Litchfield enquirer., 1873-11-27

1 But his search was useless. The yacht had been hired by party Of English tour ists, two ladies. three gentlemen. and the little girl, and s.the gentlemen aUeuzd manage the boat themselves, was all they could learn. So the child re- mained in Abrams cottage, delighting him with her pretty ways and quaint, sweet speeches, and winning her way slowly, but surely, into the sterner heart of "Aunt Abram,' as she still called her. She was strange contradiction, this lit tie waif, sometimes appearing so much older, sometimes so much younger than her age; but when Martha would express alarm at her ignorance, Abram would lay -"Never mind, Marthy,. she's all right: her little souls only feelin' its way yet. D
 "Won't you come and talk to me a while, please, Aunt Abram ?" said the child plaintively, one day.
 Poor Martha looked soreiy puzzled. "Talk child, what about?"
 ''Oh, don't know, I'm so very lonely, Aunt Abram."
 She had been sitting quietly on the doorstep, ln the sun. watching the gulls as they flew over the water or followed the tide with their quick, graceful mo- tions and watchful eyes; the fishing boats were constant source of delight to her, but she had grown weary even of this; Abraham was away, and a tired, grieved look, painful to see Of so young face, had chased away the smiles. ''What makes you call me Aunt Abram 2" ask ed Marthy, glad of some subject to begin on.
 "Oh! Aren't you Uncle Abrams wife?'
 "No, child, said Martha, sharply, her thin cheeks flushing as she thought of what might have been.''
 "His sister, then? ?"
 "No.''
 "Wby, he told me he had 6 sister. for he said her eyes were just like mine''
 Well, so he had" said Martha, look i ing down into the interested face at her knee, and thinking with sudden thrill how strangely sweet 1t was to have a cllild's hand clinging to her dress, she paused so long that the little one became impatient ''Well, tell me about the sis ter"
 ''There ain't much to tell, dear, she was sick all the time, an ccme here to tend her, an wait on her, an the COW, for 1 Abram he took on so when she died he didn't tend ta nothin'"
 ''Died what is died9" questioned the ! child. "Is 1t growing all cold and white like my pretty mamma, and being put in a stone house all over lions and swords like the spoons and things, to wait for the angels 2"
 | And Martha completely at loss how to answer, said '.yes" to it all, then her con- sclence pricking her, she added--''Only Hetty wasn't put in house all over lions, she was put out there in the ground, an We covered her up with grass, an the flowers grew on her." Covered up with grass, and flowers growing on her," re- peated the child musingly. ''Pd like that better than house, but if musn't call you Aunt Abram, who are you?''
 "I'm Martha D
 Martha Oh then I know all about you"
 ''You do P and the worthy spinster looked at the child with curious mixture of awe and amusement. "Well, land what next !'
 "Oh! yes" and she nodded her head in a satisfied way, somebody told me about S9H aaee and svaRs s;41a; his nalase-5sszT know, Lazarus, weren't you glad to get him back? I always thought it was very good of you to make nice things for din- her, and think Mary might have helped you little. I'm so glad I've found you; but why isn't he"-pointing to Abram, who was coming slowlyup the beach "why isn't he Uncle Lazorus?"
 Land sakes! child, ask him; there's my milk boilin' over," and Martha hur- ried off to the kitchen, handing over the child and her perplexities to Abram, who, taking her out with him, found shelter ed place on the sand, and sitting down beside her, he patiently explained the diff | hafr kl,n zfD D,& and the brusque housekeeper mp at the cottage, who was at that moment wonder | ing ''what on airth they was to do with the child, for she's wrong in the head, certain" And there in the shelter of an old boat, when the days grew long, they sat together, Abram and the child s'Te1l me story, Uncle Abram," was the con- stant appeal, and he to whom few books were open save Gods and Natures, was fain to tell her of the osd-time days when angels walked the earth and the God Man talked with men. Excepting the story which some one had told her of Martha and Mary, and which had taken fast hold of her memory as everything she fancied did, she was as ignorant of Bible charac- ters and Bible history as the veriest hea- then, and with parted lips and eager eyes she listened as Abram in his simple words would tell her of Him who walked upon the sea, and dwelt with lowly fisher folk; and from those baby lips would come the cry so often wrung from sorrow-stricken hearts, 'Why is all done, why isn't it noac, Uncle Abram?" And he in his larg- CT patience would respond, "Wait awhile, pretty one, wait awhile, you an me we'll see Him yet"
 As the months passed on, the child grew quite contented with the quiet life she led. Her brain was full of pretty fancies which she brought out before these two, without the slightest reserve, sometimes troubling '.Aunt Martha" a lit tie with doubts of her perfect sanity, but giving unfeigned delight to Abram, who often found his own tender thoughts put into words by the little prattler at his 'side. No one questioned his right to keep her, and when strangers attracted by her great beauty, would ask her to whom she belonged, she always answered simply-'Uncle Abram found me in the sea; I'm his"
 She had told them Cher papa" called ed me 'tBlossona," and Blossom she was to Abram; the name suited her delicate face, which no sun or wind was strong enough to darken.
 sLook at her eyes, Martha, as blue as the sea when the sun sh1nes," Abram would say, sometimes; and Martha, who thought much of the responsibility of her charge, would answer curtly some is as handsome does, Abram."- And Alice would shake her golden curls about her face with laugh, knowing full we'll that all she twas" and ''did" was ''han'- some" in 'sAunt Martha's" eyes. 1 Three years passed, then one day Abram came in looking troubled.
 l s'I met the Domino. Marthy, an he sez to me, 'Abram what are you goin' to do with your little girl? She'd ought to larn some thin'' Now she ain't fit to go to school anyways round here, Marthy, IS she now?" :.
 eff he's so awful anxious about it, why don't he offer to teach her himself, snap ped Martha, relishing no interference with their little Alice.