The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-01-15

Aubrey rectory to ask her to marry him.
My mother rarely ever spoke of her
later years as a wife, but often with
even enthusiasm of their first meeting,
and the childish fondness with which
she regarded him.
It had been made matter Of reproach
to her always by his relatives, and my
father, think, never entirely forgave
her for her share in his alienation from
his family. He died with that antago-
nism in his heart, and my mother had
suffered silently, rearing her three girls
as well as she could on the slender pat
rimony left her, with Just enough of
the ola curate's dignity of character to
restrain her from appealing to the great
people down in Kent.
Caroline, now in her twenty-third
year, had been waiting some years,
rather impatiently, for a duke or Wis.
count to come down into the country
and marry her for her peachy cheeks
and sloe-black eyes. But nowadays
dukes prefer o bad complexion and
GI0, 900 year to a captivating young
person whose sole dover is in mere per-
sonal attraction.
Edith was already twenty-one, and
felt aggrieved at her sister for not hav-
ing made match, leaving the field to
her.
Not strong like Caro-, Edith was, how
ever, pretty girl, with fine, ladylike
hands, and carriage princess might
have envied.
believe was seldom thought of by
any one until it was discovered l was
too much grown to utilize the cast-off
frocks of the other girls, and was now
tall, awkward girl of eighteen, with
large elbows and a sandy complexion,
like the Aubreys. 1t was also discov-
cred about this time that had made
much of my musical chance, and, what
with few lessons from the village Or
ganist and the drummings through long
winter evenings on the old harpsichord
ia the sitting-room, had suddenly be-
come proficient i'll small way; enough
so, at least, to admit OF my taking a few
Of Miss Harmon's scholars in the after
Moons. The money earned in this way
seemed, no doubt, q prodigious sum to
poor nanny, whose common condition
was a state of perfect impecuniosity.
Mother had often declared that both
Caro- and Edith possessed the hands OF
musicians, 80 slender. supple and white,
while mine we're overgrown from the
wringing of dish clothes, and red from
boiling water.
Providence had given me my bony
hands with music in them, and won.
derful voice, which Miss Harmon lad
declared made me almost seem pretty.
She never knew, kind soul, how she
made my heart ache with dull, horri-
BILE pain, when she dealt me this depre-
catory praise.
The girls and nanny were in the
little dun-colored morning room, which
had once been my fathers study, with
closed blinds, ripping up an ancient
chair, upholstered in grand Arab pat
tern of scarlet and gold, to construct an
overdress for Caroline's cherry silk, the
sleeves and bodice of which were quite
beyond repair. The chair had been
shrouded in gray holland for the last
dozen years, and the silk really was un-
worn.
Who ever thought letter would find
it's way from the outside world to our
sober little house behind these pollard
willows, like 80 many transmigrated
Rushtons, tall and angular, still keeping
guard over NANNY and her brood.
"Do open it, mamma" said Edith,
impatiently. every likely it is from
some forgotten creditor of poor papa's."
Poor little mammy's cap-ribbons trem-
bled and hnttered while she read the
few words, written, it might be, by an
articled clerk in Lincoln Inn Fields, the
letters were so aggressive.
"Well, girls with a faint attempt
at cheerfulness-" here's a chance for
one of you, at last. This letter is from
your aunt Ruth Rushton, your fathers
eldest sister, who never married, and
who never spoke to him after he married
me-though L do not remember it
against her now.-sI have always thought
of Ruth as being superior woman-a
very superior woman. / have heard
your father say that she spoke four
languages in her young days, and that
she was a great belle then"
This brought out a contemptuous
"Humph r. from the girls. This was
the letter which proved the turning
point in my life
" SIsTER-IN-LAw hear you are bless
ed with three daughters. l am child
loss, bedridden old woman with no one
10 CdT6 lOr me- u66u bOu6 bJrOnR,
active young person daily and hourly.
Send me a niece. She shall be paid for
her trouble. 1 suppose you consider
them all paragons; but beauty is not
Indispensable. Honesty and good morals
are. Let me know at once. Your
obedient servant, RUTH RUsHToN,
'of the Pines, Kent. "
"What an insult |" said Edith. " Hor
rible old woman After all these years
of neglect, she would now make maid
servant of us. / shall not CO."
: Then Caroline delivered the address
at the beginning of my story.
"Poor nanny picked the wadding
from the back of the stuffed chair like
bird pecking at barley; all the time a
cloud creeping over her pale face.
"No; of course you'll neither of you
L