The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-11-05
QUITE A HAPPY MISTAKE,

Slue DY sue, ana spehu tne lOufS-Wneh
sleep, they tell us, lends US beauty
| in wondering what trouble was lowering
over us. But my knowledge came all
too soon.
My father had lent money, which he
supposed he could call in at any time.
The time arrived, but the money was not
| forthcoming. His health was rapidly
| failing nIm, a fact his business anxieties
| in no way helped, ana we soon knew he
4 must mortgage heavily the farm, and
| that il his health continued to fail he
might soon be unable to pay the in
| terest.
Then Maude and l began to hold our
whispered conversations to better pur-
pOses-,O decide that we were strong,
ana young, and healthy, and that such
gifts were given to us to be made use OF.
Aud so it ended in our sending off
M sterious letter to the o!d school
| teacher, and waiting and watching days
| tor reply, which came at last TO lell US
| she mad succeeded in nndlng situation
as goVerness, at a competency which 10
us seemed wealth.
The lady was willing to take any one
on her recommendation, and either OF
us, she felt assured, would I'LL the role.
SO she left it for us to declde-one must
| 90 and one must stay.
| AT last Maude said it would be she
| that would 80. She was older than l,
and she thought she would be happier
| away WOrklng than at nome sitting with
| folded hands. she was SO pretty, so
loving, and loVable, that it seemed as
| though we could not let her 60 among
lstrangers. AT first father and mother
would not listen to it, but we ovelruled
ali objection, and Maude wrote ana ap-
| nDjnLeE IL uAV for her coming,
the intervening time passed rapidly
away iii busy preparation, and at last
the one sunday LETT Us dawned bright
and clear. Maude looked SO lovely that
morning in her pretty hat, with Its long,
uroOplng leather, that l did not wonder
the eyes OF a stranger i'll the church wan
derea persistently to our pew. 1t was
a tall, handsome man, sitting with the
| LConards-a name which, in our village,
represented its aristoc acy aud wealth.
Inere were gentlemen from the city Wis
ting there constantly, but their gaze did
not often wander from The stylish, elC-
CANT Miss Leonard to seek any otner at
fractions. l saw them glance around
once or twice, as ii to discover what
Sc in the church could possibly dis
tract attention from themselves, and l
lear L felt more pride in Maude's beau
ty than was quite consistent with the
sacred place i'll which we were.
But after she had gone, and at night
went, for the first time, to my room
alone, | felt that she had chosen the bet
ter part-that it was easier even to go
.orth among strangers, with your hand
at the ploW, than 70 sit down quietly on
tho vacant hearthstone.
| However soon found plenty for heart
and hands. My father grew rapidly
worse ins tead OF better, and it was har0
work 80 IT, word my letters to Maude
that she could not Know of the Skeleton
in our hOme-the shadow Of coming
death.
Her letters were bright and CHEEKY
like herself; and when al last told hel
that father grew no better, she answered
she had met Dir. Melrose, who vas a rel
atiVe OF the lady whose children she
taught, aud asked him to 60 down anC
see father, and that she would deiraJ
the necessary expenses.
almost gaspeu When read the name
DIR, MelrOse. His fame had reached
! even our ears. / wondered how she
could have approached MIN with sucn q
request, but said nothing to father o
her desire, and one morning, about {
week later, his card was put into my
hands. With quick, trembling limbs,
1asLeneQ down to meet him, aId opened
, the parlor door 10 find myself lace t.
lace with the stranger who, weeks be-
tore, had sat in the Leonards' pew. My
lace grew red ana pale as recognize I
him, but he came forward very quIckly
anu, taking my hands, said:
"Come, we viii have little talk first
| and then you shall take me 10 see YOU
father"
Z | quickly obeyed him and sat dowr
beside him, as lie directed, while he, no
seeming TO observe my agitation, toll
me Of my sister-ot her happiness i'll heI
new home; how already sue mad wol
her way into their hearts, and how glaC
he was that business at this time calleC
MN TO this spot and enabled lin 10 per
, haps be of some assistance.
| Then | found words, and when he LET
Ime to visit my ia her, l found mysel
awaiting his return with calm assur
ance that, could mortal aid avail him, IL
would fud IL III Dr. Melrose's healin;
touch. A Lali-hour passed before hi
, re turn, and when he entered the room
knew might nope.
at is noL so bad as L feared," he said
s'Iime and careful nursing Will soon re
; store him. The latter shall trust l.
you"
Then he gave me his directions s.
clearly that could not misunderstan,
them, and when he bade me good by
$ holding both my hands lor moment il
: his own, aud said:
You must take care of yourself a.
well, and not give me two patients in
sLead of one," he smiled SO kindly tha
L eLt my heart leap as l thought:
ut is for Maude's sake he has don
this thing. He loves her."
1t did not seem strange that sh
: should have won the heart of man al
> high in the worlds favor as Earnest Mel
rose stood. 1t would not have seemet
strange TO me had she won royalty; il
, my eyes she miglt have graced an!
throne.
So wrote her of his visit, and it
J wonderful results; how father mproveI
day by day, and now, with health, cam
hope and courage, SO that soon tn
Clouds would scatter, and we shouit
have her home again.
But she answered, begging me neve
to think of her except as nappy-that il
, Mrs. Marvin she had found secont
mother, and in her work only pleasure
, sue rarely mentioned DR.. Melrose'I
, name. but couldwell understand VIII.
she was silent.
: SO the winter passed. Two or thret
! times the doctor came to relieve the mo
, nOtony. My parents grew to welcom
l MIN rs u friend, and In my heart o
hearts as a brother, for felt sure ha,