Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-07-12

to answer him, but could not speak q
word.
"And you will let me find a long
letter when get there?" he said ten
derby.
eyes, Jack, 1 PROMISE" I said, and
then it was time to return, for the hours
had glided by, how we could not tell.
Jack spent the evening with us at
our farewells had been said in the
wood, and it was one hearty kiss, given
and taken before the old people, and
then good-by. q
But saw him pass soon after day
break and he saw me and waved his
hand, for I had sat by the window all
night, lest I might let him go by and
| asleep.
And then time glided on sadly, but
pleasantly as well. Mine was busy
life, for soon my father took to his bed
lila bed he never left again, for he
gradually sank and died, leaving my
poor mother invery indiff erent circum-
stances.
1t was hard blow for us both, for he
had been one of the kindest and truest
of men, but while poor mother pinned
and waited, had my hopeful days in
view, and from time to time letters
from dear Jack, all so true and honest,
and full of trust in the future that l
felt rs if could not repine even when
greater troubles fell upon me.
For at the end of two years WIS
standing by the bedside where lay poor
mother, sinking fast. She had no par
ticular ailment, but had literally pinned
and wasted away The bird had lost
its mate of many years, and when at last
she kissed me and said 'Good-bye," it
seemed to me to be in quiet, rest-seek-
ing spirit, and she spoke like one look
ing hopefully forward to the meeting
with him who had gone before.
! But she could think of me even then,
and almost the last whispered words
were
"Only eleven months, Grace, and then
he will be back to fetch YOU"
Poor mother she would not have
passed SO peacefully away if she had
known that which [ withheld-namely,
the news that came to me from our law
yer. For, through the failure of the
enterprise in which my fathers savings
had been invested, and W ich brought
us little income of EGO year, | was
left penniless-so poor in fact that the
furniture of the cottage in the little
town, to which we had moved when we
left the farm, had to be sold to pay the
funeral expenses.
It was very hard to bear, and for a
month I was terribly depressed; but
there was that great hopeful time ever
drawing near-the end of the three
years, when Jack would come to fetch
me to be his wife.
1t was now for the first time that I
remember feeling particular about my
! personal appearance, and l studied my
glass to see if Jack would find me care
worn and thin, and my glass told me
truly-yes.
But had to be up and doing, and,
before another month was over, through
the kindness Of people whom we had
| known, [ was placed where [ could
work contentedly for the bread I
must earn till Jack should come to
fetch me away.
1t was at large West End dress
makers, and it was hard to get used to
the hurry and the excitement of the
place, where there were twelve girls liv-
ing In. the house and as many more
came every day. There were all kinds
of petty pieces of tyranny to submit to
at first, and [ suppose some of the fool
ish girls were jealous of me and my
looks, SO much that found they nick
named me "The Beauty" Poor girls
If they had only known how little
store I set on mylooks they would have
believed at first as thay did later on.
The first thing that won them to me
was when Mary Sanders was taken i'll
with a terrible fever. Nine. Granger
was for sending her away at once on
account Of her business and the infec-
| ton, but the doctor who was called in,
a young, impetuous, but very clever
man, told her that it would be at her
peril if she did SO, for Mary Sanders
life was IN danger. So the poor girl
was shut up in her bedroom with not a
soul to go near her except hired
nurse, and after the first night this
woman staid away.
No one dared to go near the poor
girl then, so [ timidly asked leave to
| nurse her, for I felt no fear of the In
| lection, and it seemed so hard for her
to be left there alone. a
| | obtained leave and went up stairs,
staying with her until she recovered;
and from that day there was always a
kind look for me and kiss from every
girl in the place. @ a
What was more, oddly enough, per-
haps because | was SO quiet and re-
strained, first one girl and then another
came to make me the confdant of her
love-secrets and ask my advice
| gave it, such as it was, though
heartsore myself, for Jacks letters to
me had suddenly ceased We had cor
responded SO regularly; but it had
struck me that his last two letters had
been formal and constrained; they
were full of business matters, too, and
he limited at its being possible that he
should not be able to keep time about
the three years in consequence Of some
i contract.
| / did not think this when I first read
these letters, for then I had kissed and