The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-05

that she could be reused from this
dreadful speechless gloom into which
she had fallen |" was our continual
prayer, for the terrible thought came to
us often that we should lose our mother
in much worse way than we had our
father and sister--that her brain would
at last give way beneath its weight OF
heavy, despairing thoughts,
Well, the exchequer was low enough
and mother had had one of her very bad
spells and q lady customer had Just
been in and abused me-yes, abused
can use no other word women do fiy
in such temper at their dress Makers
about the ft Of her dress, declaring it to
be utterly ruined" when il only want.
ed taking up little on one shoulder and
letting down an inch or 80 in front and
wills right arm was almost disabled
from q heavy load OF books he had car
ned long distance the day before chow
men can have the heart to give o mans
burden to a child I can't see)-when
aunt's letter fell like bomb-shell into
our very nearly disheartened little camp.
"DEAR FoIKs.--A friend of NINE
an Inglishman" (aunt's language was
correct enough, but at times her spelling
was somewhat peculiar)-" "who came
here purporting to start in business,
took the fever, fingered few months,
and died, leaving, heaven knows why,
his only child, a daughter, who will
eventually be not to-be-sniffed. at
airess, to my care. Having been deli
cately reared in the midst of devotion
and tenderness, this place, only suited
to bold, strong natures, is a little too
run for her. So she desires-at least
desire for her-a home in the North.
and wish that home to be with you.
"My niece Mary, who inherits the
disposition of her father to a great de-
gree-and he would have gone out of his
way any day to give even dunn brute
pleasure-will, l am sure, be kind to
her. Carol will love her for her beau
ty, if for nothing else, and the rest of
you will. love her because she is most
lovable. Her maid will accompany her.
At present her affairs are in tan
gle, but hope to unravel them in the
course of few months, and then you will
be recompensed for whatever extra ex-
pense she may cause you. / would in
close check at present writing, but all
my funds are invested in speculation
from which except to reap much pro-
ft. Do the best you can until you hear
from me again, when will farther un-
fold my plans in regard to Miss Ashbell.
who, by-the-bye, starts tomorrow.
"AUNT."
No wonder CONSERVATION and dismay
we're depicted on every countenance
when ceased reading this letter. No
wonder we looked gaspingly at each
other. What in the world were we to
10 with this fine young lady in our hum
bic home2
What could aunt be thinking about
True, she didn't know exactly how poor
we were, for we'd been too proud to &C.
knowledge our extreme poverty in our
few and far-between letters. On thea
contrary, am afraid we had led her to-
believe that we were in quite flourish
ing condition. But for all that, she
ought to have known that we were not
enough to support delicate
and beautiful girl, used to luxury, ten
derness, and devotion, for even a few
months. Was ever any thing 30 mala-
propos and veXatious9 OF course Miss
Ashbell would look with scorn on our
seven roomed dwelling, with back gar.
den twenty-five by twenty-five, and a
ten by ten. And suppose
as aunt, with short-sightednes very
unusual to her, complacently remarked
Carol should fall in love with her
The proud English girl would no doubt
regard him as fortune-hunter, and in
vidiously compare his frank, Impulsive,
rather brusque manners with the repose
and "awful" dignity of the languid
swells of her own land.
And somebody else might be attracted
toward her-men are 80 susceptible to
woman's beauty-somebody who now
thought my brown face the sweetest in |
the world. The very thought made nv |
heart stop beating.
And the maid? Even if we could |
make arrangements to accommodate her |
and it seemed utterly impossible for |
Us to do society, our faithful servant |
Tor the last fifteen years, would look |
upon her in the light of an interloper.
and treat her as such. Betty had been
lsed to being "monarch of all she sur.
7eyed." Even in house.cleaning times
those times that try mems souls and
soles-she scorned the idea of
IN assistant.
"No, ma'am, I'll have no strangers
,okin' roun' me. When I'm not able to
10 the work of this house alone, I'll Co."
And mother-dear. shrinking, grief
tricken mother-how would she bear
he advent of this dainty Miss Ashbell
But we could do nothing to avert the
misfortune. Even if we had
hought of disobeying our fathers last
command, and refusing aunt the favor
he had not asked, but, in her usual
decisive way, taken for granted, the
'oung lady was on her way, and would
'e here in day or two.
The news must be Immediately broken
o mother and Betty. I, being the
lousekeeper, undertook to face the lat
er. must confess 1 did it with fear
nd trembling. She heard me grimly.
lever ceasing to pare the potatoes she
leld in her lap, and when I had ended.
ooked up with q sharp nod of her head.
nd said, slowly and emphatically:
'Betty'n have to go now, sure. She |
ant stand no fine young ladies and sas.
J. young bridesmaids about for no.
Helen went to mother, put her arms
bout her neck, and with a kiss and a
mile told her of the expected visitor.
ddlng, with an assumption of gayety:
She sha'nt come near you at ali, man.
Ia dear, if you don't want her; but Won
now aunt has been so kind to us. and
ather loved her SO dearly, it would be
npossible to refuse the first favor she