The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-10-30
ArxT aABELss AAsarEHADE.

travelling satcbeI. She was not young
bat ber silvery white hair, arranged ia
loose roIls under Der soft lace cap, suited
well her fair complexion and large bluC
eyes, a. yet andimmed by age sBd uudis-
figured by spectacIcs. Everything about
her beiokened wealth; The heavy gray
travelling dress she wore was OF rich ma
lerial, and the trunks ia the room we're
Of ibe best make and evidently well filled
Rich diamonds sparkied upon her deli
cate white hands, aud confined the fine
lace collar at her throat.
As she read letter amer letter Der lips
curled in cynical smile, and her
thoughts ran something after this fash
ton:
The raptufous tone Of delight in these
letters seems to me somewhat oyerdrawn.
My return from Europe would seem to be
the opening Of Paradise TO my brothers
widow and her two daughters, Julia aud
Maude. Sister kate's husband does not
write, but the letter from her daughter
Lizzie Is very gushing, But May Her
beri--liltle May, my namesake and baby
pet, dear Mary's orphan ehild-writes me
only cold little note, in answer TO my
announcement that am coming home
after fourteen years absence. ! wond-
er II all the others would write just such
formal letters ID my husband had not
willed TO me his vast lortuneI All, me
how much Of this affection Is for dear
aunt Mabel? how much for her dollars
aud centsl | wish could know some
thing of these relations from whom
have been parted 81 long. Brother John
was cold and selfsh-are his daughters
like him? Sister Kate very feeble in
purpose, easily Influenced, and burying
many good impulses under the fear oi
offending her exactiug husband. Mary
--ah, why are they all dead2-Mary loved
me. Mary would give me welcome il
| came in rags, without a dollar in my
pocket. wonder fit is a stale trick
the foundation for stories without end
but | wonder II could find out more
about them all if went in manquerade
IN try it. Fourteen years must have
changed me. I'll see what kind of girli
these four nieces of mine have grown tC
! be. Strange that there should be no boy
TO claim share Of my money. Only
girls. Well, one of them may find /
pleasant home by sharing my solitude.
wonder why May does not love me as thu
others do.
| Still musing, the old lady rose, anC
opening one of her trunks, took from ]
a number Of half-worn garments; from
these she selected black alpaca, which
she deliberately proceeded to tear in con
spicuous places and soil with ashes from
the CRATE. From lace cap she removed
all the trimmings, and ill-treated ii as sh'
had done the dress. Removing her dres
she put on the black alpaca and soilet
cap, carefully put away her rings, watcl
and ornaments, aud tied over her head /
small breakfast shawl of faded crimson
wool Then wrapping herself in larg'
blanket shawl, which she made shabb!
in few minutes, she, surveyed her
self in the mirror.
Certainly she looked very unlike th'
exquisitely dressed lady who had beer
there a few moments before, but sht
seemed well pleased, and presently start
ed out.
Buying wide basket, she stocked i
well with needles, pins, tape, buttons ,ant
such small traps, and walked rapidly til
she stood in front of handsome brown
stone house, on a fashionable street.
H'ml John must have left his famih
well OFF. Three stories and basement
and all the modern Improvements, as tn
advertisements soy. Are the ladies in
/ she asked aloud, as the door was opene,
/ by a servant
We don't want anything.
Let me see the ladies, and the girl fel
a crisp note pressed in her hand.
Go right mp to the head Of the stairs
she said, but don't say I let you in, o
you'll cost me my place.
/ I'm not tell how | got in, said the olC
lady, hobbIing, as il very feeble, up th
stairs, aud knocking at The door Of th
sitling-room.
Entering, IN answer to asummons fror
within, she found three ladies, yer
handsomely dressed, aud sewing yer
busily.
With a broad brogue she compliments
them all, aud then displayed her wares
The young ladies', BLONDES of about twer
Is aud twenty-five, were about to dis
miss her, when the Older one stoppe
them with a whisper, in which the wor
cheap was distinctly audible.
While they we're examining her good
and yisibly wondering at her low prices
the pretended peddler examined the thre
faces Reenly They were all preit,
mother and daughters, aud the aunt 40
ted with half smile her own blue eye
and fair hair ia the girls.
They are ike John, she thought.
Mother, Julia said, weren't you wisl
! ing for new piu-cushion ior Aunt NJ,
bells room2 Here IS pretty one.
How much il III
Finy cents, marm.
Take il, JuiiA.
wouldn't spend fifty cauts on pit
cushion lill was sure she was comm
here, said Maude, Grossly.
Oh course she will come here, said BE-
mother, Where else could she go9 iot
uncle Ralph boards aud certainly 81
- Hss..gy