The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-09-07

and enable me to do we'll and truly th,
duty pledged 10 my sainted mother
promised her | would love and care fo
him always Father in heaven help me
oh, help me'
The old man crept down the stairs ant
out Of doors, and for a whole hour h,
walked alone among the trees. II,
thought again of his wife, again Of hi
child, and then of his gold And thi
was not the first time he had walket
alone there. He did not himself know
how great was the influence his child wal
exerting over him.
Agucs-pure. good, beautiful Agnes
wept long and bitterly in her little garret
and when she had become calm, and hei
cheeks we're dry, she came down and go,
her supper. But she was not the smiling
happy being that had fitted about thu
scanty board heretofore.
A few days after this, as Noah Brem.
en- approached his cot one morning, he
heard voices from within. He peeped
through q rent in the coarse paper cur
tain and saw Walter Adams with his
child. Her arm was upon Walters
shoulder and his arm was about her.
Walter was an orphan, and had been
Agnes schoomate and her devoted lover
through all the years of opening youth
He was an honorable, virtuous man, and
loved the gentle girl because she was
good, and so gentle, and SO beautiful.
And she loved him not only because he
had captured her heart in bygone time,
but because he was of all her suitors,
the only one whose character and habits
promised joy and peace for the future.
II cannot leave my poor old father,
Walter" the old man heard his daughter
say, III live to love and care for him.
1t is hard My heart must break. But
the pledge of love | gave to my dying
mother must be kept"
And so the great joy.dream Of my
youth must be changed to this sad reali.
ty," exclaimed Walter, sorrowfully. 81
cannot ask you TO leave your father
sweet Agnes, for the truth that is in you
which worship would be lie could
you do So But have a prayer-an
earnest sincere prayer, | pray that God
in his mercy may remove that curse from
your fathers STOPPING form /"
The curse. Walter ~
AYE the gold curse" rejoned the
youth iervently II hope that God may
render him pennlless."
What peuniless?' repeated Agnes
with start
AYE, penniless for then he would be
far more wealthy than he is now Then
he would know how to appreciate the
priceless blessing of his sweet Agnes
love and the curse might be broken
and his heart grow human again. And
more than ALL" Walter continued, twin.
ing his arm closely about the fair form
of his companion and speaking more
deeply, "then | could prove to him my
love. Then could take you to my home
and we could both love and care for him
while he lived"
Noah Bremen stopped to hear no
more, and, as he walked away, he NUT
tered to himself;
THE rascal! He'd do great things !
Me peuniless. and he prayed for it The
young villain"
When the old man gained his accus-
toned walk among the sycamores, he
wiped something from his eye He act.
ed as though mote had been blown in
there.
Two weeks passed on, and Agnes grew
pale and thin. She did not sing as she
used to, nor could she smile as had been
her wont. Still she murmured not, nor
did her kindness to her father grow less.
"Oh God! help me to love my father"
she prayed one night "Let not my
grief make me forget my duty"
And the old man heard it,
One night Noah came home from the
o;tu orI - L. L~-1 hn hnrn q small
trunk. He barred the door and drew
the tattered curtains close.
"See," he said. as be opened the trunk
and piled the new bank notes upon the
table. Look there, Agnes, and see how
have worked in my life time. | had
no education, but I've laid up my mon
ey-money-money! How many men
would sell me all their brains tonight
for this! See-one ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-four-fve Count them, Agnes !;
there's thousand dollars in each pack
age"
Agnes counted them over, for she
thoug ght her father wished it, and she
made fifty packages
"Why have you taken it from the
bank, father 2" she asked
"To let it, my child to let it at a
round interest, Agnes. | shall double
it, darling-double it-double it,"
And while the old mans eyes sparkled
with evident satisfaction. his child wore
a sad. sorrowing look. And long after
that che sat and looked at the working
features of her father and prayed thai
the good fend would set him free.
When Agnes retired she left her father
up but ere long she heard him put hil
little trunk away and then go to his bed
And then she slept.
Hark! what sound is thatl Agnes
starts up in alright and listens Bu
} see bright light is cleaning out into
the night, and thick volumes of smoke
} pour into the garret.
"Firel fre!" sounded voice from tn,
entry, and she hears the sharp cracking
now, and feels the heat. "Agnes, my
child" and in another moment she meet
, her father upon the stairs. He is dressed
but she is not
Take your clothing, Agnes, and yo'
can put it on in the entry. The hous
is all on fire2"
D In few minutes the father and chill
{ stood in the road, the latter with
. bundle of clothing in her hand, while tn
!. former held small trunk. They gaze
d on the burning building, but neither {
J them spoke.
And others came running to the seen,
e but no one tried to stay the flames. An
a tha afforf would have been useless had