The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-05

JacK spent tHs evening WITH Is 1t
shome and then hes left US shurriedly,
for ourafNeWels had been said iii the
wood, and it was one hearty kiss, CIV
en- and. taken before the old people,
and then good-by.
But 1 saw him pass soon after day.
breaksand he saw me and waived his
hand, for had sat by the window all
night, lest / might let him 60 by and
asleep. r. -
And then the time glided on sadly,
but pleasantly as well. Mine was a
busy life, for soon my father took to
his bed, lila bed he never left again,
for, he gradually sank and died, leav-
ing my poor mother in very indiffer-
ent circumstances. X
|sIt'was hard blow for both of us,
for he had been one of the kindest
and truest OF men, but while poor mo-
Their pinned andswaited, T. had my hope
full 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 I sfelta as if though I could
not repine even when greater troubles
ellsdpon me- !; ,sTzs:s Il, r..$$sEs
Foriat the end :ofs two years [ was
standing at the bedside where lay poor
mother sinking fast, SheshaH no par.
ticular ailment, but had literally pined
and wasted away. The bird had lost
its mate for many years, and when at
last She kissed me and said $ Good-by,'
it seeInedstQ me te be- 4 quiet, rest
seeking spirit, and she spoke like one
looking hopefully forward to the
meeting of him who had gone before.
But she could think Of me even then,
and almost her last whispered words
were:
ssOnly eleven months more, 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 1 withheld-name-
ly, the news which came from our law
yer. For, through the failure of the
enterprise in which my fathers saw
ings had been invested, and which
brought us little income of ESQ a
year, I was left penniless-so poor in
fact that the furniture of the cottage
in the little town, to which we had
moved after we left the farm, had to
be sold to defray the expenses of the
funeral.
It was very hard to bear, and for a
month was terribly depressed; but
there was that hopeful time ever draw
ing 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 |
remember feeling particular about my
personal appearance, and I studied my
glass to see if Jack would find me look
ing careworn and thin, and my glass
told me truly-yes. '.>
4 But I had to be up and doing, and
before another month was over,
through the kindness of people who
had known us, 1 was placed where I
| could work contentedly for the bread
I must earn till Jack should come to
fetch me away.
It was a large West End dress
makers and it was hard work to get
used to the hurry and excitement of
the place, where there were twelve
girls living in the house and as many
more came every day.
There were all kinds Of petty perse-
cutions and tyranny, to be submitted to
at first, and suppose some of the fool
ish girls were jealous of me and my
looks, so much so that I found they
nicknamed me "The Beauty Poor
girls! If they had only known how
little store set by my looks they
would have behaved at first as they
did later on.
The first thing that won them to me
was when Mary Sanders was taken in
with 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 it she did so, for Mary Sanders
life was in danger. So the poor girl.
was shut up in her bedroom without a
soul to go near her except a hired
nurse, and after the first night this
woman stayed over.
No one dared to 90 near the Door
girl then, so I timidly asked leave to
nurse her, for felt no fear of the in
lection, and it seemed so hard for her
to be left there alone.
[ obtained leave and&went upstairs.
staying with her tlEsshe recovered
And from that day tlaere was always a
look for ne aMda kiss from every
girl in tbs, place. a4.Zss..
3 What was more, oddly enot1gh, per-
because was So aquiiers and re-
strain FIST one EN- aanoth-
ereame rs make mesles confident of
| her loSe.sec rets and ash my advice.
Igave it, such as IT was, though
heartsere myselE for Jack S letters to
me had'snddenfy ceased. We had cor.