The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-12-02
AUNT SOPONHRIA'S STORY.
BY ESTHER sERLE KENNETH.

BY ESTHER sERLE KENNETH.
Do you see this bit of ashes-of. roses
silk? 1t is a scrap of Rhoda Daniels
wedding-dress, and it was twenty years
after it was bought for her wedding that
Rhoda wore it to be married in.
Let me tell you the story.
At sixteen years old Rheda was n
beauty, and no mistake. Fair as blush
rose, and with pile of yellow curls on
her shoulders such as would drive the
young ladies frantic with envy nowadays,
bright as a button, and modest as a
daisy, there wasn't her equal nowhere
around Plumside. We were plain class
of people, believing in virtue and sobrie-
ty, Rhoda wasn't spoiled in bringing up,
though she was beauty. She could
make butter with the best of the old
wives; she was always seen at church !;
she spun and wove her own wedding
sheets.
She was brought up with Lot Lambert.
He was five years older than she. The
two loved each other honestly and truly,
all the friends were willing, and one year
after they commenced keeping company
regularly the wedding-day was set.
Then it was that old Mr.. Lambert,
Lots father, made Rhoda present of
her wedding-d dress, an ashes-ofroses silk,
brought all the way from London. 1t
was not often that such dress was seen
insour place. All Rhoda's friends, for
miles about, had look at it everybody
admired it, and | presume some of the
young girls envied Rhoda.
Then, too, Lot Lambert was rather a
"catch" at Plumside; he was a tall,
straight, bright-eyed fellow, the only son
of his father, who was the richest man in
the community; and he had given Lot
a house and farm in prospect of his mar
riage.
The house was just on the other side
of the road from Rhoda's old tome. The
new furniture came, and Lot and Rhoda
put down the carpets and set up the
things, and they seemed just as good as
married.
But there came quarrel between the
young folks, the beginning of which was
word dropped by the village gossip,
old Hulda Lane, about some remarks
Lots friends had made on Rhoda's
father.
Mr.. Daniels was drinking man. In
those days everybody drank, more or
less; but Mr.. Daniels, though hard
working and an honest man, kind
neighbor and good farmer, was too fond
of his cups; and it was source of great
modification to Rhoda. She was sensi-
tive on the subject, and when she heard
that Lots Aunt Nancy, who had brought
Lot up, had said that "he might do bet
ter than. to marry toper's daughter,
pretty as Rhoda Daniels was" she sent
word to the old lady by Lot, that the
toper's daughter should not marry Lots
relations if she married him"-a message
which Lot refused to carry, and denied
that his good aunt had ever made the
reported remark.
That was the beginning-it ended in
the breaking off of the marriage. How
many lies were told, and how many
heartaches the young folks endured be-
fore they became estranged by the inter
meddling of busybodies i cannot exactly
tell you. But the marriage was broken
off.
1t made talk for three months in the
country round about.
The new house was shut up. There il
stood, with all its new furniture, for Q
year. Lot and Rhoda would pass each
other in the road without speaking.
RhOda grieved, but she was proud and
unrelenting, like her mother, and made
no offer of reconciliation. Lot, also, was
proud and passionate, and, at the end OF
the year, to show, perhaps, that he was
not heartbroken for Rhoda Daniels, he
married Mercy Ray.
She was good enough girl, but Lot
never loved her.
She bore to him children that died
They lived together until they were mid
dle-aged people.
But Rhoda did not marry. She had
other offers, / presume, but Rhoda''
trouble changed her. She no longer
cared for society; she kept close at home
with her father and mother. When Mrs
Daniels sickened and died, she devoted
herself more than ever to her father, ,wh'
was much broken by the blow of hi
wife's death. 1t was Rhoda who KEEP
him at home from the public house ant
from falling into deeper dissipation
Then her aunt died and left two youn,
children, and Rhoda took them TO brini
up.
Long before this she had put up he
yellow curls, and the rose color had diet
out of her face, and Rhoda was no longe
the village beauty. But she was fair
pleasing woman, sanity with long walk
ling in the paths of duty, and if men ant
women found her "cold," as they com
planned of doing, little children neve
did. She brought up her little orphan
with gentleness and love. She burie
her father with such prostration of grie
that long sickness followed.
About this time Mercy Lambert dice
Lot was left a widower. He went TO hi
fathers house to live, and again th
house across the road was shut up.
Rhoda Daniels was now thirty-hv
years old. The little girls were grown
and launched in life for themselves. On
had trade; the other was teachin
, school. Rhoda lived alone at The Blacl
thorns, as the old place was called. ST
had prospered; she kept man and
maid. To avoid being solitary, perhap
, she extended much hospitality to h,
{ friends and neighbors. But only part
} the great farmhouse was in use. III
south side, looking toward the house tn,
. was once to have been hers, was kel
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