The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-05-21


am glad sou are comfortable here,
sic replied, and passing me, sbe wenl
ont,
remained lost IN thonghi. sud then
suddenly said to myself. 1t {, Be.sie II Hyds
she {. Ike This place must be near her
home. Can il be possible il is Bessie her
sets alrrying to the door saw her
.rsndiog st the lower end Of the hsll aud
asked her full name aud place Of sbode,
aud my arms we're around her neck, aud
we had recognized each other as the Bes-
,ie aud Mary Of the happy cid days at
MsrstoB,
That night while the house below va.
given up to wsItzes aud eotilIions, Bessie
sat with me in my reaote room, aud with
the storm beating against tbs house, told
me the story OF her life for twenty years.
Aud this wac ils sum:
She bad missed me sadly after left
aud hoped for my return, but when my
aunt died, aud nay farewell letter came,
only telling hel vaguely that we were
going great way of, she had never ex-
pected TO see me again, John Farley,
really wishing, she believed, to be ds-
tluI sou, but unhappy from his dull, re-
stricted lille, had stayed u. home, trying
10 be contested, until he was eighteen.
Then came the death OF his mother, au
atieciionate woman, who always made
the best of her boy, and smoothed many
hard place for hiIo with his father, and
when, year later, the Deacon snuounc'
ed his intention OF espousng Miss lian-
nah Means, prim, sharp.managiDg per
son, who had worn the same long face
ever since Jshn could remember, aud
aud who did not hesitate TO say that Mrs.
Farley had always been too soft spoken
with John and that when she stood 10
her shoes, she should give him such u
training as he ought TO have had when
he was younger. john did not wait for
her discipline, but the night before the
wedding, taking what little money he
possessed, and bidding only Bessie good
bye, he stole Off to Portsmouth, and left
the next day, with young man of his
acquaintance, for e olorado.
For three years he had hard time
Then he found some business in Denver,
aud was prospering there, when he lost
everything in fire. Since then their
only idings of him was that he had gone
to California.
Her brother grew into very promis-
ing ambitious boy, aud all the hopes
her father had buried for himself sprang
into new light for his son. He was care
fully educated, and entered college at an
early age; but, from over.exertion, his
brain became diseased, and he died at
The beginning OF his sophomore year.
Her father who had for sometime been IN
poor health. did not long survive the
shock OF his death, and few months lat
er her grief-strieken mother was laid be.
side them in the churchyard
When the minister's small estate was
settled, II was found that only about
thousand dollars remained for Bessie,
who soon took up her abode with cons
in of her fathers, in town thirty miles
south of MarstOn. Not wishing to be a
burden to her kinsman, for two years she
had taught the village school; and this
summer, hearing that housekeeper
was wanted at the Bosr's Head Hotel,
which was but short drive from hcr
new home, she had sought and obtained
the situation,
Bessie, said /, when she had finished,
aud we had talked little while about
her own family Bessie, | wonder you
have not married. sm sure it has not
bpen for lack Of lovers,
No, she replied after q moments 81.
leuce, There are two, either Of whom
my cousin thought would have been Il
desirable match for me, and, as they
made no secret OF the msttcr themselves,
/ am at liberty to speak Of them, The
/ first was Tom Stevens, who used to tease
me 80, very good man nov, and the
owner of The principel store in the viii
! lage. The other was my fathers success
s0r in the ministry, widower with two
girls like Tom, and have great re-
spect for Mr.. Fanshaw, but, Mary, |
must tell you my whole heart. | have
never loved anyone but John, aud | am
sure ii he Is living he loves me. When
he went away he put ring on my finger
aud asked me TO wait for him, II it was
ten years. Until his misfortune ut Den.
yer lac wrote me very often, bat since
then 10 one has heard from him. some
times fear be ia dead, but / would rather
remember him than to marry any other
msn In the world.
What sweetness, what patbos was in
her face, in her voice, as she said this 49,
The very wind lulled to Listen to her
words, aud in my heart prayed, God
graut Johu Farley may be alive aud
4 true.
After this Bessie spent every evening
with me, either ia my room or walking
on the grassy plot that over looks the
sea. We taxed ofs thousand lhiags, aud
| found her tie same, genial, shectionate
companion she had been Ia earIY days
Il made ire sad 10 look forward aud
think Of the narrow lonely life She muat
lead aud received d. soon - got home
to institute a search ior John o9ald
mol believe him dead, aud fokleues. 5A
falsehosd were not ia hin.
NIy found friend and the ehgra g
the sea won me to protrsct ms stay iiil