The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-01
MOTHER MARION.
"A .sF0RY FeR THEdNEW.9EAR.

-MOIHEESfMAEb4 ;
"A STORY FeR THEdNEW.gEAR.,
..ie..y..iG. .ss.tT -,s----l ~ sis,,s72 s,etszt :,
The singing cry of sneighboring locusts
came in on Sthe heated air and brought
new discomforts to she weary brain and
tired nerves Of poor little Marion Mason,
as, sittfHg 8 4sidiSsG saiasr day p9 winch
we mais oHrgacAla I'D A1ce, she els Eher
partsofes III se seh0sE- d istres$ drsr4twen-
ty or thirty boys and girls.
The Ounce Of the town is Andy Bruce.
and from his peculiar domain, the Ounce
block, he looks down the dusty, sunny
road, and sees, the well Iknqgngi form l1 OF
the postman toiling towards the school,
house: EtIdy. knows he @itt'be forgiven
so .unbidden be vaults from his, reign Of
vantage. and meets the agent of Uncle
Sam mthalf way. "a second moregand be
isbreathless beside the little school. marin
With two letters. There IS q faint glow
ON the. wemap's, faded cheek sas she mo-
ticed the stamped envelop bearing the
names of the celebrated law firm in the
far of; city whence il, came, and the thin
fingers tremble over the bulky misslve
tha, f. conto;ns-sbe feels-somes disap.
no;rtsd sentences belonging to the laws
5sisSss sss aill'i1''i ia7S .S:'if''''i.1: -:
A yeer before Marion wase in a COM
Portable home, the one child Of her hsE, fath-
er, and that father a prosperous merchant;
but utbdsiucssyreqerses first ruined him in
fortune, and afterward in health, so that,
With Che spring flowers, there came to be
seen alougsthss readsidea little. figure
clothed in black, whose fail form and
psle face looked utterly untitled toi,toil
day in, and day -ou. with rough country
children in this out. 9th way place.
Il was not the lossyof father OF: :fnrtune
that had bowed Marion so far earthward.
That worss than loss@change had join
ed issue WITH iier. other misfortunes, and
the girl now. to-day, after months which
weuld otherwise have lightened her
clouds, thinks sadly of the man to whom
she was betrothed, who fell away in her
1 noyerty. M and left her alone to bear her
rrief
She had instituted some legal proceed
ings to recover if possible, a mere shred
of her fathers dues, but the summer had
nearly burnt itself out, and the hope in
her heart was going with it, when this
letter lay unopened in her hand.
The anxious school mistress gave her
unIAlS AlSssSrd5d ah Ssis la0iil o. 81 reaesS5 ahSt
un5bsSf seS She rpieh q giva yeHt 5a che
pens-ups esiAf eberuaEing o6tMsSlast
feeble hope would occasion her. So turn
ing it over end oyer. on her desk, before
her till hezlast ekild passsd Through the
door, she sat quietly on the step before
her with the second letter in his hand.
Then Marion addressed herself to the
LAWYERS communication. As she read
on the co1or came and ven ifl her thin
cheeksxand, y6uishing ii, shep&aid rher
head,;n hsf folded hands, and both on
desk. sseeying very softly; indeed, but
tears Of gratitude all the ssame; for the
letter brought certain: assurance,of what
seemed to the poor orphan fortune A
mere competency, it istFue, but enough
to anPfy provide for <hef'few wants!
An old and forgotten lawsuit of her
fathers had terminated favorably, and
his patenetiin itssprosecut;opy had given
one.half the proceeds to,she orphan. So
Marion. for the s6rsttime iiuSmany long,
long months, cried at last TOR 5oy.;a sst
But how did Andy Bruce EnewI.the
difference between tears for sadness or
gladnessa To, him, weeping was an evil
denceS S6f GRIEF usually of pain, SO. bis
fond, stupid heart, prompted him to rise
and sneakingly wind his dirty little Il hand
under the bright hair aud round the neck
of the school. marin, who started, think
ing herself alone.
aPlease don't cry" said sympathetic
Andy. "Here's another letter. Here's
another letter. P'raps it'll make you
feel better than t'other one," he sugges-
ted. 1 80.
And Marion opened the offered conso.
]ation, and read shalfout aloud, the briei
nots from lAessrhieh a man from4he killages
SMfss MARIoNTy.d Tom. Bruce, the
father of ANDY aliavipg !iitistldisd of SUM-
stroke,my.wife. thinks s.besty the boy
shn;idn,t come bacE here With no one 10 70
Iook after him. His body has been sent
toahe .toN,n for burial sand a:as. he'll be
heys iaftarithe narish propesty.. he sinay as
well go right over to. Mrs. PPortlock.S,
where he'll be kept hereafter. - :, :,
Yours..' etc etc. . J, ,,.5,z.t .,4
,.,-.,,@..-, .,,l,;,..,...IoE4 HAsTINGs Y,.i
perhans the utldeuorinhanapesof ANDY
nove so,;ss, ,disiress sbi,s the -rIention Of
Mother Portlock,s name completely uen.
etrased him with grief. Portiock was
oniT @,;dtI tIienname fSnoprg, Vbeu,Aady
ooeJ iys.Ssts.eS;t'yESSSeST VF ~