Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-07-31


with her sadly changed face and hum
BILE dress. stood unnoticed and unrec
ognized, stranger in the home of he
fathers, with not one kindly, familia
voice to bid her welcome. 1t was wha
she had expected, and yet, disown i
as she might even to her own heart
there was secret pang Of disappoint
ment mingled with the loneliness, thai
made her shrink away before the cere
monies were concluded, and with sac
wonderment at the number Of the nov
| thick lying graves about her, m ad,
her way toward another and older par
of the graveyard, where, with its ono,
handsome but now time stained monu.
ment inclosed by ragged, untrimmet
cedar hedge, the unchecked growth o
years, lay the grassy plot that she hat
so bitterly characterized as her "pos
session"
Nor was there any lack of occupants
in this dreary heritage, thick sown with
graves beneath, some of them sunk al.
most TO a level with the earth arouno
them, while above, upon the more en-
during marble, were the carefully CHS
eled names of father, mother, brothers
and sisters, and, last in the mournful
list the more freshly cut record;
Capt. Henry Brandt, aged %. Kill.
ed at the battle of Shiloh
Esther pressed her cheek TO the cold
marble, while the hot tears fell like
rain upon the upturned faces of the
daisies beneath.
Resting, but not here she sobbed
bitterly, for there was no flag.dccked
grave IN the lonely enclosure to show
that the dust of that brave young
brother, whom in her girlish cnthusi-
asm she had almost worshipped, was
sleeping among the graves of his IA
thers.
Esther Brandt. !"
She looked up, and flash or sud
den recognition lighted up her sad face
as 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 was little OF surprise
IN either look or tone, mere quiet re-
cognition of his presence, as simply a
part Of the old home scenes, as she
said thoughtfullv and as if in contnu.
alton of his own greeting:
And Willard Emory-we two alone
seem natural here all those people, 4"
and she glanced towards the now scat
terlng crowd, ARE strangers and aliens
here, in my eyes"
lie smiled, and the old merry twin
klc that she remembered 80 well.
glanced from his eye, as he said:
IF YOU look through those peoples
spectaclcs, you would probably say the
same of we two"
81 suppose SO" and she sighed wea-
rlly. But TO come back to the old
home and find the place itself 50 little
changed, while almost every human
face is that Of Il stranger, makes one
bewildered and misty in their ideas
is this your first home yIsit:"
"Ics."
"And mine
He was silent moment, then glanG-
ing pltyingly at the thin, worn facc be-
SIDE him, lie added, with tender sIy-
nliicancc that brought the consclou,
blusnes 10 the girls pale cheek and Il
softer expression 70 the sadly compos-
ed mouth:
II expected to find YOU here-whv
| don't know, some natural heart in
stinct, pcrhaps-at any rate, be-
lieved that you would be here to-day,
and came with purpose-to ask the
question that, in the Old, bv-gonc days
was too poor to ask and YOU too
proud and shy TO answer
Esthcr's face was hidden in her
hands, but the tears, forcing their way
between her slender fingers fell silent
ly lpon the sombre folds Of her dress
beneath
"Will YOU be my wife, Esther
But she shook her head mournfully.
Years of toll and loneliness have
aged me in heart as well as face. and
| cannot wrong the love OF an honest
man by Offering TO him this faded, old
hearted substitute for the happy
bright-faced girl who was the real love
of his youth.
She rose to go, but q strong arm
was about her, "A broad breast received
her trembling form, while a voice of
unutterable tenderness whispered in
her ear:
my darling, for all these years l
have toiled and waited, and hoped for
this day, and will you disappoint me
now"
That Esther suffered herself to be
persuaded that she was really essential
to her old friends happiness, may be
guessed from a stray bit of confidence
on the part Of Mrs. Blossom toward
her liege lord, as they sat alone to-
gether in the little sitting-room a few
weeks later:
ITO think that Esther will be mis-.
trcss of the Brandt ho omestead once
more, and that Willard Emory has
AoNSo 0uu WaitCu III nSi ali lucSc
years. Silent, because he was deter
mined that in offering her his hand he
would offer with it the Inheritance to
which she was born. But" in a little
mysterious whisper, "wasn't it funny
that they should both have had spe-
cial drawing to their old home on this
special occasiOn"
Manifest destiny" explained the
reverend, with yawn, and a 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 divinity that shapes ou
ends, ETC."
And with this very satisfactory re
mark, he betook himself to bed, Will,
his little wife as she changed the baby
wrapper preparatory to retiring her
self for the night, wondered vaguely