The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-05-04
THE REWARD OF KINDNESS .

| MRS. GORHAM put down letter she had
been reading, and, looking around the Ia
bic at her blooming daughters and two
tall, handsome sons, she said, in doleful
tone:
"Your Aunt Sabina is coming to Lon
don, and has invited herself here without
ceremony" s- a .-- -...
"When?" asked Arabella, with an in
tonation of intense disgust.
"She will reach here this afternoon.
WILDER, you will have to meet her"
"Sorry, ma; but l promised to drive
Miss Caldwell to the park. Fred can GO
Certainly, l will 60" Fred said,
gravely, though there was hot flush on
his forehead. 81 am very fond of Aunt"
Nonsensew said his mother. "You
have not seen her for fourteen years. |
never went near tie detestable old farm
after your father died"
Nevertheless, | have vivid recOllec-
ton of Aunt Sabina's kindness while we
were there"
Dear me, Fred" drawled Lucilla,
"don't be sentimental; l wish the old
thing would stay home. I can't imagine
what she is coming here for"
"She is our fathers sister," said Fred,
"and | cannot find anything surprising
in her looking for welcome amongst her
brothers children
II She had spoKeh Her urodgms' IT ott1u
have been: Fred is so odd! Just like
his father" But she only said: =" may
depend upon you, then, to meet your
aunt, Fred? | will see about her room. y
It was a source of great satisfaction to
Mrs. Gorham that her children were all
like herself 90 Grcers,' everyone, except
Fred" she would say, cOngratulating ner-
self that the plcbcian blood Of "Gorham
pere" was not transmitted in the features
of her elder son, WILDER, or any OF the
three girls.
That Greer pride meant intense selfish
ness, that Greer beauty was OF cold,
hard type, that Greer disposition was
tvrannical and narrow minded, did not
! trouble Mrs. Gorham. That the son, who
was all Gorham," was proud to the core
with the pride that knows 10 false shame
that he was noble in disposition, hand
some in frank, manly type, generous
and self elf-sacrihcing-she could not appre-
ciate. His hands and feet were not so
small as darling Wilber's, he had no
fashionable affectations, and no "Greer'
look. So his mother thought him rough
and coarse, and his sisters declared that
he had no style at all. But outside the
home, where great show OF wealth was
made by many private economies, Fred
was more appreciated.
When he became man, and knew thai
his fathers estate, though sufficient tc
| give every comfort, was not large enough
for the extravaganza his mother INDUCED
in, he fitted himself for business and TOOK
a position in counting-house, thus be
coming self-supporting, though his moth
cr declared that no Greer had ever beer
in trade. That the money she lived or
was made in boiling, the fashionable lady
ignored entirely. Darling WILDER hat
studied law, but his first client had no
vet appeared, and Mrs Gorham supported
him, trusting his destinations would toucl
the heart of some moneyed belle. Mis-
Caldwell was the present hope. She wa
her own mistress, an orphan -heiress, ant
very handsome. That she was cold ant
proud in manner was only an addltiona
charm to Mrs. Gorham; and Lucilla, Ar
abella and Corinne were enthusiastic II
their admiration Of Cornelia Caldwell
queenly manner" .-. .s
Nobody suspected that Fred, blunt
straightforward Fred, hid one secret Il
Z his heart, confessed to no living being
And that secret was love, pure and true
for Cornelia CALDWELL love that woui'
shut itself closely away from any sus
picion of fortune-hunting - that onl
drooped and mourned thinking of tn
heiress.
By four O'Clock Fred was at the static
waiting for Aunt Sabina. What little
old fashioned figure she was, in her quar-
: black bonnet, and large-fgure shaw
: But Fred knew her kindly old face
| once, though he had not seen it since
was twelve years old.
| "Yeu are aunt" he said, going quick
4 to meet her.
e She looked at the handsome face, an
r caught quick, gasping breath.
: "You must be one of Johns boys,
she said How like you are to your
ther." ,,q.~,%.-
81 am Fred" he answered.
d "Dear heart! How you've grown!
your ma here?"
- "She is waiting for you at home"
" The good old countrywoman had nev
d had the least doubt of warm welcome
9 her brothers house, and Fred certain
. confirmed her expectations. He found t
IS old black leather trunk, the bag, t
1t great bulging cotton umbrella, and p
: them all in the carriage, without o
x smile of ridicule. He made his aunt
e. to the restaurant and refresh herself
!. fore starting on the long drive home.
81 listened with respectful interest to all
= mishaps of the long journey, and SYM
thized with the "Ruination OF every m'
So tai stitch I'vc' got Or lear, in the dust a
n smoke"
And he chatted pleasantly Of his CHI