Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-12-09

She went about the house as blithe-
ly as possible, and watched egerly
for the letter promised at an early
day. 1t did not come until long
after even Abeth's brave heart had
grown sick with "hope deferred"
and when she read it, she shudder-
ed at the broken reed she had
been leaning upon. 1t was brief
and cold, saying he heard that she
was engaged to Will Fields, that
he had long thought her tired Of
their love affair, she might do as
she liked.
He knew Abeth had refused
Will Fields true love for his farce
like demonstrativeness, and she
felt how unmanly it was to try to
throw the blame of his own false
ness upon her. She wrote an an
swer, telling him this, and closing
with the words, "You wrote good
bye but Renee, if it is to be good
bye forever'-you, not /, make it
so"
The memory Of the days which
followed never ceaced tn be pain
to Abeth. She tried so hard to APP
pear as usual, but failing to wave
off enquiries, answered them by
saying she was not well an asser-
ton which called from her grand
mother such as a dosing of herb
teas, solicitous watch, that the poor
girl was nearly frantic. Just at
this time she received an invitation
) to spend the winter with some
cousins whom she had never met.
| and eager for anything to help her
! forget, she accepted.
/ Two weeks later she stepped
! from the cars into the bustling city
and was met and welcomed be hel
: cousin Emma, whose cheerful, yet
: deeply written face at once wor
Abeth's heart.
f She was about forty years o.
/, age, and though time had robbed
/ her of the bloom Of youth, he had
e given her a purity and depth o
d character far more beautiful
: Their home was full Of mirth anC
culture, and from the time she en-
t tered it, Abeth began to rise above
} her trouble, and to develope her
} latent powers. She listened to
} able sermons, lectures, read good
: books, and won helpful, intellectual
| friends so that when, at the end
: of two months, she returned to the
) farm house, the danger was past,
and she was saved from becoming
an unloving skeptic, of an excite
ment craving flirt--those characters
so often arise from an undisciplined
heart like hers being thrown back
upon ITSELF.
Abeth had learned that unselfsh
labor is happiness, while the ambi-
ton to make of herself just as no
ble and useful woman as human
imperfection would allow, was too
fully reused to die out. She staid
with her grandparents, doing all
she could to brighten their old age,
until they died and left her the
\ farm. \ railroad was built near,
and little village was springing
up between the depot and the
creek. Abeth had always loved
her consin Emma, and as both
were left by death, nearly alone,
they decided to live together.
They sold most of the land which
comprised the old farm, beautilied
the grounds about the house, and
made model "old maids" home.
Young and old liked to go there.
Abeth Merrils' happy face and
cheerful laugh carried sunlight
into every house in the village,
while her busy head and hands
were always working for some ones
comfort-seldom for her own.
Clarence had married-one who
never troubled him with deep ques-
tions and gave him but little do
nestle peace. One child, little
girl, was given them; and in spite
of the mothers weak, jealous OBJ
iections, he had named her "Abeth
-Abeth Mines" The saddened
man remembered with remorse, one
whom he once asked to bear that
name; and wondered how much
better might have been his life, had
he been true to her whose praises
reached even his distant home.
Three years later his wife died; and
ten years from the night Abeth had
sang so tenderly at may be for