Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-03-05
NUMBER 7.


But when he babe me good by on the
deck OF the steamer, as he kissed me he
sally, shall hold my very breath TIL
| see Ellen. Inever knew how | loved
her before. And the tears stood in lis
eyes.
never saw Emma Long after she
knew that John was to 60 abroad to Join
Ellen. found myself suddenly without
courage To look her in her face. The
hurry of my preparations Tor Alice was
ample excuse Tor my not going To her
house, and she did not come 20 ours.
knew that John spent several evenings
with her. and came home late, with sad
and serious face, and that was ALL \
week before he sailed :he Joined q large
and gay party Tor San Francisco and the
Yosemite. In all the newspaper accounts
OF the excursion, Mrs. Long was spoken
of rs the brilliant center Of all festivities.
understood well that this was The first
reaction Of her proud and sensitive ma
turc under an irremediaDle paiu. She
never returned To- -, but established
herself in q Southern city, where she iiy.
ed in great retirement for q year doing
good to all poor aud suffering peop.e.and
spending the larger part OF her fortune
in charity. Early in the second year
there was an epidemic of yellow fever;
Mrs. Long refused 70 leave The city. ard
went fearlcssly rs the physician TO visit
and nurse the worst cases But after the
epidemic had passed by she herself was
taken IN, and died suddenly In % hospital
ward, surrounded by the very patients
whom she had nursed back To health
Nothing could say in my own words
would give so vivid an idea OF Inc meet
ing between John Gray and hi- wife, as
the first letter which / received from little
Alice:
"DARLING AuNTIE:--It is too bad you
did not come too. The voyage was hor-
rid Papa was so much sickcr than !,
that had To take care ol him all The
time; but my head achcd SO that | Kept
seeing black spots it stopped over 10
kiss papa; but papa said was just like
another mamma.
"Oh, Auntie, only think, there was
mistake about the letters, and mamma
never got the letter To- cell her that we
were coming; and she WAS ONT on the
balcony of The hotel when Ne got out OF
the carriage, and Lrst she saw me; ana
the lady who was with her said she tuIn-
ed first red and then so white Ihe lady
thought she wa, sick; and then The next
minute she saw papa, and she just leil
right down among all the people, ana
looked rs il she WAS dead; and tbe very
first thing poor papa aud saw, when we
got UP s.airs, was mamma being carried
by two men, and papa aud both thought
she was dead and papa Tell night Gown
on his knees, and made the men put
mamma down on the floor, and every
body talked out loud, and papa never
spoke word, bat just looked ai mamma,
and nobody knew who papa was lilI !
spoke, and | said,
"'Thats my mamma, aud papa and !
have lust come all the way lruM Auetr
ca. and then gentleman told mo To
kiss mamma, and ! did; and then 7ne
opened her eyes; and Just as soon %, size
saw papa, she got II great deal winter
and her head leil back again. oud vas
50 sure she ,as diving that Began TO
cr, out loud. and 90 think there were
more than hundred people ail round us
but Louise says there were only ten on
twelve; and then the same gentleman
that told me 10 Kiss mamma took mold OF
papa. and made him 80 away; and they
carried mamma into % room, and iad hrf
ON bed. and said wo must all 90 ont:
hut | wouldn't: | got right unde' The bed
and they didn't see ne; and o. sttaI.' 10
me a thousand years before anybody
spoke; and at last | heard m1mnIS
voice, lust as weak as taby's--but you
know nobody could mistake mamma
vuice and said she, Where IS john
saw john and then the gentleman ~e!d'
oh, forgot 10 tell you he was ~ doc
tor
".My dear madam, calm your-e't-
and then cried right ont again, aud
crept ont between lis legs and almost
Knocked him down and said !, Don't
you try 10 calm my mamma; II IS papa
and me too, mamma. ana thch
mamma burst out crying; and then the
old gentleman ran on, and guess papa
was at the door. tor he came right in
and then he put his arms round mamma,
and they didn't speak for SD long,
thought should die and all the people
were listening, and going up and down
in the halls outside. and | taltso luGhien-
ed and ashamed, for fear people would
think mamma wasn't glad 10 see uS. But
papa saws that i always the way "heh
people arc more glad than they can bear;
and the surprise, too, was too much Tor
ANYBODY. But | said AT the ie1-1ble
that hoped should never be- SO E'aaI
myself as long as lived; aud then the
old genllemau- he's very nict'." -rh-
tleman. and a great friend oi mnmma 5,
and wears gold spectaccs-he said. My
dear little girl. hope YOU 1iay io some
day Just as glad, and then be looked at
papa and mamma and smiled, and num-
ma almost cried again Oh, altogether
II was horrid time; the worst ever
had; and 50 different from what papa
and thought it would be-.
"But il all over now. and were sd, -
happy, we laugh so all the time. That
papa says il is dis9rcciuI; that we shall
have To 90 of and hide ourselves -Dme'
where where people can't see IL.
But, Auntie, YOU don't know how per
frctly splendid mamma IS. She j. tle
pretliesl lady in the hotel Louise says;
She is ever so much iatier than She used
TO be. And the baby has grown so did
not know her, and her curls are more
than half yard long Louise and Mary
have got their hair cut short ike boys,and
their gowns are splendid; they say II Was
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