Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-06-02
why MRS. Crawford was Ncr-
V0.sS.

Fresh-cheeked, buxum little Mrs.
Armitage sat in her comfortable
rocker out upon the cool front
porch where roses and honeysuck-
les twined and interlaced their
slender branches, forming lovely
screen of rich green leaves and
bright-tinted blossoms. The breath
of roses was sweet in the soft dewy
twilight of the hot dusty July day.
Little three-year-old Robbie, tired
and warm, crept into his mothers
arms and laid his little curly head
upon her bosom, content to listen
to the chirping of the crickets and
the sleepy twittering Of the birds
among the branches. The gate
shut with a sharp click and young
girl came slowly up the path, swing
ing her hat by its long blue ribbon.
"Why, Lucy thought you and
Lizzie had gone down to the glen"
said Mrs. Armitage, as the girl sat
down upon the step.
"Oh, Lizzie couldn't go,of course |!
Her mother has got another one
of her bad spells! It's always the
way if want Lizzie to CO."
"Lucy, 1 am ashamed of your
"Well, don't care, it's so pro-
vokingl Mother, what does make
Mrs. Crawford so fidgetyl"
"Well, my DEAR" said her mother,
rising, "you put sleepy Robbie to
bed while / run over and see poor
Fannie a minute, and when | get
back will tell you what makes
her so 'fidgety' as you call it, and
don't believe my little daughter
will ever speak so impatiently of
her sufferings again"
Lucy looked after her with sur
prise. at must be something very
serious to make her look so sad
and pitiful." Robbie was soon tuck
ed away in his little bed, and, tired
with the long day of play, he fell
asleep before the fairy tale was
half told, and Lucy, returning to
the porch, found her mother all
ready. She sat down at her feet
to listen TO the promised story.
81 shall have to take you away |
back to the days when Fanny |
Crawford and / were light-hearted |
girls just home from the boarding
school. Fanny was an orphan and I
her home was with an elderly maid
en-, and the long vacations were
dreaded by Fanny as she could not
endure the thought of going there
when she left school for good so l
coaxed mother to write to her aunt,
begging Fanny might spend few
months with me. Her aunt con-
sented readily enough and so one
day in early Summer, we tired
noisy girls, came back to the old
home nest and took shelter under
mothers wing. And do believe
that both father and mother both
grew to love Fanny as well as
though she were their own daugh-
ter, she was so pretty and full of
fun and frolic, and yet always so
gentle. The next evening after
our return your father came over
to see me and we were all out on
the porch when Leonard Crawford
came down the street, and father
called to him to come in. He did
80, and from that time he was al
ways at Fanny's side and he SEEM
ed like changed being. He had
always been rather morose, never
taking part in our merry-makings
Il know now, though / did not
then, of a sad, sad trial he had en-
dured); but now he joined US in
all our frolics, and Fanny seemed |
to have inspired him with her sunny
nature.
"Oh, how happy we four were
those golden Summer days, so fill
ed with youths joyous, trusting
love; and there never came cloud
to darken the hour How well
remember the long rambles through
green woods and long drives in the
Summer moonlight, until at last
we began to dread the time when
Fanny must leave us. She did not
go for long, however, as she was
to be married on Christmas day,
consented to a speedy mar
rage, as she dreaded the dull life
ut her aunt's. The wedding was
quiet, Harry and / being the only
and the second week in
they took possession of
their pretty little home just on the