Daily Kennebec journal., 1873-07-18
= - !, =, ,.as there anr Jack of occupants in

Nor was there any lack Of occupants il
,his dreary heritage, thick sown witt
Graves beneath. some of them sunk almost
to level with the earth around them
while above, upon the more enduring
marble, were the carefully chiseled names
of father, mother, brothers and sisters,
and, last in the mournful list the more
freshly cut record:
capt. Henry Brandt, aged %. Killed
at the battle of Shiloh"
Esther pressed her cheek to the cold
marble. while the hot tears feel like ram
upon the upturned faces Of the daisies be-
meath.
Resting, but not here. she sobbed, bit
terly, for there was no flag decked grave
in the lonely inclosuIe to show that the
dust of that brave young brother, whom in
her girlish enthusiasm she had almost
worshipped. was sleeping among The
graves of his fathers.
Esther Brandt -
She looked up, and flash OF Sudden re-
cognition lighted up her sad lace rs her
eyes fell upon the figure beside her, whose
every feature, motion. tone even were rs
familiar as the landscape about them or
the blue sky above their heads, and there
"A mere quiet recognition of his presence,
As simply part OF the old home scenes,
as she said thoughtfully and as if in con-
tinuation of his own greeting:
And Willard Emory-we two alone
seem natural here; all those people and
she glanced towards the now scattering
crowd, "are strangers and aliens here. in
my eyes"
l., laI tt,a. Il y ttrt, l.
that she remembered SO well glanced
from his eye. as he said:
''If you look through those peoples
-pectacles. you would probably say III"
same of I'VE two"
II suppose So" and she sighed EARLY.
But to come back to the old home and
lind the place itself SO little changed,
while almost every human face is that Of
misty in their ideas
as this your first home visit -
Yes"
"IAnd miae.''
He was silent a moment, then glancing
pityingly at the thin, worn fare beside
him. he added, with tender Significance
that brought the conscious blus6es to the
girls pale cheek and softer expression
II expected to find you here--why,
don't know, some natural heart instinct
perhaps-at any rate. | believed that
you would be here to-day, and | came
with purpose--to ask the question that.
in the old, by-gone days was too poor
to ask and You too proud and shy to an
swer.'
Esthers face was hidden in her hands.
hy,ft hn I.ar LZs~ l.
her slender fingers fell silently. upor ,h-
sombre folds of her dress beneath.
'.Will you be my wife, Esther:
But she shook her head mourniul.y.
Years of toll and loneliness have 4-~ss
me in heart as we'll as face, and | cAnB0s
wrong the love of an honest man by offer
ing to him this faded, old-hearted sybsti-
lute for the happy, bright-faced girl who
was the real love Of his youth.
She rose 20 70, but strong arm @a>
about her, broad breast received her
trembling form, while a voice of unutter
able tenderness whispered in her car;
My dating, for all those Years ] haNp
toiled and waited. and hoped for this day
and will you disappoint me now =
That Esther suffered herself to be- ,,.r
snaded that she was really essential to he
Did friends happiness. may be euesse,
from stray Bit of confidence on the par
of Mrs. Blossom toward her liege lord. a
they sat alone together in the little sitting
room = few weeks later:
''To think thar Esther will he mi~;ree
"i the Brandt homestead once more ans
that Willard Emory has loved and waifeo
for her all these years. Silent, because ht
was determined that in offering her h-
hand he would offer with 1t the inheritance
TO which she was born But, in little
mysterious Whisper wasn't it funny that
they shonId both have had special draw
ing to their old home on this special orra.
sion p
manifest destiny" explained the rev
erend, with yawn, and slight feeling
of vexation at finding the thread of his
next Sundays discourse broken in upon So
ruthlessly by his wife's communication
There's q divinity that shapes our
ends, elc.'
And with this very satisfactory remark
he betook himself to he'd, while his little
wife as she changed the baby's wrapper
preparatory to retiring herself for the
night, wondered vaguely at the indifier-
ence with which her news of the coming
wedding had been received, winding IL,
at last with the conclusion that so many
OF her sisters have come to before her:
ITS the way with men, once married
themselves, they don't care if all the worl,
live single. while every woman enjoys ,
wedding, if for nothing else. because i
reminds her Of her own