Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-04-16

After talking for some time together, small
trunk was lifted down and left beside the
gate. Then the carriage door was opened,
and a tail figure descended, and directly af-
ter, Ben, who had followed his father, IN
fit Of boyish curiosity, galloped back with
distended eyes, whispering loudly;
Mother-girlsl Cousin Elihu has come
And he has lost every cent of bis property
down South l heard tho driver tell father
sol And they have sent him of up here,
alone, because they thought he was going to
BIO sick; and there he is, you see, leaning on
father and the driver, and he can't but just
walk. Isn't it a blamed shame of those
Southernersp"
"Mercyw exclaimed Ben's step-mother.
rising, as they all rose, when the tall, slender
figure approached
Sara looked up with her heart in her eyes,
to greet her hero,-no less a hero to her for
the pitiful history of loss and ruin that she
had just heard.
He was tall, upright, elegant-looking
man, with fair complexion, large melan-
choly blue eyes, long straight nose droop-
ing eyes, fine lips, and a firmly-rounded chin,
that somewhat counteracted listless sad
ness of the face. His hair was turning gray,
and the heavy, golden-brown moustache had
one or two threads of silver, but with that
exception he wore no look of age.
Elihu was but plainly dressed in q travel
ing SUIT of gray. He removed his hat as he
drew near the ladies, with courteous grace;
but he looked in vain for the warm welcome
tho I,lr nd her a ounl,-
ter Grace that he would have received from
his own cousin had she been alive.
Mrs Holmes bowed to him coldly though
civilly; and Grace, angry with him and with
herself for the sudden collapsing of sundry
ambitious hopes which she had never con-
fided to any one except her mother, swept
him her latest dancing-school courtesy,
and affected not to see the hand he held out.
Elihu colored slightly, and turned to Sara
whose large, dark eyes were fixed, with n
look of tender pity, upon his refined and
melancholy face.
"You have face that / ought to know"
he said to her gently :-"You are my cousins
child dear Sara! hoped she would be here
to meet me when l came home at last"
Saras heart was already full, and this ref
erence to her dead mother caused her tears
to overflow
Dear Cousin Elihu," said she, taking his
hand in both hers, " my mother remember
ed and loved you to the last day of her life.
She would have been glad indeed to see you
here once more. ! am glad, too. All my
life long have looked forward to your COM
ing"
/" But you did not expect to see me return
so poor" said Elihu, signing.
Poor or rich, it matters little" replied
Sara fervently. "You are here at home
once more, and that is enough to make us
all rejoice"
Aye" said Elihu, looking from her
beaming countenance TO the cold faces of the
rest. al should have been glad to bring
gold enough to make me welcome. But what
has happened has happened, and do not
wish TO complain. Cousin Joshua, for my
cousins sake of the old times when you and
1 were boys together. suppose You will let
me stay at the old homestead for few
days?"
"Eh? Oh, to be surel Stay and WELDON e, "
stammered the farmer, who feeling the eyes
of his wife and his daughter Sara fixed upon
him, was like man between two fines.
So it was settled land. SarnHsmabout like
n good. fairy to prepare supper Tor the wan
E-defa9 tfterward to set in order his room
lStdd bed. At nine o'clock he retired, and
then the storm burst forth.
The second Mrs. Holmes inquired shrilly,
if their house was to be turned into "poor
| 10 -
shiftless creature who had wasted his sub
stance in riotous living among "those ne
groes 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 a distant way.
Mr.. Holmes said, meekly, that sit wasn't
likely Elihu would want to stay long, and
that us he had once redeemed the farm,
which was heavily mortgaged, with his own
money, and given deed of the place to his
first wife, ho didn't very we'll see how he
could refuse him shelter there If he claimed
it-for time, at least, =" he added, nervously,
seeing his wife's black eyebrows knitting
together in way that he had learned tc
dread.
Grace upheld her mother in all her denun.
citations; though Sara thought, privately
that it would have been more delicate hao
she kept silence, since as the daughter o.
Mrs. Holmes by former marriage, she
could not be supposed TO have any great in
terest, pecuniary or otherwise, in the DISPOSE
ton of the homestead farm.
/ AS for Ben, like most boys of thirteen, he
, was on the side of right against might, ant
he did not scruple to say that, for his part, hi
hoped Cousin Elihu would stay there forever
, and that he was sure, if he had redeemed
the farm, that he had a perfect right to dc
so. His sister Sara could have kissed hin
for the answer, but she kept silence.
The days went on BY every art that
1 mean and paltry spirit could invent, Mrs
D Holmes the second showed plainly to Elihl
how unwelcome he was beneath her roof
tree. As for Grace, she simply ignored him
Q And Mr.. Holmes, though he would gladl.
Q have been both grateful and kind. was s,
Y tanned by nightly curtain lectures, hour
} long, that he dared not show the ruined mai
r any attention, and only looked at him visit
: fully now and then, as if wondering whel
: he would be gone.
, Elihu's plate, knife and fork were place.
I upon the table at every meal, it is true. III
D Jared as the rest fared and his room and bee
wero the best in the house.
q But this was Sara's doing To her and t,
= Ben hs owed each moment of happiness
: which he enjoyed in the old house. The sis
Q ter and her young brother were always gIa'
4 to he with him, but the other inmates OF tn
S house looked over and around him, and evel
=. when he ate of their bread and drank G
their cup, seemed as if they knew him moi
Il Sara's proud spirit blazed up for his sake a
thousand petty insults and affronts eac
d day. She wondered privately TO herself anC
y aloud to Ben, how Cousin Elihu, with tn