Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-01-01

he gaZeu lntO tue ootn,
ewes, raised to his. "But, Annie
my sweet, Blue-eyed ADme-where
is she I"
"Here, father" said she, spring
toward him, though she almost
tottered as she went, for the faint
ness caused by the sound of she
loved voice which she thought was
forever lost had not entirely left
her.
"And your NAME" he said, turn
ing to me, when he became more
composed, sis as l think, Emily
Williams Z"
at is"
"Then you are my sister," said
he, shaking me by the hand with a
warmth evincing true brotherly
affection, which, II the promptings
of my heart was truly manifested,
was given back in no stinted meas
ure of sisterly regard.
although you were only four
years old" said he, "when like the
wild head-strong boy that was, |
left my pleasant home, l used often
to think of you. Mrs. Bray, on whom
l first called to inquire concerning
my daughters, said You looked like
me, and | believe there is some
resemblance between u.s."
l told him though so too,
though | obstained from saying he
was the haDdsomer of the two.
Already / felt proud of him, and
was satisfied that whatever might
have been the error Of his boyhood,
he had forsaken them, and repent
ed of them as well, and was now a
frank-hearted undetermined man.
"And you never received any OF
the letters sent you !" said he, in
answer to the inquiry OF his
daughters.
mo-" replied Annie T; 1--WE never
had a single line from you after
you left US. Only few months
afterward news came that the ves-
sci you went in was lost, and that
all on board was supposed to have
perished."
"No, not al, as / am here to
tsstify ! was one Of the few, in the
only boat among several which left
the wreck, that was ever heard Of.
When nearly exhausted, we were
discovered by a vessel bound to
California, and we were taken
aboard. We arrive at the place of
destination in safety, and once
there, was determined to remain
until / had accumulated q com
potency"
"Did you work at gold-digging,
father 2" said Cattle.
"The first two years I did, but
at the end of that time it began to
grow less renumerative, and so l
tunred my attention to other bust
ness which involved lees hardship
and was better pay. The first fruit
of my labor after l arrived there l
sent to my agent for your benifit.
At the same time / sent letter to
you, and another to Mrs. Bray. In
the one to her / requested that she
would remove to o. more comforts
bic residence, and in other respects
change her mode Of living for the
betIe,. You maytbink," he added.
his speech to me, "tbat
did wrong to leave my children |
with woman in such indignant
as Mrs. Bray. The
truth is, the low state Of my finances
obliged me to do it. She was the
only person / could find whose
of living had any claim to
decency and comfort, who would
undertake the care of them for the
compensation had in my power to
offer. | knew about her, two, as,
when my wife was living she used
often to assist in the harder part Of
the labor. AS the remittance /
sent failed to reach her, / tremble
to think what might have been my
fate had il not been for
you"
"Please, dear father, don't think
Of it at ALL" said Cathie.
ave have more cause for thank
fitness than regret" said Annie.
'If what you sent had been receiv-
ed, We might never met with Aunt
Emily"
"And we have been s0 happy
with her." said Cathie. "We felt
sad only when we thought that we
should never see you"
"The annivnrsary Of one day."
said /, "your daughters have al
ways kept sacred"
"What day 7" he asked.
"That on which you left, never
more, as they believed, to return"
81 will never leave you again,
dear Ones" he said. "There is, in |
truth, no longer any need that !
should GO in qnest of wealth, for /
have enough and to spare"
"Only promise me one thing"
said /, sand shall be content"
81 owe you to much to deny you
any reasonable request" he re-
Piled.
81 hope you won't call IL unreal
/ only ash that we four,
who, putting the past and present