Connecticut western news., 1877-12-28
My Two CObwebs.
AN OLD MANS TALE.

Just as business was beginning to prosper with me, I was left alone with ( little fair-haired girl ot eight, who found 1t so hard to believe that her mother had been taken away never to return, only to live in our memories. And I thought, too, of how the years had fed away, and I had become wealthy man, whose sole thoughts had been of the child had sssn grow mp to maidenhood, making a ver7 idol of her, yielding to her every whlm, and doing the most I could to spoil one who never would be spoiled. For, with all the accomplishments had lavished upon her, Ruth, or Cobweb, as familiarly called her, had grown up to be notable little housewife, who disgusted our cooks by insisting upon going down into the kitchen and making my favorite buildings and tarts with her own hands, and generally behaving in what servants called an unladylike way. And then I thought of my other sor- row-the future-and pictured with an agony I cannot describe the day when I should have to resign my claims to an- other, and be left alone desolate, bro- ken old man. -r...-.
 am naturally a very common, hard and business-like old man, and terribly selfish. Cobweb had woven herself so round my heart that in my peevish, irri- table way, was never happy when home from, the city unless she was waiting on me and filling my pipe.
 Cobweb was very quiet as she gided down from my knee to her hassock at my feet, and was evidently thinking as much as I; and at last frightened up, for thought had come to me with a sell fish kind of comfort
 I had moved away from the city and ssttled down in snug and quiet little home in the country.
 "She'n be quite away from all temp. tations to leave me, there, anyhow" said to myself, as I thought of the "at. homes" and balls to which sheiwas SC often receiving invitations.
 This set me talking-fshing, as called it in my great eunning-to see i there was one of the rocks ahead o which I was in dread.
 "How shall you be able to leave al your fine friends parties-and set out,2" said.
 "Oh, I'm tired of them all p she said, clapping her hands.
 "And gay cavaliers, with dandy air and moustaches, and programmes"
 "Ha, ha, ha p she laughed m erril7 and then, as it seemed to me in my jeal ous watchfulness, turning the subject she began to talk about the oountr, place had taken.
 A fortnight later and we were settled down; and really, with all my c1ty no tions. l began to find the calm and re pose of the country delicious. Cobwel was delighted, and constantly dragging me somewhere or another into tn grounds of the pretty old place, wher she arranged garden seats in the snug gest, shadiest spots for my especial be hoof. .-r
 As have said, there was wildernes of wood adjoining the garden, whicl the former possessor had left in a stat of nature, saving that he had had tn cd footpath and tracks widened in thei old winding ways, carefully turfed an dotted with chair here and there.
 This was Cobweb's favorite place, an, if missed her out in the garden, knew I should find her here, with tn sun raising g shower of golden beam through the network of leaves overhead to dance and fish among the wavin tresses of her long golden hair.
 One day found her leaning on dea bough which crossed an opening in tn wood, where all seemed of delicat twilight green. She was listening 1T tently to the song of bird overhead and as stopped short gazing at the pi. ture before me, said to myself, with sigh
 ''All that's bright must fade M darling, I wish I had your likeness g you stand. Time fies," I muttereG sand the winter comes at last, with bal trees to the woods-gray hairs an wrinkles to the old. "
 She caught sight of me directly, an the scene was changed, for was lister ing the next moment to her merry, happ voice.
 A day or two later I was in the cit, where always went twice a week-fc could not give up business, it was pa of my ife-when an old friend droppe in, and in the course of conversation, said asl.
 By the way, Burrows, why don't yo have your portrait painted ?"