Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-03-28
Cousin Elizabeth.

The long list of virtues which shOne in hel
laily life. She was unprepOssessing in hel
personal appearance, l am sorry to say
for know now much this fact will dim
the lustre of her fine qualities and lessen
the sympathy OF the reader for her sorrow.
ful life.
Besides being plain. she was eld.rly-
just past forty. and looked much oldfr
Her hair was quite gray, her complexion
sallow, and hereye lustrelrss. amaware
that at every step in the progress of this
tale, am losing ground with those read.
ers who see nothing to admire excerpt in
youth and beauty. but thought it only
fair to describe my heroine at the outset
that these persons need not feel themselves
wheedled into reading this passage in the
life of an old maid. An old maid lovely
her life worth recordingl excaims one OF
this class. Yes, nv friend, and letm me ad-
wise you to stop reading at this point, for
you viii not be Interested in further Pc
Fusai-the beauty Of the soul is thing
you cannot understand, and to be all glo-
rTous within, as was Elizabeth, is TO have
hidden charm, your dull eyes could new
er discover. l have said she was homely ;
perhaps l ought to qualify that remark.
Her beautiful life had left Its impress upon
her face in rare lOveliness of expression.
No sweeter smile ever wreathe ] the lips
OF beauty, no more gertle and loving
glance beamed from lustrous eyes. She
mad, too, that exceptional beauty which
our grandmOthe.s described by the express
sive phrase-"Handsome is that handsome
does" And you cOnld not know her long
without acknowledging the fascination of
this kind of iovelineSs.
On this sultry August afternoon when
VIC introduce her to the reader, she sat
leaning back IN her chair-her work had
Slipped from her hands and her mini had
wandered away from The clouds and
gloom which surrounded the present, back
to the sunshine OF her early wOmanhood !;
TO the time when she had leisure for the
intellectual pursuits which were so much
10 her taste 4 when she had the means to
carry out her plans of benevolence, the
time to attend to the wants of the DOOR
and needy. Alas she had little to give
them now, but her prayers. 1t Was an un-
usual thing for Elizabeth TO indulge in
these "reminiscences the hard and wearing
duties of the present occupied her SO fully
that she had no time to look back to the
happy past, only time TO pray for strength
to bear her burdens day by day, and now
and then to calch a glimpse of the time
when she should lay them down and be at
rest. .F0
A noise in the hall dispelled her pleas
ant dream, and presently the door opened,
and her Ialher entered the room, leaning
on cruich. Scarcely was be seated,
when he addressed her, with an utteranee
so indistinct as 10 be unintelIigible to an
unaccustomed ear, but which was readily
understood by the wStChfnl affection of
his daughter. She laid inside her work,
and combed his gray locks and carefully
braided them over the top of his head, as
he was accustomed to wear them, then she
resumed her stitching, but by this time,
with tue restlessness which characterizes
the paralylic disease from which he was
suff, ring, her father mUtiOncd to her that
he wished to change his position; again
she laid down her work and assisted him
to rise from his chair and TO walk several
times around the room, when he sank into
his seat exhaused. Cousin Elizabeth had
time to finish the garment she was mend
ing, but hardly had she laid it away and
taken another from the large pile which
lay before her, when her father made her
that he wished her TO read 10
him. She took small bGOk from the Ia
bic and read simple, child's story, to
which he listened with an absorbing in
terest most piIiable to see. After time,
she discovered that his interest was Iessen-
ing, and at length he leaned back in his
chair. his eyes closed and he was asleep
Hastily Elizabeth gathered up her work
and left the room, for she must improve
the huur she could now count upon, in
the discharge of imperative duties First,
she went into the kitchen TO assist her sis
ter Fannie about their simple, midday
meal. She felt that she must look very
closely 10 this department., that there
might be no waste in their small means.
She then took her broom and duster. To
put the house in order The rooms, which
were spacious and lofty, and had looked
so airy and pleasant in the days of pros
perity, when they were filed with happy
guests, now seemed more cherries and
lreary for their very size. The paper on
he walls was faded and discolored, the
paint dingy and cracked and the carpets
hreadbare. No pains taking could give
I the neat look Eliz 4benth wished to see.
1t is of no use" she said, as she laid
side her broom and duster, after she had
lone her best with no visible sign of i'm
and then she sat down and
,ried over her work. .,ur -a.ia
i was strange, that she who was so Sc
ene and self.controlled under her daily
leaveY trials, should be overcome by this |
small annoyance. Ah. how
ften this happens-that our heroism after
ustaining US through great affections,
anishes before some petty trouble. 1t
Vas but momentary weakness, and she
ad wiped away her tears, and the usual |
creme look had returned to her face, when |
er fathers knock on the wall summoned |
er to his side. He pointed to his hair, |
nd when she reminded him that it was |
ut few hours since she had cOmbed il |
e sat for some time in silencra, as if medi- |
ailng what other rrquisition he could |
make upon her time, and then signifird |
lis wish to walk in the garden. She gave
i'm her arm, and he leaned heavily upon
er as they descended the ste ps. He ex-
ressed childish delight at sight ofthe |
lowers, and then commenced giving di- |
ections about a Eew arrangement of the
'slks, TO which his dau tighter listened
iithout comment, well KIN owing that the
fhole subject would 500 n p:lss from his
liud-fOr ha .,f,r...,