The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-07-29

glad for we are going to be happy here
L know it as well as if [ saw all the years
stretched out before me on a map"
My little prophet of good!
Our first year was very blissfnl, es
pecially after the baby came to make
| our lives musical, with his little cooinp
voice; but after that the hard times
came. Not that we repined. Lizzie
and | were brave to endure whatever we
could bear together, yet it went to my
heart to see her growing pale and thin,
through sitting up at night to sew and
earn a little extra money, because my
business was duh. And, almost before
we knew it, the bills began to accuinu
late, and the rent got behind.
''Ihis won't do, Joe, said Lizzie
gravely. eve must do without meat "
''That IS nothing" said ], laughing,
although I felt little enough inclined to
be mirthful; ''but we cannot very well
do without q roof over our heads y
Don't fret Joe sald my little heart
some wife. eve shall not want. Some
thing will be sure to happen"
''Rut what can happen, Lizzie? The
days of miracles are over. There are no
Eijahs and ravens in these times"
''Yes, there are, Joe," said Lizzie
cheerfully, although we don't always
know it at the time. There is an order
for you to tune a piano up in South
street; isn't that raven
And she held the little strip of paper
triumphantly up before me.
When | came back from South street
Lizzie met me at the door with humid
eyes and troubled face.
'sWhat is the matter?" / cried out
anxiously. s'Lizzie-not the baby ?
Nothing has happened to him?''
''No," Lizzie answered che is quite
well and fast asleep, like little white
lamb. But-Aunt George is dead
.'Aunt Georgel" repeated, vacantly.
''Yes; she died this morning, and /
could not be sent for in time to receive
her last breath. Oh, Joe, she was very,
very kind to me-"
Are we men naturally so selfish, or
was l, hunted and driven by want, an
exception to the ordinary rule? For [
confess that as Lizzie stood there look
ing tearfully up into my face the first
thought that followed the entrance of
this unexpected news into my brain was
Would Aunt George leave us anything
[ supposed Lizzie was her sole living
relation, and surely in all these years,
though her income was small, she must
have saved something. But am thank
full to remember that / never told Liz
Zie what was in my mind.
s'She was very old, DEAR" [ said,
striving to comfort my grieved wife
''over threescore and ten. 1t is the al
oted age of humanity, and you know
she had grown to be very feeble" =.
''And L know she is better off, said
r t. cI, ba Klo,.
/ ever had"
We went to Aunt Georges funeral,
and her will was read-a very brief doc
ument-in which she bequeathed her
simple household furniture and belong
ings to nephew in Wisconsin, and ''to
Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Allen, as a
token of the affactionate remembrance
of the deceased, her piano"
A tuneless jangling instrument, half a
century old, with carved spindle legs, Or
naments of inlaid brass and keys as yell
low as Aunt Georges own complexion.
L laughed contemptuously when heard
the words But Lizzie laid her hand
gently on my arm.
SIT was Aunt Georges dear" said she
softly, "and we must cherish it for her
sake. Besides" in a whisper, ''think
how it will amuse the baby"
And that was the end of all my expec-
tations of an inheritance from Lizzie's
Aunt George.
The old piano was duly carted home
the next day. If it had been a fashion
able instrument, of modern make, they
could never have gotten it up the narrow
staircase; but it looked quite friendly
and hone-hke opposite the fire place, its
lank proportions covered by faded
green CLOTH
1 shrflnk back with little grimace as
Lizzie touched the keys to make the
baby laugh.
''Of course it is out of tune, Joe," she
said merrily; ''but you'll soon set that
right And [ shall rub up my practice
again in no time"
1t happened to be a very dull time
just them SO I had nothing else to do
but to take Lizzie's advice and in just
half an hour [ had the old instrument
nearly dissected, much to Mr.. Baby's
edification, as he sat gravely on the floor
in the midst of the interior developments
of the ancient piano.
And now comes the most marvellous
part of my story.
All piano tuners know that when YOU
take away the front piece above the key
board there is hollow place Of consid-
erable extent, in any instrument OF Or
dinary size. And as I stopped to blow
the dust away from this place L saw a
bundle or roll of bank notes fastened
round with yellowed slip of paper, ON
which was written, 'tTor my niece Liz
zie.'
''Lizziei" cried breathlessly, stLiz-
zie!" and she was at my side in an in
stanI.
And, if you will believe me, there
were S5, 900, the accumulated savings of
Aunt Georges frugal life; and this was
what she had meant by giving her piano
to us.
That So, 900 was the starting point of
the snug little fortune we have since
scraped together; and if Aunt George
could know how much her beqest his
done for us, 1 think it would do her
kindly heart good.
And to this day / never take piano
apart without q serious peep into the
hollow repository, lest perchanee it
should contain some concealed mystery.
But have never found anything since,
and probably never shall. People sell
dom have more than one romance In the
course of their lives.
THE ARABS PRooF.-Some years ago
a Frenehman, who, like many of his