Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-12

MARY or otherwise, i'll the disposition of
the homestead farm.
AS for Ben, like most boys of thir-
teen, he was on the side of right against
might, and he did not scruple to say
that, for his part he hoped Cousin Eli
hu would stay there forever, and that
be was sure, if he had redeemed the
farm, that he had a perfect right to do
O. His sister Sara co uld have kissed
him for the answer, but she kept
silence.
The days went on. By every art that
mean and paltry spirit could invent,
Mrs. Holmes, the second, showed plainly
to Elihu how unwelcome he was beneath
her roof tree. AS for Grace she simply
ignored him. And, Mr.. Holmes, though
he would gladly have been both grateful
and kind, was so tanned by nightly cur
tain lectures, hours long, that he dared
not show the ruined man any attention,
and only looked at him wistfully 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 Sara's doing. To her and
to Ben he owed each moment of happi-
ness which he enjoyed in the old house.
The sister and her young 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. Sara s
proud spirit blazed up for his sake at q
thousand petty insults and affronts each
day. She wondered privately to her
self, 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 sur
prised when one pleasant evening just
four weeks after his arrival, Elihu told
her he must go.
cannot blame you, so shamefully
have you been treated" she said, while
her heart sank down in her breast, like
a storm sinking into the depths of the
tiny lake on whose banks they sat.
"But where will you go, Cousin Elihu?
What will you do? You were i'll when
you came here, and thanks to their un-
kindness, you are not yet we'll and
strong enough to care for yourself. 0,
it is a shame-a shame y 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 his 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 [ have scarcely noticed the rest.
So good that
He p used and looked at her.
Sara, when [ am gone, shall you
miss me %
The tears rose to her eyes.
so, how can you ask? You know,
Elihu, that when you go [ shall think
of you among strangers, poor, perhaps
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 took her hand.
What you say is all very true, Sara.
l am not fit to go out into the world
alone. Will you 60 with me You
have a good homo here, [ know, but if
have you to work for. [ will soon give
you better one. And by and bye Ben
of him. Will you be my wife. Sara 90
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 the farm gate,
from the moment when I knew that your
fortune was gone, and that you were Ill
and alone in the world, I have prayed
thst you might love me- [ don't care
where our home is or what it is, so that
we share it together. can be happier
with you in log hut than | could be
with anyone else in a palace; for you
need me, Elihu, and, II have thought
and dreamed of you, and, [ really be-
lieve, loved you from the day when my
mother first told me about you, when I
was sitting on her knee"
So they were betrothed, and. after
storm at the farm house, when her de-
cision was first made known, Sarah fol-
lowed the fortunes of her lover to dis.
tant city where they were married.
Ben went with her as her protector
and chest man." Her father kissed and
cried over her, as he babe her farewell,
and put a pocketbook containing five
hundred dollars into her hand for the
wedding portion.
CT can't go with you to give you
away, my dear, and I can't let you be
married here" said the poor man. CT
shall never hear the end of it if I 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
that is to be. Poor E.lihu! Your
mother loved him dearly, and I don't
know fault he has in the world, except
that he is poor
So strengthened by her fathers ap-
proval and blessing, Sara approached
the alter to consecrate her life to the