Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-23
Autumn Blossoms.


How was il that came to be an old bach
elor Not because Of hating women, ! am
sure, for liked them very much aud never
could have spoken to one rudely or discour-
teously for my life. As nearly as ! know,
it was in this wise
My father died, leaving family Of chill
dren, a wife. and an old father and mother,
Of whom only myself was able to earn shil-
ling. He had never saved anything
So, after the first great grief, when we had
Gained down and were able to look matters
quietly in the face, there was a wretched sort
of prospect for us. ! was only an account
ant, aud had q young fellows habit of vast
ing my small salary in thousand different
ways. had been paying attention." too,
to Elsie Hall, who, young and childish as she
was, had way that some girls do have Of
leading their admirers into extravaganza.
OF all the trials Of that neyer-to-be-forgotten
time ! think the greatest was appearing mig
gardly in those baby blue eyes. did not
mind wearing plain suits discarding kid
gloves and renouncing the opera but not to
lay those bouquets, and books, and music,
and dainty bits Of iewelry, and multtudin-
GUS trines at Elsie's feet, was a very terrible
ordeal passed it, though; and if ever man
had reason TO be thankful had, for the ac-
quisitive little beauty Tilted me in a month
for Tom Tandem, who was rich and lavish
of gifts, and who ran away from her after a
marriage of ten months
| worked day and night, and managed 10
keep the wolf from the door.
Sometimes used to think how well it was
for Elsie that she had not really loved me
for she could have had nothing but dis
Al Of ,Nt har t1tfth "a
dreary, hopeless engagement to one too poor
to marry. That was until Tom ran off.
Then thought It would have been better
for her to have shared our humble home and
poor fare, and the love | could have given
her than to be deserted so. And ! pitied
her as if she had not proved herself heart
less. But | never went near her, Of course
and never even spoke Of her to my mother.
! grew no younger all this while, and every
year seemed to add five to my looks. | had
never been very handsome or very merry,
and soon | became conscious of peculiar
middle-aged lool, which settles down upon
some people very early.
Strangers, too, began to take me for the
head of the family: and once. in a new
neighborhood, the butcher alluded to my
wife" / found out that he meant my mother
and only wondered that it was not dear old
grannie.
She was eighty, grandfather ninety, ant
they died one bright autumn day, befor,
prosperity came TO US, died within an hou
Of each other-for grannie Just said 81
think III lie down bit, now Lemuel don't
need me. I'm very tired
Then she kissed me, and said "You'v,
been a good boy to your grandpa, Edward
N,urI hoe tbot "a thiulr nf -
And when next we looked at her she was
dead, with her cheek upon her hand, like a
sleeping child
SO two were gone, and we were saddeI
than before. And then Jean, my eldest sis
ter, married at sixteen physician, who car
red her off to llindostan in her honeymoon
And we could none Of us feel the wedding
happy thing.
But prosperity did come at last. had
worked hard for it, and anything a man
makes his sole object in this life he is very
sure TO attain.
We were comfortable-eas All, what q
word that is, after years OF struggle Al
last we were rich. But by that time wa,
iive.and-forty-a large, dark, middle-ageC
man, with face that looked to myself, in tn,
glass, as though it were perpetually intent oI
figures. The girls were married. Dick hao
taken to the sea, and we saw him once
year or so, and Ashton was at home will
mother and myself-the only really handsome
member of our family, and just two-aud
twenty Aud it was ON his birthday, ! re
member that that letter came TO me from
poor lIunter-the letter which began
" When these lines reach you Ned Sanford
| shall have my six feet of earth-all | eve
owned, or would, ii had lived to be a hun
dred"
We had been young together, though h
was really older than and we had beer
close friends once but rowing fit had seze'
/ him, and we had not met for years. ! knew
| be had married a young Kentish girl, AM
/ knew no more but now he told me that sh
was dead, and that his death would leave
daughter an orphan.
She is not quite penniless," he wrote
I for her mother had little income, which
poor as | was, | was never brute enough I
meddle with, and it has descended TO he
But have been a rolling stone, gatherin
no moss, all my life, and we never stat
long enough in one place to make friend
VIII you be her guardian it is dyin
mans last request -
And then he wrote some words, comm
from his heart, knew, which, being of IN,
self, | cannot quote even here-l could nc
think that deserved them.
Aud the result of that letter, aud {
another from the lawyer who had Ami
Hunters little fortune in charge, was tha
one soft spring day found me on board of
steamer which lay at rest after her voyag
.in the protecting arms Of Liverpool, wit
two little hands in niue, and a pair Of grea
brown eyes lifted to my face, and a swe,
voice choked with sobs saying something {
poor papa" aud how much he had spoke
Of me, and of the lovely voyage, and tn
green graves left behind and !, who ha
gone TO meet child and found womal
looking at her and feeling toward her as
had never looked upon nor felt to any othe
Not TO Elsie Hall. 1t was not the bOyis
loye-dream come again.
Aualyzing the emotion. | found only
great longing TO protect and comfort her
to guard her from every pain and i'll and
said TO myself "Ihis is as a father mu
feel to a daughter; | can be a parent
, George Hunters child in every truth" An
| took her home TO the old house, and TO n
old mother. thought only Of those som
how, never thought of Ashton.
Shall ever forget how she brightent
: the sombre rooms How, as her sadne
wore away, she sang 10 us in the twilight
, How strangely a something which made Il
return home, and the long hours of the ey
ming seem so much brighter than they ha
ever been before, stole into my life new
went to sleep in church now | kept avail
to look at Olive Ilunter-to listen 10 h
pure contralto as she joined in the singn
Sometimes | caught her eye, her great, u
, fathomable brown eye, for she had hab
Of looking at me. Was she wondering no
face could be so stern aud grim ? use
to ask myself
Ashton used 10 look at her also. lie ha
, been away when she first came 10 us, an
, when he returned she was grand surprii
10 him.
"Oh, how lovely she isl" he had sal
10 me.
, She is very pretty" ! replied
) Ashton laughed.
! "siay never be an old bachelor if
, brings me TO calling such girl 'veI
4 pretty" he said aud felt conscious thu
> my cheek flushed and felt angry that
, should have spoken OF me thus, though
never cared before.