The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-11-12

be said io her gently Nau sIe your
mothers shiid, dear Sam' hepcA she
would be- here to meet mc when ! came
home ~ lssii
ssra's heart was already full, sud Ibis
reference 10 her drad mother caused her
tears to overflow.
Dear coasin Elihn. said sbe, taking his
hand Ia both hers, nv mother renrmher-
ed aud loved you 90 The last dss Of her
life. Sic would have been glad indeed
TO see you herr once more. am glad
too, Al m, lite long have looked for
ward tn your coming.
Bot you did not expect 10 see me re-.
turn 50 poor, said Elitu, signing.
Poor or rich, Il matters little replied
Sara. lerveutly. You are here at home
once more. aud that is enough TO make
Us an r,ioicc.
Aye, said EHhu, looking from her
beamiug countenance 10 the cold faces Of
the rest. should have been glad to
briug gold enough to make me welcome.
Bat what has hsppeusd, has bspreued.
aud | do not wi.ll TO complain, Cousin
Joshua. for nay cousins sake, and for the
sake Of the old times when YOU aud
Were boys together, suppose you will
let me stay at the old homestead a few
dayst
En-, Oh! To be surel STAY aud wei
come, Cousin Elihu, stammercd the
famer, who feeling the eyes Of his wife
and his daughter sara fixed upon him,
was like q man between two fires
so it was settled, and Sara flew about
like good fairy, to prepare supper for
the wauderer. aud atlerward to set in
order his room aud bed. At nine O'Clock
he retired, and then the storm burst
forth.
The second Mrs. Holmes inquired,
shrily, II their house was to be turned
into a poor farm, and made the abiding
place OF every shftless creature who had
wasted his substance in rioious living
among those uegroes-only to come, at
the last, without a penny in his pocket,
to be supported by those who had the
misfortune TO be related to him IN q very
| distant way.
MIR. Holmes said, meekly, that 1t
wasn't likely Elihu would want to stay
Ioug, and that as be had once redeemed
/ the farm, which was heavily mortgaged,
with his own money, aud given deed
uf the place to his first wife, he didn'l
very well see how he could refuse him y
shelter there If he claimed ii. For a
time, at least. he added, nervously, see
my his second wfe's black eyebrows
/ emitting themselves together ~ way
that he had learned 10 dread.
Grace npued her mother in all her de-
nuutialiuns; though sara thought, pri-
yuely, that il would have been more del
| lcate had she kept silence, since, a. the
| daughter of Mrs. Holmes by former
marriage, she cond nol be supposed to
nave any great interest, pecuniary or
olherwsc, in the disposition OF the home
! stead iarn.
| A. Tor Ben, like most boys Of thirteen,
he was on the side IF right gaiust might,
aud be did not scrupIe to say that for his
part, he hoped Cou,in Eihu would stay
/ there forever, and that he was sure, If he
! had redeemed the iarm, TINT he had a
perfect right to do 80. His sister Sara
could have kissed him for the answer,
but She kept silence.
The days went on. BY every art that
mean aud paItry spirit could invent,
/ Mrs. HOMES The second showed plainly
/ TO Elihu how uuwelcome he was beneath
uer ruoflree. As for Grace, she simply
lgumed hun. Aud Mr.. Holmes, though
ne would gladly have been both grateful
+ nd kind, was - tanned aud worried by
nightly curtain lectures. hours long, that
be dared not show the ruined man any
attention, aud only looked at him wit.
| IuDy now and then, as if wOuderil 2
when he would he goue.
/ Enhu's plate, knife and fork were
placed upon the table al every meal, 1t il
rue, He Jared as the rest Jared, aud
MS room aud bed were the best 10 The
house.
/ But this was Sara'r doing. TO her aud
to Ben be owed each moment Of happi
ness that he enjoyed in the Old house
The sister aud her young brother were
always glad to be with him, but tue 9th
er inmates Of The house looked over aud
around him, aud even when he ate oI
their bread aud drank Of their cup
it seemed IS ii they knew him not
sara's proud spirit blazed up tor bp
sake at q thousand petty insults and
atironls each day, She wondered pri
vstely TO herself, aud aloud to Ben, huW
cousin Edhu, with the memory OF hi
past wealth aud grandeur ire.b in hi,
mind could endure IL Nor was she sur
prl-ed when, one pheasant evening, ju,N
rour weeks alter his arrival, Elihu tolt
her that h must 20.
/ cannot blame you, They have treat
cd you 50 shametulll she said, whit,
ner heart sank down, down, like stpn,
Hfo the depth. ct the tiny lake OF who's,
b4Hks they sat Bat where will YOU 90
cousin Elbu1 What viii you do; Yor
were IL! when you came here, aud
thanks 10 their nnkiudness, you are no
We'll and strong enough 10 care for your
.elt Oh, IL is q shame--a shame 81,
broke ont agsiu. Aud il sou had eon'
rich, as they expected, every one o
them would have been 81 your ieei!
Cousin EHhu smiled The smile tbs
always frightened BIZ melancholy face