The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-29

remembered that. She wanted-missed
knowing what the lack was-the love and
her sustenancc which her mother would
hive given her, and protested against fate
with all the might of her infant lungs.
But, as soon as she grew old enough to
understand how useful it was, she had
grown quiet, too; just like her mother.
He recalled her, all through her child
hood, shy, still girl, always obedient
and submissive, but never drawing very
near him. Why? Because he would re.
pulse her as he repulsed her mother.
He could sec it now. 1t was very strange
these facts should come back to him to-
day, and their naked truth with them.
He had been cold, hard, ungenial man,
| without sympathy for any one human
being; absorbed utterly IN the pursuit of
money-making. And SO the child. Amy,
had grown up lii shadow without him.
But suddenly. when she was eigh
teen, the old passionate spirit
that had made her cry
so when baby must have awakened again
he thought; for she fell in love then, and
wished to marry. To marry in defiance
of his wishes. He remembered her stand.
ing proudly before him after one of their
Quarrels, where he had been bitter and
harsh, land abusive of the man she wanted
to call husband. She had born in silence
reproach Of herself; but not of him who
had become to her as her best existence.
Her words came back to the old man
now.
Father do you know any thing against
Harry Church
Yes he answered wrathfully; 4 know
that he is as poor as Job was when he
set among the ashes. He cannot keep a
wife as a daughter Of mine must be kept
Anything else, father?' she asked,
looking him steadily in the eye.
NO, that's enough, he had Numbered.
'1'll tell you, besides, that if you marry
him you must lie in the bed you will
make. My doors will never open to you
again, never
He met with a will as strong as his
own, that time. She did marry him, and
went away with him from her father $
house. Mr.. Golding had known the day
the wedding was going to take place
and disdained to stop it. He washed his
hands of Harry Church, and of Amy, his
wife. She wrote home afterward over
and over again but Mr.. Golding sent ali
he letters back unopened. Subsequent
to that, they disappeared from the town
them. It was at least ten years ago now.
It seemed very strange to him that these
things should have come back tonight to
haunt him-with wild remorsc, a pity.
ing regret. He had done nothing to re.
call them. Could it be his sense Of failing
health that brought them.-.lf so what
SOFT of anguish might he not look for as
he drew nearer and nearer to the end
he began to wish he knew what was in
those rejected LETTERS. whether Amy was
suffering for anything that money could
supply. The next thought that struck
him was, why he had opposed the mar.
riage so virulently.
True, Harry Church had been but a
clerk in his employ, but he was we'll
educated gentleman and would rise with
Faithful, intelligent, persevering, respect.
ed, but poor. In that last word lay the
head and front Of Harry Church's offend,
ing. He, Joseph Goldinc, was rich then. he
was richer now, but he could not help
asking it, what special good was his rich
es bringing him p? He was an old man, the
span of life running quickly on, and he
was all alone. Who would take his gold
then He could not carry it with him.
All in moment---he saw it clearly the
dreadful truth stood naked and bare; his
life and its objects had been mistaken.
"All alone! all a'one!'' he kept saying
to himself. in sort Of vague, self.pity.
give toiled and worked for naught.''
But during this time, even now as he
sat there a messenger of love was on it's
way to him. Perhaps heaven
had been but preparing his heart to re-
ceive it.
He head ring at the door bell heard
it without paying attention to 1t. Rings
were nothing to him people did not come
on business to his residence, and of Wis
itors he expected rome. Down went his
head lower and lower with his weight OF
thought.
Meanwhile two people were admitted
into the hall below man and little
girl. The man had the appearance of a
staid respectable servant. lie took off
the childs warm hood and cloak, and
she stood revealed, a dainty, delicate
creature Of some eight years Old her
golden curls dropping softly around her
face, with its large blue eyes and cherry
lips. The admitting maid, not knowing
what to make Of this, called Mr.. Gold
ing's housekeeper, old Mrs. Osgood. The
latter went into Il tremor as she came for
ward and looked at the face.
cts Miss Amy's child p she exclaim.
ed to the man nervously. 81 couldn't be
mistaken in the likeness.''
'sMiss Amy that was,' he answered.