Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-06


Mrs. Holmes the second showed plainly
to Elihu how unwelcome he was be-
meath her roof.tree. As for Grace, she
simply ignored him. And Mr.. Holmes,
though he would have been both CRATE
full and kind, was SO tanned by nightly
curtain lectures, hours long, that he
dared not show the ruined man any at
tention, and only looked at him wistful
ly now and then, as if wondering when
he would be gone.
Elihu's plate. knife and fork were
placed upon the table at every meal, it
is true. He Jared as the rest Jared, and
his room and bed were the best in the
house.
But this was Saras doing. To her
ahd to Ben he owed each moment of
happiness which he enjoyed in the old
house. The sister and her brother were
always glad to be with him, but the
other inmates of the house looked over
and around him, and even when he ate
of their bread and drank Of their cup,
seemed as if they knew him not. Sa-
ra's proud spirit hlazed up for his sake
at thousand petty insults and affronts
each day. She wondered privately to
herself, and aloud to Ben, how cousin
Elihu, with the memory Of his past
wealth and grandeur fresh in his mind,
could endure it. Nor was she surprised
when, one pleasant evening just four
weeks after his arrival, Elihu told her
he must go.
81 cannot blame you, so shamefully
have you been treated she said, while
her heart sank down into her breast,
like stone sinking into the depth of
the tiny lake on whose banks they sat
''But where will you 60, Cousin Elihu?
What will you do? You were i'll when
you came here, and thanks to their un-
kindness, you are not yet well and
strong enough 10 take care of yourself.
o, it is a shame-a shamel' she broke
out again. ''And if you had come rich
as they expected, every one of them
would have been at your feet!"
Cousin Elihu smiled the smile that
always frightened her melancholy face,
till in her eyes it was the noblest, hand
soonest face on earth.
'Never mind them, Sara" he said;
':you and Ben have been so good to me
that l have scarcely noticed the rest.
So good that"
lie paused and looked at her.
''Sara, when l am gone, shall you
miss me?"
The tears rose to her eyes.
80, how can you ask :? You know,
Elihu, that when you go shall think
of you as among strangers, poor, per-
haps i'll, perhaps dying"
She hid her face in her hands and
sobbed aloud.
Elihu waited till her grief had ex
hausted itself, and then he took her
hand.
"What you say is all very true, Sara
| am not fit to go out into the world
alone. Will you 60 with mes You
have good home, know, but if have
to work for, l will soon give you bet
ter one. And by and-by Ben can come
to us, and we will make a man of him
Will you be my wife, Sara?
She looked at him with all the SOL
emn fervor of a woman's love and de-
votion shining in her eyes,
eff you will take me Elihu, and let
me care for you, shall be the happiest
creature on earth. From the moment
when saw you come in at the farm
gate, from the moment that knew your
fortune was gone, and that you were III
and alone in the world, / have prayed
that you might love me. | don care
where our home is or what it is,so that
we share it together. can be happier
with you in log hut than I conld be
with anyone else in palace; for you
need me, Elihu, and II have thought
and dreamed of you, and. l really be-
lieve, loved you from the day when my
mother first told me about you, when !
was sitting at her knee
So they were betrothed, and, after a
storm at the farm house, when her de-
cision was first made known, Sara fol-
lowed the fortunes of her lover to dis
tant city where they were married.
Ben went with her as her protector
and 'sbest man." Her father kissed her
and cried over her, as he babe farewell,
and put pocket book into her hand
containing $500 for the wedding por.
ton.
81 can't go with you to give you a.
way. my dear, and can't let you be
married here" said the poor man. 81
shall never hear the last of it if / do
and I'm getting old now, and I want
peace and quiet in my own home. But
God bless you, Sara, and your husband
49, :. * r. D,or El;br Vo,,r