The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-08

and cluhg more closely to our mother.
We began to realize the scantiness of
our raiment in the daylight, and were
glad to accept the offer of a neighbOr for
temporary shelter. Others came for
ward, and we had soon au incongruous
! assortment of cast-Off clothes at our dis
| posal, and arrayed ourselves as best we
could, presenting a ludicrOus appear
ance enough, if any of US could have
raised spirits sufficient to laugh.
But we were not exactly hilarious.
Utter and entire destitution seemed to
have fallen upon US at last, after our
long fight with that traditional wolf
who had prOwled so near our doors for
the last five years. We salted our cups
Of charity Offered coffee with our tears,
and were blind to the charms of hot
cakes Hospitality pressed upon US.
NeighbOrs fiocked in to offer advice
and consolation, and we were touched
by most generous offers of home and
food from several, until we could "lOok
up home" Where? What could we
look for? Our only home lay in ashes;
our sole possessions were entirely con-
sumed!
For three days we were numbed by
SOTIOWs we H6duS II6
three women, for Freddie seemed to
look upon the whole business as pleas
urable change in the mOnOtony of his
existence. He had not been so well fed
indeed 1 may say well stuffed-in five
years; for all the neighbors called him
in, whenever be passed, to offer tit-bits.
He had an entire suit of clothes that
were outgrOWn by one of the richer
boys, and fitting Freddie, clothed him
better than he had been clothed since
his father died, and, best of all, he took
a holiday, nobody having sufficiently
recovered their wits to send him to
J school.
AS soon as the ruins of our home were
cold enough to admit of visiting, parties
, of boys began to dig in the ashes for
, half-burned property, and Freddie har-
rOwed our sensitive feelings fifty times
day by rushing in with buttons, scraps
of metal, and ruined treasures of every
r description.
Meta and I summoned up sufficient
J energy on the third day to visit my en-
ployer, who agreed to take my sister for
a short time as saleswoman. We came
back to our temporary home somewhat
: encouraged to find Brent had been there,
= and fully enlisted mamma on his side.
: While she was repeating his arguments,
and Meta listened with a smile of quiet
/ happiness at her lovers constancy
2 Freddie burst in.
2 "COme, quick! quickv' he cried
, "We've found big iron box under the
chimney-place. L can't lift it, it is 81
! heavy! o, comew
He was fairly dragging mamma from
a her seat, and, hastily throwing a shaw
4 around her, she followed him, Meta anC
myself bringing up the rear.
/ Truly enough, there was a large box
! under the chimney-place, in a hollow
bricked all around, which had evidently
\ had an opening we had never seen. i
r was large and heavy, requiring tht
r united forces of the family to pull i
Y from its resting place and carry it t.
!. the barn, and pull it down on the floor
: There was no key, but strong lock
and after due deliberation we sent for {
hatchet, and, by dint of much persever
q anPe and strength, burst it open.
Y Within-as by that time we half ex
/ pected-we found Uncle Gordon
: boarded treasures. Bonds to the amour
r Of ten thousand pounds; one hundred
{ and twenty pounds in gold; a case o
= uncut gems, not very valuable; pack
age of private letters, an Old-fashioneC
:, watch and chain, and miniature por
trait of lady, opening out a field 70
- our speculatiOns as to some romance o
:. the past we had never suspected III ou
8 uncle's life.
! There was no one to dispute our moth
- er's claim to the property, all safely de
:, posted in bank before sunset, and ou
troubles seemed at last to be over.
John Ellis, whom I hate most cor
daily, and shall while 1 live, calle'
upon mamma in few days, and mos
gracefully withdrew his opposition t
a his sons marriage. We took his cOnde
t scension for exactly what it was worth
5 but were more than happy at tn,
. thought of Tewarding Brent's faithful
b love.
:: Our new house, built on the site of tn
{! old one, is but a roOmy two-story cot
r tage, but hOmeIike and cozy, and ou
u hOuse-warming was the wedding o
e Brent and Meta, where Freddie aud
e officiated as grOomsman and bridesmaid
q and dear mamma seemed to throw OF
q twenty years of her age when she pu
r on lavender silk dress and wound he
!, heavy hair in icorOnet upon her hea
d in honor of the bridal.
e Brent would have no part of mamma
e money settled upon his wife; but h
/ was loving adviser as TO its invest
e ment for our support, and we make oc
casions for present-giving toward th
+ housekeeping treasures of the yOun
y couple, to keep up something of a fai
Y division of the income.
II Freddie plumes himself greatly upot
sr the fact that his bright eyes discOvere
2 the hoard that so improved our fortunes
y and it has become a habit with us t
a date all events in our family history a
having occurred "before the fire." O
]. "after the fire."
,e
IS Horace Greeley once said: "There j