The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-08

spectacle old gentleman" But here
his voice was lowered, and Lottie
passed by, hearing only something
about the young mans broken-hearted
mother as she went; but it remind
ed her that she was not alone In
her grief that the loving parents, who
| had cherished their son in his child
hood, and seen him gradually expand
into the bright, intelligent man. must
be well-nigh crushed beneath the blow
that had fallen SO suddenly upon them.
| Oh what was her grief to theirs
And now Lottie few to her own ha-
ven, the arms of her mother, and there
wept the first tears her burning eyes
had shed.
Shocked, and for some time incred-
ulous, Mrs. Warde, with infinite pa
tience and tenderness, sustained her
child during those hours in which her
anguish was almost more than she
could bear.
| Never again would Lottie accuse this
dear friend and comforter of being
wanting in sympathy. Who else would
have borne SO kindly with her wild
less pacings to and fro-her passionate
complainings? Who else so skillful1y
taken advantage of her better feelings
to bring her to her knees, and teach
her to bow her head to the Divine will
Show good you are to me, darling
mother p she sobbed, when Mrs. Warde
had prevailed upon her to lie down, and
was bathing her aching head and
indeed I don't deserve It. I have been
so selfish, SO ungrateful, that if you
knew all my hard and bitter thoughts
you would surely cease to love mep
Mrs. Warde's only reply was to stoop
and kiss her; and that kiss uprooted
the last fiber of selfshness in her chi1d's
heart. Never again did Lottie let van
ity stand in the place of duty; and in
the midst of her trouble she could be
humbly thankful that this dear mother
was still all her owu.
All that night she wept and bewailed
herself, but when morning dawned and
she saw how weary and exhausted Mrs.
Warde was looking, Lottie put her
good intentions in practice and restrain
ed her grief.
While her mother rested, she moved
quietly about, dressing the little ones,
whom her altered looks and swollen
eyes awed into unwonted soberness !;
nor was it till every task had been ac-
complished that could spare Mrs.
Warde fatigue that she seated herself
at her mothers feet and wept herself
into the sleep of exhaustion.
DuU SUIOukSG hIIu6 were
her when, with a start, she awoke. It
was not the mild face of her mother
that bent over her and smiled at her, it
was Charlie Morrison himself, and for a
moment she believed herself to be in q
"Can it be you?' she asked wist-
; fully. "Speak to me, for know not
what to think, nor what to believe"
"You may believe that Charles Nor
ison has committed no act that disgraces
him" said her rejoicing mother, who
Lottie pressed her hands to her head,
and looked from one to the other, till
the tender smile on Charles lips con-
; firmed the tidings.
sc seem too much bewildered to be
as glad as should be-" she exclaimed.
cam really awake?-has there been
no robbery after all? That dreadful
newspaper why did I believe the
paragraph heard Sir John read from
it ?'
"Sit down here, you poor, pale
child, said Charlie, So and let me help
you out of your mystifcation. think
it began the night before last, when /
sought you at Sir Johns to say good
by before I went on q hurried journey.
and to tell you the twofold object of it. ''
''I had heard, dear, that the man
who was the cause of all your fathers
misfortunes was at Birmingham; and
Messrs. Smithson freely gave me per-
mission to go there, and see whether
my remonstrances, and, if those failed,
my threats to expose his nefarious pro-
ceedings, would induce him to do JUS
tice to your fathers widow and or
phans."
: And you succeeded ?''
Beyond my expectations. { have
just had the pleasure of putting into
your mothers hands q sum that will
!; enable her to educate her children with
comfort"
: Lottie was obliged to interrupt him
that she might throw her arms around
J Mrs. Warde's neck, and congratulate
her rapturously. Then Charlie himsel1
J had to be thanked in loving, fearful
/ whispers; and then SO many pleasant
little plans were discussed for the
widows future that some time elapsed
, before they REQUIRED to the explanation
/ "When had completed my OWL
business, Messrs. Smithson desired me
} to go to Sheffield and make some in
quiries there for them. The drift o1
: these scarcely understood when
: started, but I soon discovered that they
had reference to certain suspicious they
i were entertaining.
/, "But not of you, Charlie ?"
"No, love; they have never had any
reason to doubt my integrity, and they
! have just proved their confidence In it
/ by promising me an increase of salary.
t But another of their clerks, led intt
: temptation by love of gayety-''
st see it all now" sighed lottie
"Poor Austin p
: Charlie resumed "M7 father, fol
/ whom, as an old friend, Messrs. Smith
? son sent, to assist them in breaking the
news to his parents, can scarcely bea,
TO speak of the scenes he Witnessed
: Mrs. Orawloy is very i'll, Lottie. Th'
: truth was concealed from her as long q.
I possible. It wasnot until late last nigh
: she learnt that il was to hear the tai,
!. of her sons guilt that Mr.. Crawley wa
! summoned to the city; and it appear
that no one had suspected how, Will,
), Austin was believed to Le quietl,
> sleeping, he had packed portmanteal
! and stolen ont of the house in the deat
of night, TO embark for America
And so Lottie's Joy in her betrothed'
Z innocence was tempered by the knowl
!. edge that If his parents had beer hap
: PLY spared such deep sorrow, other
were enduring it.
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