The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-02-04
THE REWARD OF KINDNESS.

There's a welcome above for the moneyIess man.
THE REWARD OF KINDNESS.
Mrs. Gorham put down a letter she
had been reading, and looking around
the table at her blooming daughters
and two tall, handsome sons, she said,
IN a doleiul tone:
"Your Aunt Sabina is coming to
London, and has invited herself here
without ceremony"
When ?" asked Arabella, with an
intonation of intense disgust.
"She will reach here this afternoon.
WILDER, you will have to meet her"
"Sorry, ma, but have promised to
drive Miss Caldwell to the park. Fred
can CO."
Certainly, I will 60" Fred said grave
ly, though there was a hot flush on his
forehead. "I am very fond of aunt. q"
Nonsense p said his mother, "you
have not seen her for fourteen years. I
never went near the detestable old farm
after your father died"
" Nevertheless, have a vivid recol-
lection of Aunt Sabina's kindness when
we were there"
"Dear me, Fred" drawled LucilIa,
don't he sentimental, wish the old
thing would stay at home. can't
imagine what she is coming here for ~
"She is our fathers sister," said
Fred, "and cannot find anything sur
prising in her looking for a welcome
amongst her Brothers children"
Mrs. Gorham shrugged her shoulders.
If she had spoken her thoughts it
would have BEEN" Fred is so odd.
Just like his father" But she only
said" 1 may depend upon you, then,
to meet your aunt, Fred. I Will see
about her room"
It was a source of great satisfaction
to Mrs. Gorham that her children were
all like herself "true Greers, every
one of them, except Fred" she would
say, congratulating herself that the
plebeian Gorham blood was not trans
mitted to her elder son, WILDER, or any
of three the girls.
That Greer pride meant intense self
ishness, that Greer beauty was of cold,
hard type, that Greer disposition was
tyrannical and narrow-miuded, did not
trouble Mrs. Gorham. That the son
who was all Gorham was proud to the
core with the true pride that knows no
false shame, that he was noble in diepo-
sition, handsome IN a frank, manly
type, generous and self sacrificing, she
could not appreciate. His hands and
feet were not so small as darling VIII
bers, he had no fashionable affections,
and no Greer look. So his mother
Thought him rough and coarse, and his
sisters declared that he had no style al
all. But out. ide of home, where great
shows of wealth were made by many
private economies, Fred was more ap
preciated.
When he became a man and knew
that his fathers estate, though suifi
cient to give them every comfort, wal
not large enough for the extravaganza
his neither indulged IN, he fitted him
self for business and took a position IL
a counting-house, thus becoming self
supporting, though his mother declared
that no Greer had ever been IN trade
That the money she lived on was made
in soap boiling the fashionable lady
ignored entirely. Daring WILDER haC
tudied law, but his first client had no
vet appeared, and Mrs. Gorham sup
ported him, trusting his fascination
would touch the heart of somt
moneyed belle. Miss Caldwell was tn,
present hope. She was her own mis-
tress, an orphan heiress, and very hand
some. That she was proud and rathe
cold in manner was only an additiona
charm to Mrs. Gorham, Lucilla, Ara
bella and Corinue, who were enthnsias
tic in their admiration of COrdeli
Caldwelrs queenly manner.
Nobody suspected that Fred, blum
and straight forward Fred, hid on
secret in his heart, confessed to M
living being. And that secret was
love, pure and true, for Cordelia Cald
well-a love that would shut itseI
closely away from any suspicion o
fortune hunting-that only dToopet
and mouFned, thinking of the heiress
At four O'Clock Fred was at the sta
tion with a carriage waiting for Aun
Sabina.
What little, old fashined figure sh
was. in her quaint black silk bonnet an
largo figured shawl. Bat Fred kne'
her kindly old face at glance. thong
he had not seen it since he was twelv
years of age.
"You arc aunt" he said, goin
quickly to meet her.
She looked at the handsome face, an
caught a quick, gasping breath.
" You must be one of Johns boys,
she said. "How like you are to you
father"
81 am Fred he answered.
lear AehEb no" you Ne grown
Is your ma here
''She is waiting for You at home"
The good old country woman la
never had the least doubt of war;
welcome at her brothers house, an
Fred certainly confirmed her expects
iions. He found the old black leatht
trunk, the bag, the band box, and I'll
great bulging cotton umbrella, and pJ
them all in the carriage without OF
smile of ridiculc. He made his aunt 8
TO a restaurant and refresh herself befl
starting on the long drive home. E
listened with respectful interest to O
the mishaps Of the long journey, ar
spmpathized with the" Ruination
every mortal stitch I've got on, dea
in the dust and smoke"
And no chstted pleasantly of b
childish recollections Of the tiny hou
and wide farm where aunt Sabil
lived.
=" You see, =" she told him, "I ma,
upmy mind this year, I would come
London once before ] died. I ha
tried TO before now, but something
other has always hindered. Dear, des
You're all grown up, l suppose, al
YOU was but lot of babies the Is
time John brought you TO sec me-"
" CorinBe Is tho youngest, and 5
is eighteen. Wilber is tho only O
older than 1 am."
eyes, / remember. Well dear, /
glad Johns wife brought up such q e