The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-01-15

and tenderness, sustained her child du-
ring those hours in which her anguish
was almost more than she could bear.
Never again would Lottie accuse this
dear friend and comforter of being
wanting in sympathy. Who else would
have borne so kindly with her wild
bursts of impatient sorrow-her rest
less pacings to and fro-her passionate
complainings Who else so skilfully
taken advantage Of her better feelings
TO bring her to her knees, and teach her
to bow her head to the Divine will?
Chow good you are to me, darling
mother ?" she sobbed, when Mrs Warde
had prevailed upon her to lie down,
and was bathing her aching head ''and
indeed I don't deserve it. I have been
so selfish, so ungrateful, that if you
knew all my hard and bitter thoughts
you would surely cease to lovs me at
all ="
Mrs. Warde's only reply was to stoop
and kiss her and that kiss uprooted
the last fibre of selfshness in her
child's healt. Never again did Lottie
let vanity stand in the place of duty
aud in the midst Of her trouble she
could be humbly thankful that this
dear mother was still all her own.
All that night size wept and bewailed
herself, but when morning dawned and
she saw how weary and exhausted Mrs.
Warde was looking, Lottieput her good
intentions in practice and restrained
her grief.
While her mother rested, she moved
quietly about, dressing the little ones,
whom her altered looks and swollen
! eyes awed into unwonted soberness, nor
was it till every task had been accom-
plished that could spare Mrs. Warde
fatigue that she seated herself at her
mothers feet and wept herself into the
sleep of exhaustion.
But stronger arms we're sustaining
her when, with start, she awoke. It
was not the mild face of her mother
| that bent over her and smiled at her, it
was Charlie Morrison himself, and for a
moment she believed herself to be in q
happy dream.
"Can it be you % she asked wistfully
"Speak to me, for know not what to
think, nor what to believe.
''You may believe that Charles Nor
ison has committed no act that dis
graces him, said her rejoiced mother,
who stood by. "Nee tell you
more p
Lottie pressed her hands to her
head, and looked from one to the other
till the tender smile on Charles lips
confirmed the tidings.
g seem too much bewiIdered to be
as glad as I should be, she exclaimed.
&" Am really awake ?-has there been
no robbery after all? That dreadful
newspaper ?-why did I believe fthe
paragraph heard Sir John read from
it?"
" Sit down here, you poor, pale
child, - said Charlie, and let me help
you out of you mystifcation. think it
began the night before last, when I
sought you at Sir Johns to say good-by
before went on hurried journey, and
to tell you the two fold object of it"
"I had heard, dear, that the man who
was the cause of all your fathers mis-
fortunes was at Birmingham and
Aessrs. Smithson freely gave me per
mission to go there, and see whether
my remonstrances, and, if those failed,
my threats to expose his nefarious pro-
ceedings, would induce him to do JUS
tice to your fathers widow and or
phans."
"And you succeeded ?"
Beyond my expectations. 1 have
Just had the pleasure of putting into
your mothers hands sum that viii en-
able her to educate her children with
comfort"
Lottie was obliged to interrupt him that
she might throw her arms around Mrs.
Warde's neck, and congratulate her rap
turously. Then Coarlie himself had to
be thanked in loving, fearful whispers
and then so many pleasant little plans
were discussed for the widows future
that some time elapsed before they re-
Cured to the explanation.
"When I had completed my own bu-
siness, ATessrs. Smithson desired me to go
toShefield and make some inquiries there
for them. The drift of these I scarcely
understood when I started, but soon
discovered that they had reference to
certain suspicious they were entertain
ing"
"But not of you, Charlie ?"
"No, lone they have never had any
reason to doubt my integrity, and they
have Just proved their confidence in it,
by promising nae an increase of salary.
Bat another of their clerks, led into
temptation by love of gsyety -"
81 see it all now, sighed Lottie.
4" Poor Austin =
Charlie resumed: "My father, for
whom, as an old friend, Messrs. Smith
son sent, TO assist them in breaking the
news to his parents, can scarcely bear
TO speak of the scenes he witnessed.
Mrs. Crawley is very i'll, Lottie. The
truth was concealed from her as long
rs possible. 1t was not until late last
night she learnt that il was to hear the
tale of her sons guilt that Mr.. Csawley
was summoned to the city and it ap-
pears that no one had suspected how,
while Austin was believed to be quietly
sleeping, he had packed portmanteau
and stolen out Of the house In the dead
Of night, to embark for America"
Aud so Lottie's Joy in her betrothed's
innocence was tempered by the knowl.
edge that if his parents had been hap
PLY spared such deep sorrow, Others
we're enduring it.
She spent her Christmas Eve at Clay.
ham, but not in the dove-colored silk,
She VS. clad soberly IN the darl
, merino, and heard, with dropping head
and troubled conscience, Mrs. Morrison
tell her how fully she and her husband
approved their sons choice, and how
her couduct as a daugter and sister hai
] Al,as- oeH.are lone aSr,ao