Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-07-04
NO. 1877.
Gales aud Sketthes.
AUNT HEPS!BAH'S REVENGE.

| woke. on the morning of my eigh-
teenth birthday, with light, happy heart
untouched bv care or pain or sorrow. Ii
was one of those glorious June days when
It is bliss merely to live; when we are con-
'tent to draw in the pure, sweet-scenled
air and drink in Natures fresh beauty,
asking for nothing more. The robins out
side my window in the old apple tree,
greeted me with bursts OF glad melody,
md the clear morning breeze filled me
with a sense of indescribable exhilaration.
The closing exercises of the Young
Ladies Seminary in our town had success
lully terminated the day before. We had
passed our examinations, read our essays,
received our diplomas, partaken of The
class supper. and gracefully retired from
the stage of school gill life; and to day,
AS a grand finale to the momentous occa-
sion we were to have picnic in the Glen,
a perfectly lively little spot some ten
miles away.
In all the world. think, there was no
one happier than | that morning. hast
ened to array myself in my new and pref
" white muslin dress and ran down stairs
10 receive my birthday greetings, sing
ing gay liule song.
Father and mother were writing for me
in the library, mCther looking a little anx-
iouS and worried. thought.
Eighteen wears old. and a grown-up
Young lady Papa, just think of tr' and
| danced into the room and was folded in
ny fathers arms, while he bestowed nine
kisses upon one cheek, and nine upon the
other
Eighteen years Bless my stars how
the Years do go! Ii seems only a matter
,,C ko I bal
baby. in these arms
But mamma looks SOBER" said ], and
ran and knelt by her side. What is it,
dear, darling moher3 Does it make you
| sorry to have your little girl grow so big
and so old that she can never be child
any more P'
Mamma smiled, and laid her hand. with
a gentle, caressing touch, upon my hair;
then she said, tenderly:
"You will never cease to be a child at
heart, Mabel, however great the accumu-
laton of years upon your head. And
now, dear your father has somt thing of
Importance to tell you"
Yes. dear child, of great importance,
broke in my father 1T is about your
aunt Hepsbah's will"
Aunt Hepsibah's willn' | exclaimed,
in astOnisbment. for that estimable lady
had been dead over two years, and the
| disappointment felt at the time that my
father, her only brother, was not repre-
| sented in her will, had been long over
come. The possibility of there having
| been a codicil in favor of us at once, how
ever flashed through my mind.
You know, Mabel said my father,
that. ostensibly, every thing was lett to
that prOtege of hers but there was
sealed document retained in the hands of
| he lawyer, which document he sent to
me yesterday
According to Hepsibah's wishes. it was
not to be opened. neither were we to
know of its existence. till you were eigh-
teen. This little piece of paper, Mabel
makes you the possessOr OF thirty thou
| sand dollars and me OF twenty. A very
nice birthday present. isn't it little one ?'
| was so surprised could not for some
time p ak AT last | said, in u bewildered
sort OF way, Thirty thousand dollars for
me. and twenty thousand for you?
| Why, thirty and twenty make fifty" Then
cIapping ny hands, | jun ped up, shout
| ing, "Oh, how rich we are Fifty lhous-
and dollarsn And | gave papa IA good
hug, and then mamma. My world was
surely growing very bright. Although we
had always been comfortably off we were
| far from being rich; and my father. |
knew, had had IA hard time in trying to
keep the old homestead aud clear off the
| mortgage which still shadowed it. had
always longed for wealth, and many were
the tair castles in the air and the glorious
projects had formed when the day should
| come in which riches should be mine
Yes. the world looked iair and bright
~ L., .soIis,
| rich with golden opportunities. NV future
| lay in broad sunshine before me, WITH no
gloom of tears TO veil it, How kind at
heart Aunt H psibah had been. alter all,
said. And had always thought her cold
aud stern and strange. Suddenly asked
| How came she TO do IT, papa? Why
didn't she put it in the wil?"
| Your Aunt Hepsibah was always
queer, and never did things like other peo-
pie" he replied. "She has made one
condition To all this which will not be very
hard for you to accept, think. 1t is that
| you
| Please, Charles, never mind that now"
my mother gently intel p psed. The
breakfast bell has rung, aud Mabel must
g ready for the picnic. Tonight will be
| time enough for that"
Dear, tender mOther-heart Was ii to
give your child another day of perfect
happiness, a day TO be maj ked with
white stone that YOU might shield her from
"a knowledge which might pain hel? Was 1t
intuition that tught yOu that he condition
which my father thought would be easy to
tultii might not be possible tor me'
My father simply acceded to my moth
er's request, and folded the precious slip
of paper aud replaced it in the env, bpe;
then we sat down to breakfast. was too
excited to eat. and the attempts to appear
calm and cool that my father made were
very amusing. He cautioned me against
losing my head with my good fortune, and
warned me against being completely up
set when smiled upon by the good tales.
My mother was very quiet, and regard
eG Us with an anxious look. which in my
minimizing gsyety of heart did not notice
at The time but it all came to me after
wards.
Soon aft breakfast we heard the sound
OF voices and gay ringing laughter, and
wagon full OF merry girls and young men
drove nm , he door Several nf u uara