The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-10-04
The 0leander.

Two women in deep mourning were
sitting in desolated home trying to
solve the problem of their future life.
Only widowed and fatherless week,
all the sore wrench of parting still
aching and bleeding, all the blank
future and untried waste what wonder
they were frightened upon the very
threshold of the new life?
They were the wife and daughter of
Israel Gresham, farmer, who had
owned small farm, and prospered for
ten years after he married little blue
eyed woman, the very idol of his honest
heart.
Then trouble came. Four children
sickened at intervals of year between
the blows, and were carried one after
another to the country churchyard; I;
the crops failed; and finally the farmer
himself was prostrated with rheumatic
fever, which crippled him.
Three years of struggling against ad-
verse fortune broke the farmers heart,
and he died, with a prayer upon his
lips for his own true hearted wife. and
Alice, the last of his children and his
tirst-born.
81 have thought it all over, Alice"
said Mrs. Gresham, after long silence,
land we seem to have choice of two
plans only. We can remain here and
try to work the farm
"But we know so little about it,
mother. Father was always anxious
to spare you work, and ! was always at
school"
"The other plan seems more practi-
cable-tO go and learn millinery with
your Aunt Mary. Her offer is very
kind, to take you at once into the house
and allow me to work at home"
"And the farm"
"Mr. Hill will allow me twenty
pounds year for the land to plant it
himself, and will let the mortgage
stand for two years without interest.
$50, if we can save seventy pounds
in two years, we can come hOme?"
said the daughter.
Eyes, dear. But, Alice, there is one
other alternative"
zone more! You are rich in plans" !"
"Eben was here to-day"
"We will not talk about Eben."
eyes, dear, for promised to deliver
his message. lie offers you a home
with his own family. ! Icould go alone"
"Probably," said Alice, drily. "No,
mother, we will go together. Eben
knows | will not marry him now,
though he has offered to live here and
help to pay the mortgage. But | will
not be such burden upon him yet.
You and | know well that the farm
would not yield over the expenses of
three people IN two years. We will go,
and, if we cannot save the seventy
pounds, we will sell the farm, pay off
the mortgage, and-and"
"And whatY"
"We have two years in which to de-
eide that. Shall Iwrite to Aunt Mary ?"
eyes, dear; Mr.. Hill will buy the
poultry and cattle, 80 we shall have a
few pounds to start with"
1t was hard work to leave the home
in which Alice was born, and where
Mrs. Gresham had spent all her mar
ried life, but the women, delicate in
frame, gentle and refined, had yet
brave hearts, and Eben, strong, tender,
and loving, gave manful help, know
ing his love and Alice's could bear
some strain, and honoring his darling
the more that she would not desert her
mother in her sore strait.
"NortOn is only fifteen miles away"
he said, as he waited to take the trav-
ellers to the little town; "only fifteen
miles. You are not going to get rid of
me yet, Mrs. Gresham,
"When there is nothing else to offer,
there will always be welcome" was
tho reply, MARY has secured two
rooms for us, and has arranged the
furniture sent over, so we have q
home ready"
A cosy little home it looked when
they reached it, There was table
set, and Aunt Mary, thin, pale spin
ster-Mrs. GreshNm's slster-watIng
to make the new comers welcome.
Eben stayed to dinner, and then bid
them farewell, while the young girl
went to learn little of the duties she
had undertaken.
She was brave-hearted little wo-
man, this pretty farmers daughter, in
spite of the petted seclusion of her
quiet home life, and she earnestly tried
to remember all the confusing distinc-
tions of flowers, feathers, ribbons, and
frames, and took her first lesson in
trimming. She brought smiling face
to greet her mother. Altogether the