Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-05-06

gravely one day. eve must do with
out meat"
THAT is nothing" said |, laughing,
although | felt little inclined to be mirth-
full ''but we can't very we'll do without
a roof over our heads"
Don't fret, Joe,'' said my little heart
some wife. eve shall not want. Some
thing will be sure to happen. Don't
you worry one Bit
"But what can happen, Lizzie? The
days of miracles are all over with There
are no prophets like Elijah, nor raven
in these times.
''Yes there are joe, said Lizzie
cheerfully, although we don't always
know it at the time There is an order
for you to tune a piano up in South st.
isn't that raven p
And she held up the strip of paper
triumphantly before me-
When came back from South street,
Lizzie met me at the door with humid
eyes and troubled face.
What is the matter cried out.
anxiously. "Not the baby? Nothing
has happened to him ?"
NO answered Lizzie; 'he is quite
we'll, and is fast asleep, just like little
white lamb. But-Joe,- e,-aunt-George
isis dead"
''Aunt George dead y l repeated va
cantly
"Yes, she died this morning, and [
could not be sent for in time to receive
her last blessing. Oh, Joe, she was al
ways very kind to me.
Are we men naturally so selfish, or
was |, hunted and driven by want, an
exception to the ordinary rule! For l
confess that as Lizzie stood there look
ing so tearfully up into my face, the first
thought that followed the utterance of
this unexpected news into my brain,
was-would aunt George leave us any
thing? 1 supposed Lizzie was her only
living relation, and surely in all these
years, though her income was small she
must have saved something. But am
thankful that | never told Lizzie what
was in my mind.
''She was very old, DEAR said, striv-
ing to comfort my grieved wife; ''over
three score and ten. 1t is the allotted
age of humanity. And you know that
she had got to be very feeble.
And l know she is better off, said
Lizzie .'but Joe, she is all the mother
l ever had
We went to aunt Georges funeral,
and her will was read-a very brief doc
ument in which she bequeathed her SIM
pie household furniture and belongings
to nephew in Wisconsin, and to ELISA
beth, wife of Joseph Allen, as a token
of afectionate remembrance of her aunt
her piano
A tuneless jangling instrument, half
century old, with carved spindle legs,
ornaments of inlaid brass, and keys as
yellow as aunt Georges own complexion.
laughed contemptuously when l heard
the words. But Lizzie laid her hand
gently on my arm.
cit was aunt Georges, dear, "she said,
"and we must cherish it for her sake.
Besides, in a whisper. ''think how it
will amuse the baby"
And that was the end Of all my expec
tations of an Inheritance from Lizzie s
aunt George.
! The old piano was duly carted home
the next day. If it had been fashion
able instrument, of modern make, they
could never have cotton it up the narrow
staircase but it seemed to look quite
friendly and homelike opposite the fire.
place, with its lank proportions covered
by green cloth.
I shrunk back with a grimace as Liz
zie touched the keys to make the baby
laugh.
:'Of course it is out of tune, Joe,' she
said merrily 'but you will soon set that
right. And I shall rub up my practice
again in no time
1t happened to be very dull time
just then so | had nothing to do but tc
take Lizzies advice and in just half al
hour, | had the old instrument nearly
dissected, much to Mr.. Baby's edifcation
as he sat gravely on the floor in the mids
of the curious interior development O
the ancient piano.
And now comes the most marvellous
part of my story.
| All piano tuners know that when yol
; take away the front piece above the key
board, there is hollow place of consid
cradle extent, in any instrument of OF
dinary size. And as stopped to blow
the dust away from this place, | saw
+ bundle or rather roll of what locke,
like ragged papers lying at the extrem
!. est corner. Mechanically took it up
e it was roll of bank notes, fastene'
n round with yellow strip Of paper, o.
which was written: '.For my niece Liz
zic."
: '.Lizziel'' l cried, almost breathless
r "Lizziel'' and she was at my side in a