Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-10-22
SeItfttD Storp.
Godfrey's Keepsake.

give me keepsake" Godfrey had
said, when We knew that we must part for
fast, and my heart throbbed heavily in
pain, | knitted purse for my betrothed.
l wanted il TO be unlike other purses. SO
wove into it a fantastic pattern of milk
white beads. upon the dark green silk, and
with this wrought the initials, G.-for
Godfrey-and H.-for lIelen-with a true
lovers knot of white silk. While piled
the shining needles, putting my daintest
stitches into the gift l was knitting,
thought only OF Godfrey, my lover, my he
TO amongst men.
He was not very handsome, but tall,
large, and with wiry, elastic frame that
told of its strength In every easy move
men.. He had hot temper, l had been
told, but never saw any indication of it..
To me he was tender rs a woman. for |
was thrown upon his protection strangely.
was a dressmaker when he first knew
me, though had been once the heiress OF
wealth, had received good education
had travelled every Summer in my own
country aud spent one year abroad. My
father died when | was sixteen, and LEFT
his fortune to his wife. Two years after
my mother married, and AFTER six months
she too died, leaving her money 10 her
husband, trusting utterly in his love to
ia for ma a
childless, and protesting fatherly afiec-
ton for me.
Ny mother was but 4 month dead when
my step-father coldly advised me TO learn
trade. Seeing my amazement, he in
formed me that my mothers will disinher-
tied me, and he had no intention OF sup
porting me in idleness, though he would
give me a home until learned to support
myself.
In my Indignation | turned TO my old
friends. \ iew-only very few-gave
sympathy and advice. One alone gave
me practical help. Mrs. Raymond. a
school-mate Of my mothers, widow,
and with but small income, took me to
her home. and under her care and protec-
tion, Learned my trade as my step-father
had advised.
/ wasvery lonely at first, feeling keenly
the great wrong done me. bitterly resent
ing the fact that the money my father had
earned by honorable toll for his wife and
| child was in a strangers hands, and fret
ting over the new confinement of nv
work. But when had been month in
my new home Godfrey returned there. l
| had learned to respect and admire him
from his mothers constant, loving refer
ences to him, but he had been three years
away then, and l had never met him.
When he came loved him, ard he learn.
ed to love Inc.
| But our love was clouded always by the
fact that another absence of three years
would soon take Godfrey from me. He
was in commercial house that sent him
abroad as purchaser of goods in the Euro
pean cities. and he was expected to re-
| main three years at Il time. His position
was not sufficiently lucrative then for him
to take wife abroad, though he hoped ii
soon would be so.
There was some talk of an immediate
marriage. but it was not carried into ef.
feet, as We felt an implicit faith in each
Others constancy.
| In the Spring time We parted. l to re.
main with Mrs. Raymond, Godfrey to
write often. One of his sorrows was the
uncertainty of letters, as he travelled con.
stantly, and had often missed his mothers
when he did not take exactly the rout.
proposed on his writing to her.
In the purse had knitted put a locket
containing my miniature and lock of my
hair, and he promised never to part will
either gift.
1t is useless to try to write Of our loneli
ness after son and lover left us. We work
ed faithfully, for wanted to take . littl,
marriage portion to Godfrey, and for
year we lived our quiet, uneventful lives
hearing frequently from Godfrey. writini
by every steamer. Then sorrow cam
like lightning stroke. Mrs. Raymon,
dropped dead of heart disease without any
warning of danger.
cannot dwell upon my grief. 1t wa
losing another mother, for loved he
fondly, and she had given me truer, warm
er affection than my own mother, devote
to fashion, gayety and dress, had ever done
While was wondering where to turn, 70
could not keep up alone. the little hous
We had shared, my uncle came to see me
y had but dim recollection of hiI
when he sent his card to my room, bu
when I went to meet him my dead fathe
seemed to stand before me.