Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-19


the twentieth anniversary of Lura's birth
day their marriage was solemnized and she
became the wife Of Sherman Ellis.
Two years passed swiftly and happily.
Their home was gladdened by the advent of
n little daughter, the idol of both parents,
but before another twelvemonth had passed
the family circle was broken, not by death,
though poor Lura sadly thought the dread of
the terrible blow which might come was
scarcely less dreadful than the reality might
be.
Between the North and tho South, between
the sister states of our country, arose tho
dreadful struggle for right or wrong, for
loyalty or rebellion, for freedom or slavery.
The North sent forth her sons by thousands
TO battle for the right, and foremost among
those who answered the call Of duty was
Sherman Ellis. 1t cost him many pang to
part from his loved vile and idolized child,
but she believed it the duty Of every able
man who could shoulder musket to march
at his countrys CALI" so he resolutely put
aside all selfish thoughts and placed himself
ut his post.
Foremost, too. he was in battle us his COM
rades one and I'LL could testify, and in one of
the earliest battles. one of those fierce strug-
giles for victory, where so many brave men
lost their lives, Sherman Ellis fell, mortally
wounded. ..
Taken TO the hospital, lie was kindly cared
for, and there being no hope of his recovery.
though he might live and suffer many weeks,
tho surgeon in charge rendered valuable as
sistance in procuring his discharge, and in
his last days he was permitted to breathe the
air of his native hills, and his sufferings were
| in a measure alleviated by the tender care
of his sorrowing wife.
But the day came when he received the
summons
"to Join
The innumerablo caravan that moves
To that mysterious realm"
and rcsignedly he gave himself up to his
| Masters will, and with firm reliance on
the all-atoning blood of Christ he prepared to
cross 1.-The dark river" Again he babe fare
we'll to the dearest treasures he had on EARTH
and again Lura was left alone save for the
presence of her darling child Her aged
parents, too. had gone to the better land and
she felt that she was indeed desolate.
When the bitterness of her grief had sub
sided she began TO consider her resources
The little property which she possessed
would support herself and child but short
time, and il was clearly her duty to attempt
something which might increase her little
store. As teacher she would, no doubt, be
successful. but she shrunk from the necessl-
ty of daily separation from her darling, and
considered what other means were pract-
cable.
For some years she had been accustomed
to employ her leisure hours in writing, and
although no large compensation had over
been received for the articles she had occa-
sionally sent various periodicals, yet the fI-
vor with which they had been received
many of them having been copied by the
leading publications, induced her 10 hope
that should she choose the profession of an
authoress, she would not be entirely unsue-
cessful. Accordingly she formed engage
ments with the managers of Il few leading
periodicals, from whom she received fair
compensation for few columns weekly or
monthly, and thus was enabled TO provide
for the immediate wants Of herself aud little
Cora. But she felt that she had talent which
would enable her to accomplish something
more than this, and as she acquired some
small degree of fame from the articles al
ready published, perhaps it famed the flame
of her ambition, and she determined to write
n book.
In accordance with this resolution she de-
voted every energy to the task, and in addi-
ton to her already arduous literary labors
she allowed not q day to pass without max
ing some progress in her new work.
At length, the manuscripts were complet-
ed, and Lura thinking 1t best to visit the city
in order to confer personally with various
publishers, and determining, too, to make
! the city her home for time, she engaged q
, room in tenement house In retired local.
ity, seeking, however. more for chcapness oil
rent than retirement, and here Mt the time
our story opens we find her domicied. Here,
even in this humble room she would have
, been comparatively happy if permitted tc
enjoy the constant companionship OF her one
darling. But the business which brought
her to her room necessarily kept her much
of the time absent, andl she was indeed
thankful to find in Mrs. Martyr neighbol
ever ready to oblige her, and one in whose
caro- she could safely trust her child.
After much delay and many dishoartenins
interviews with various pompous publishers
= she had succeeded in finding one ready t.
! lend an ear to her request though she WA
! comparatively unknown TO the literary
! world; and on examining her manuscript
he, without hesitation, offered to publish i
for share of the proceeds of the sale of the
first edition.
, This arrangement concluded she hasteneC
, homeward overjoyed at the brilliant pros
| poets held to her view, for her newly founC
| friend the publisher, took no pains to con
} zeal from her the fact that In his estimation
her book was really excellent, giving evi
dence of much native talent and superio
= culture, and sure to become popular rs soor
! as offered to the public. lie predicted for hel
4 brilliant success rs IL writer OF fctiOn,--no
of that class of fictitious stories which onl!
tend to charm the imagination and unsett!'
the mind, but of that nobler class which boa
a evidence of n deep undercurrent of spiritua
4 picty, and though in reality only a production
z of the Imagination, II appealed to all that
o best and hottest in human nature, and N,
!, one could rise from its perusal without feel
ing better Mt heart and strengthened in ever
v good purpose for having read 1t.
n Chapter III. A Mistake, and what came OF II
Q In our anxiety to bring before our reader
: the excellence of our heroine, and the supe
II rior talent with which she was endowed, W
. hgd nearly forgotten to explain the circum
u stances attending her return to her room o
that eventful day, or her evident emotion Of
Z reading the name on the card so unexpecl
10 eddy placed in her hand.
J. That name she Immediately recognized q
that of the SURGEON who attended her Inn,