Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-11-11

.ohSlu aVe W Lucy. IercclVln8 now much
happier the girl WAS when she returned from
visiting Mrs. Damerel than at any other times,
Woodbury. diminished her labors by employ
ing another dairy maid, so that Lucy might
have more leisure, which he had no objection
should be spent with the invalid.
One morning while Lucy was preparing the
household dinner amesssge arrived from the
cottage. Her presence was desired there i'm
mediately. Lucy lost no time and was soon
in her accustomed seat at the bed head. Mrs.
Damerel placed letter in her hands. It WAS
from her son. With beating heart Lucy
opened it, and after time sufficient to master
the emotions which the sight Of Luke's hand
writing caused her she proceeded to read it
aloud. 1t ran thus:
MAIDSTONE BARRACKS. KENT.
"MY DEAREST MoTHER-I have at last
found time enough to take up my pen, hoping
this will find you in good health, as it leaves
me at present. hope you have forgiven me
for what | have done. | send you two
pounds, part of the bounty / have received
for enlisting. Do not be afraid, my dear
mother, that whilst live you shall want
When Invent to Honiton l was persuaded
to enlist, after the soldiers had passed
through, by Sergeant of horse regiment
and took the Kings money; SO am now
private In the -th Dragons. l am rough
riding every day, and expect to be passed as
fit for regular duty soon, when shall be
drafted off to the Indies, where our head
quarters are. ! should be very comfortable
if it was not for thinking about home SO
much. They have found out am good
judge OF horses, and know all about their
complaints, 30 the Sergeant. Major told me
yesterday. | shall get on very we'll in the In.
dies If | keep sharp lookout.
=" Dear mother, l shall see you again when
| come back-I know l shall; and we shall
DE happy together for now I have nobody
ple IN q hn fha aarfh 7 hon.
she will be happy, for she deserves all this
world can afford, and | have always found
Mr.. Woodbury. kind master 80 am sure he
will make her q kind husband. Dear moth
er, there Is Tom Larkin, who promised me,
after had listed, that he and his sister Sa
rah would look in upon you sometimes, and
help you. May God bless you, my dear moth
er. My heart was well-nigh broken; but my
comrades have been very kind to me, and
want for nothing Goodby, mother, and be-
lieve me your ever atfectionate son,
"LuKE DAMEREL.
PSI do not know when we shall sail for
the Indies, but in any case please to direct to
Private Damerel, TIL Regiment Light Ora
goons, Maidstone, or elsewhere, and the let
ter will be sure to come to hand. Once more,
God bless you, and may God bless her, too,
dear mother"
To describe Lucy's feelings while she read
this simply worded epistle would be impossi-
BILE. All the love and tenderness which she
had felt for Luke during the time she had
known him seemed to be concentrated with
In her at that moment. At first she mourned
Che step he had taken as hopeless and irrepa.
rable; but, casting her eyes upon the lace
work she had the day before been doing, a
sudden thought seized her. BY means Of that
something might eventually be accomplished.
With these thoughts she quietly folded the
letter, placed 1t on the table beside the bed
a .nA La
ing word.
Mrs. Damercl mstook this action for indif-
ference and, in her sincere desire for the girls
welfare urged--not for the first time--plans
and sentiments which, though well.meant,
were utterly revolving to Lucy. Luke had,
she argued, no doubt behaved very Ill, by
rashly, and without explanation, tearing him
self not only from her, but from every person
to whom he was dear On the other hand,
Farmer Modbury's advances were very fiat
tcring, and she could hardly blame girlwho
had been so cruelty treated, even by her own
son, were she to accept the good fortune that
lay before her.
Still Lucy went on practicing her lace
work, her heart beating and her averted eyes
swimming with tears. At length she ex-
claimed: "Dame, you will break my heart
If you ever talk in this way again. To you |
look for comfort and strength in loving Luke,
which shall never cease to do. l. whether
innocent or not, am the cause Of depSiving
you of the comfort of his company, and am
determined to restore him to us both. You
may think it impossible but it is not. / have
thought, and thought and reckoned up
everything and am quite sure |: can be
done"
81 cannot make out what you mean," said
Mrs. Damerel.
Why, that intend, as soon as am able
to do it well enough to take work from the
t.x, S,.l aau Ear Lodi nd
and be with you. We can live on very little,
and every spare shilling we will put into the
savings bank, until 1t amounts to a sufficient
sum To buy Luke off," She then Industrious
j. resumed her work. 1t was some time bs-
fore Mrs Demerel could comprehend the full
intent and meaning of the sacrifice the girl
proposed AT first she thought it was mere
Eighty resolution that would not hold long;
and even when made to understand that it
was unshaken she looked at the achievement
as impossible; for 1T that time the price for
lace work was falling in consequence Of the
recent introduction Of machinery.
About a week after this all her doubts van
ished, for on Michaelmas Day, when Lucy's
term of service with Farmer Woodbury. expired,
sure enough she brought her box, and declared
she had come 10 stay with her adopted
mother. She had previously been to mas
ter manufacturer in Honiton with a specimen
of her lace, and 1t was so well approved that
she obtained a commission for large guam
tity on the spot. By this time the old dame
had completely recovered from her illness,
aud was able to move about, so as to attend
10 the little domestic concerns of the cottage;
Lucy could, therefore, give her undivided
attention to her work. Her proceedings were
by no means agreeable 10 her father or 10
Woodbury.. The former wrote enjoining her
by no means 10 leave the farmers house; but
the letter came too late, for she had already
taken her departure. Woodbury., however, in |
replying to an epistle in which Fennel had
given him free consent to marry his daughter,
expressed thorough conviction of the firm
ness of the girls purpose, and that at present |
IL was impossible 10 shake it. Though she had |