cross pieC
) here, with the fronts right of th
tails, and there'n be enough for Il
: pels and to cover buttons, withou
| ever touching them worn spots.
Rachel looked down at the m,
! llancholy remains Of the old butte
a "Oh, mother, she said, with
!, sudden impulse of loathing at Il
: petty trials and pinchings Of the
: lives. al wish We were not poor"
4 scP'raps we shAn't be always
! said Mrs. Rivers, regarding b
/ daughter keenly over the toops
J. her spectacles. "There's Elam Ba
a stow says"
# Don't, n't,mother-don'tr' interruI
. ed Rachel, throwing off her sha'
It and hurrying to the fire, as If
n warm her slender little hands.
le EcElam Barstow is nothing to me
n Mrs. Rivers smothered the sha
y pang of disappointment at her hsa
"You take me up so quick, Ray
- she said petalantly. 81 was or
- aayin' Elam's folks invited US all
~ their home to Thanksgiving, q
is Pm glad ont, for somehow our Il
,S KEYS don't grow fat, and Lyl
Dartmouth has sold every one
IN them pumpkins on the mounta
ut and-And-"
a. "And we're poor, mother, 9
mt can't afford to set . ThsnksglV
he table like we used"
"Why don't you speak out
he onceH' demanded Seth Rivers, "
a treuuIous motion OF his poor
le- paralytic hands. "Come dRrt
lie let's have supper-the kettles oi
siy over long ago."
ily And Rachel moved about the
'ye tie room with q sinking at her he
Ich "a vague sense of uncertainty Al
ire whether she was doing wholly
ant altogether her duty.
KY 81 will work all day in the fact
eu' Il will bind shoes in the eVenlI
Inc she thought within herself. 81
sell all my time, strength and
ing but l will not sell my heart"
co. She sat up late that night,
1ad after old Seth and his wife were
we bed and asleep, working at her
he die by the sickly light of the so
~ talIow candle, to try and ear
mn little more money.
nad GFor mothers bonnet cannot
me bleached again without falling
18th pieces" she unused, sand fatt
and over-coat is too shabby to wear
,us- other winter
in So Rachel stitched on at the
Her of shees she was binding, and
ans to disguise from herself how W
lid, and sleepy she was, while the CT
had ct chirped shrilly underneath
ter, hearthstone, and the fire simm
her and cracked through the silenc
an The clock struck eleven, Whel
ips, last she rose and glanced out o
like window.
our 'How dark it is, and how
the wind howls I' she murmered to
its self, with an instructive feelin
e a pity for stray travellers toiling q
IA the solitary road. "Thank He
billy we are not as poor as some in
raw world
And when Thanksgiving MOI
bas- dawned, the chill gray air wa
of lazily-falling heaps of s
d pi- snow.
al knowed it was goin' to sn
Bar said old Seth Rivers; 81 felt it
bones last night. Well, I do
bit seasonable weather.
The same snow, falling
1u a now, and with q persistency '
threatened a prolonged storm,
ease. ed against the window-panes {
huge kitchen ins,Elsm Barstow'I
chic pitable farmhouse, and fringe
Bar boughs of the old hem-locks il
door-yard with ermins whit
Miss Hepsey, q spare maiden
somewhat above forty, hurried
, and forth, intent upon festive
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