Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-09

: ing-place fashion, and devoted the
evenings to dancing in the broad pa
lor.
1t was glorious weather for tn
first week after my arrival, aud wa
hardly indoors from its beginning t
is end. What delight it was t
, breathe again the air of the sea; t
watch upon the beach the tide com
md 90, while the crested waves roll
ed shoreward and dashed into spra
1t my feet; off on the horizon to Sc
the white winged fleets sailing ava,
to the Grand Banks and stormy Lab
rador, fearless as the gulls that cir
cled above them; to mark, when tn,
sun went down, the lighthouse fires
and all night long to hear the thun
der of the surf upon the strand.
The wind shifted. Heavy fog,
obscured the ocean and crept owe
the land, and but for the muffied roal
of the breakers, 1 might have thought
[ was in the middle of a Western
plain. | betook myself to my room
and in the pages of Palgrave's cara
bia," forgot the gloom of the North
east. How subtle power is memo
ry. There are golden periods in our
lives which seem almost forgotten
blanks in the vista of the past
when 10! in an unexpected moment,
a glance, a tone, a watt of perfume,
evokes the buried years and gives
to vanished scenes the freshness of
to-day!
A knock at the door disturbed my
revery. Supposing it was the cham
ber-maid in her usual rounds, l said,
"Come in," without even raising my
eyes. Some one entered and going
to the wash-stand laid down pile of
towels, saying, "You must excuse the
delay to-day. The wet weather hin
ders the work at the laundry, and the
clothes have only just been brought
over"
The gentle, quiet tones arrested
my attention, and looking upI saw,
not Bridget, but slender, delicate
looking woman, perhaps thirty years
of age, whom l had once had a
glimpse of on the stairs and whom
l took to be the housekeeper. She
was poor and care worn; but there
was something very pleasing in her
mild blue eyes, and her brown hair,
waving softly back from her fore
head, while her black alpaca gown
and narrow linen collar, fastened
with tinny brooch, seemed quite
in keeping with her voice and mein.
Whom did she recall? l looked at
her in kind of maze, when she
said:
''I have not found you in your
room before. Is there anything
more you would like?''
.a''Nothiig, thank you," said l.
81 am glad you are comfortable
here" she replied, and, passing me,
she went out.
l remained lost in thought, and
then suddenly said to myself: alt is
Bessie Hyde she is like. This place
must be near her home. Can it be
possible it is Bessie herself?" Hur-
rying to the door saw her stand
ing at the lower end of the hall,
with Bridget, who was saying 81 am
ready for the sheets now. Miss
Hyde. Then | was almost sure it
was she, and moment later l had
crossed the hall and asked her full
name and place of abode, and my
arms We're around her neck and we
had recognized each other as the
Bessie and Mary of the old days of !
Marston.
That night while the house below
was given up to waltzes and cOtil-
lions, Bessie sat with me in my re-
mote room, and with storm beating
against the windows, told me the
story of her life for twenty years
and this was its sum: She had miss
ed me sadly after L left, and hoped
for my return; but when my aunt
died and my farewell letter came,
only telling her vaguely that "we
were going great WAYS off," she
had never expected to see me again.
John Farley, really wishing, she be-
lieved, to be a dutiful son, but un-
happy from his dull, restricted life, |
had stayed at home, trying to be
content, till he was eighteen. Then
came the death of his mother, an
affectionate woman, who always
made the best of her boy and smooth
ed many a hard place for him with
his father; and when year later,
the Deacon announced his intention
Of espousing Miss Hannah Means,
prim, sharp, managing person who
had worn the same long face ever
,ince John could remember; and who
lid not hesitate to say that 'Miss
Farley had always been too soft
spoken with John" and that when
,he stood ''in her shoes" she should
'give him such a training as he
ought to have had while he was
John didn't wait for
her discipline, but the night before
he wedding, taking with him what
title money he possessed, and bid
ling only Bessie goodbye, he stole
1ff to Portsmouth and left the next
lay, with a young man of his a9-
,uain ance, for Colorado. For three
lears he had hard time. Then he
ound some business in Denver, and
vas prospecting there, when he lost
everything in fire. Since then thier
,nly tidings of him was that he had
zone to California. Her brother
grew into a very promising, ambi-
,ious boy, and all the hopes her fa-
her had buried for himself sprang
nto new lite for his son. He was
educated and entered col
ege at very early age; but from
,ver-exertion, his brain became dis
,ased and he died at the beginning
e his SOnhOmOre vaar Har fotbar