The Republican journal., 1874-03-05

heard Of again until to-day by Aunt Angus
ta's family
He went to California, throwing his
whole life into work; his work prospercd,
and he had come back now with houses
and lands and gold mincs-a rich man.
He had come back to find Aunt Augusta,
and learn how the world had Jared with
her For in all these years of buying and
selling and getting gain, he had kept the
empty room in his heart that had once
been filled by his love.
Aunt Augusta's married life had not
been happy. 1t is very dangerous for 4
man to take in a mean habit temporarily,
tor it will stick to him. and Abner Stan
tons character never recovered from the
twist those intercepted letters gave it. /
don't know what, but something was
always going wrong between them For
their children proved barriers instead of
bonds. As he grew older his natural
economy and thrift became stronger and
stronger, until, as my mother said, che
got 50 close he could sit, and seven more
like him, on q three-cent piece" Finally,
one day, under some provocation, he told
Aunt Augusta about the lost letters.
''Iou oughtnt to have told me that,
Abner," said She. "You ought not to have
told me l can never forget you"
She never did Always after. there
seemed to be something separating them.
cold and hard and transparent as ice, until
at last they agreed to live apart And so
they did until the death of Mr. Stanton
Now Aunt Augusta was living surrounded
by her children and grandchildren hap
py and comfortable.
Mother brought down thus the story of
Aunt Augustas life while Mr. Averill lis
tened, eager and excited. When She had
finished he knocked the ashes from his
pipe, and starting up, began to walk the
floor.
Il will start for Portland tomorrow
morning and see what Augusta will have
TO say to me. | AN OF the same mind
always was Eve never hanIercd for a
moment after any other woman, and am
as ready to marry her to-day Us ever |
was"
50 the next day saw him on the Port
land train, gray with years, but youthful
with expectation
This time he did not waste his oppor-
tunity by waiting to make himself fine,
but with the CRIME and dust of travel vet
Of Aunt Au@usta's daughter, with whom
she is living
1Where is Mrs. Stanton? want to see
her right away" said he rs soon as the
door was opened.
~ on will find her here; walk in, if vou
please" replied the housemaid, throwing
open the door Of the stting-room
Mr Averill stepped quickly forward
Yes, there She sat, stitching away Is be-
fore on some kind of primrose-colored
stuff with her eyes as black and bright as
ever. But the primroses We're faded in
her checks. and She wore Il cap on her
head.
II hay" come ior you again. Augusta.
Am too late this time ," cried the impa-
tlent lover
The roses came back to Aunt Augusta's
checks, and the red-hot arrows shot out OF
her eyes once more.
Bless us! if it isn't Sam Averil, nose
and all" She said, holding up her hands.
From twenty to fifty is but as Il watch
in the night, then the years are past: and
it is only when an old lady mods triuln-
phantly At You from the looking glass,
saying, Here am, my DEAR or when
children that you have nurscd in Your
arms come around with the rights and
duties of tuli-@roWn men and women, that
YOU remember one is no longer Young at
fifty But the sight Of sam Ayerill's gray
.%4''4- % A'h Wrlnkl les was as GOOD rs II look
ING glass to remind Aunt Augusta
sit down, Sam" said she, land let me
look at you. 1t seems like the real old
times to see You once more You look
wonderful natural, but dear me. how YOU
have changed. You've grown old rs We'll
as myself"
But Mr.. Averill was not to be diverted
by any side issues
Augusta, said he, earnestly, Il made
4 serious mistake once 1t was not 4 mis-
take about my own mind, however; that
remains the same as it always was Every
| woman I've ever seen seemed like a tallow
candle beside the sun when | think of YOU
| have made my fortune. and all | want
now is YOU to come and share il with me.
1t is you. or nobody, Just rs it always
was
Maybe Aunt Augusta 5 heart throbbed Il
little with the Old yearning toward the
love Of her youth, but she shook her head
with unhesitating decision, as she put out
her hand to stir The cradle where her
youngest grand-child lay asleep
1T can never be, Sam" said she. ~
won't deny that it was all a mistake, my
marrying Stanton. He didn't turn out to
be the man | took him for He proved
contrary and ornery, and besides he wrote
letters in disguise But that is all over
and past, and can't be undone. And now
am in the midst of my children with my
grandchildren growing up about me. and
I Ifrl,f IL, I,,- |.
contented TO leave every thing and go off
to a new country to begin the world over
again, rs it We're. ! am too old an oak to
be transplanted"
Well after that Mr. Ayerill might have
talked till he was at the age of Mathuse-
lah. Aunt Augusta had made up her
mind. and an earthquake couldn't shake it.
SO Mr. Averill again went away alone.
.'Well Amelia, Augl sta wouldn't have
q word to say to me- said he, walking in
upon mother and me as we sat at supper
4 few evenings after, mot word
II want to know if that is so ?" cried
mother, lluttering up after another plate
and knife. Lay your ovcrcoat right off
and sit by and have a cup Of tea with US.
Augusta always was decided, and You
couldn't turn her after she got her mind
fixed, She wouldn't keep you waiting
long for your answer, either Well, it is
likely it is for the best; we will hope so"
pursued mother, reaching over to put an
extra lump Of sugar in Mr.. Averill's cup,
as though to sweeten life if possible for
him
at serves me right in taking it for
granted that Augusta understood my i'll
tentlOnS | must have been self-concait-
ed. inconsiderate fool. But it seems hard
that body can't work his way out of q
blunder in whole lifetimen
Mother looked full of sympathy, and
dropped another lump Of sugar in Mr..
AverllI's cup. TO my establishment he
seemed to relish it the better, as if life
were growing sweeter and sweeter.
Mother and Mr.. Averill sat up late that
night; 50 late that as had had a hard day,
| went off to bed and left them talking
over old times and purring like couple
OF cats by the kitchen fire.
After breakfast the NEXT mOrninu mo-