Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-02-21
Autumn Blossoms.

How "a, II haAE N4lle ~ &c Al VA4
bachelor Not because Of hating vo-
men. an sure. for liked them very
much. and never could have spoken to
cue rudely or diseOurteously for ny life
As nearly as know. it was in this
wise
Ny father died. leaving large fami-
" Of children. wife. and an ed father
and mother. Of whom only myself was
able 70 earn shilling. He had never
saved anything.
50 after the first grief. when We had
calmed down and were able % look nat
ters quietly in the face. there was
wretehed sort Of prospect for Us l was
only an accountant. aud had young
fellows habit Of wasting ny small sala-
" in a thousand different ways had
been paying attention, too. to Elsie
Hall. who. young and childish as she
was. had 4 way that some girls do have
Of leading their admirers into extraya-
gznce- OF al the trials Of that never
to-be-forgotteu tine, l think the great
est vas appearing niggArdly in those
baby blue eyes. / did not mind wear
Ing plain suits. discariing KID gloves
aud renouncing the opera but not to
lay those bouquets. and books. aud nu-
sic, and dainty bits Of iewelry. and null
titudiuOus TRIES at Elsie's feet. was \
very terrible ordeal. passed it though.
and if ever man had reason to be thank
ful had. for the aequisitive little beau
" Tilted ne in ! mouth for Tom Tan
dem. who vas rich and lavish Of gifts.
and who ran away frOm her after mar
rage Of ten mouths.
worked night and day. and man
aged to keep the wolf from the door.
Sometimes I used to think how well
j, vas for Elsie that she had not really
loved ne. for she could have had moth
ing but q dismal prospect Of wearing out
her youth in dreary. hopeless engage
ment to one too poor to marry. Tha;
vas before Ton ran of Then though:
it would have been even better for hsr
70 have shared our humble home and
poor fare and the love l could have CIV.
sn her than 20 be deserted 50. And
Pitied her. As If she had not proved her
self heartlsss- But 1 never went neal
her. Of course and l never even spokt
Of her 70 ny mother.
grew no younger all this while. ans
every year seemed to add I've to NJ
looks. I had never been very handsom,
or very merry. and soon I became con
seiOus Of = peculiar niddls-sgsd lock
which settles down upon some peopl,
very early.
Strangers. too. began to take Re 70
the head Of the family and Cnee. II
new nsighborhoOd. the butcher aIluis,
TO my wife" I found out that /
meant ny mother. and only vondere,
that it vas not dear old grannie.
She was eighty. grandfather ninety
and they died one bright autumn day
before prosperity came TO Us. died with
in Al hour Of each other-for gra1ni
Just said; Il think III lie d0wu 1 BIZ
row Lsnusl don't need ne. In yer
tired
Then she kissed ne. and said: ..Yo
have always been good boy to you
grandpa. Edward YOau have tia. I
think Of"
And when next We looked At her 81
vas dead with her eAsek upon her ban
like = sleeping child
So Two were gone, and We we're saC
der than before And then Jean. L
eldest sister, married AZ sixteen. ph,
sieian. Who carried her OF to HIndosta
in her honsynoou-
And We could none Of u feel the ne
ding happy thing.
But prosperity did eoue At last
had worked hard for il. and anything
nan makes his sole object in life he
very sure % attain.
We we're eoufortable-easy. A
what word that Is after years Of stru
gle. At last We we're rich. Bat
that tine I vas nearly fsrsy-a lar.
dark. middls-aged nan, With face Il
looked to myself in the glass as thou
psrpetuAlly intent upon figures. 7
girls we're married. Dick had taken
the sea, and ne saw him once \ year
50. and Ashton vas At home With 10
sr and Eysslf-the only really hal
some member q Cur family. and j
tEO-and-tEeuty- And it vas On
birthday, ! remember. that that L;
cane % ne from poor Hunter-the
ter which bsgan. -When these h
reach you. Ned Sanford. I shall /.
ny siI feet Of sarth-all 7 ever on
or would IL I lad lived % Re = h
dred-"
We had been young together. tho
be vas really elder THAI and re
been close friends once. bat rovina
had seized hin. and ne lad 10; net
years knew be had married . 70
ks1tish girl. and knew 10 more:
nov be tod ne TIA; she uas dead.
that his death voali leave \ dA1zl