The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-08-21
ELINOR NORTON.
Rr sARY SHANE SMITH


Tire cold, dresry Winter hal passed
away. Sprmg, with its bluslrriua
March winds. ii- April showers suo
smiiss. a"d iis fragrant Nav binds ard
bios5ams, hal come and gont and roN
The jane roses we're scattering their
lovely petals about the hospitabie door
OF Eiuor NortOn's, new home. Mrs.
Daf had given mp the most Of tine char
liable work 20 her since the warm days
had CON though she still cared for
many who were near her, and felt a
kindly interest in all those whom the
Doctor and Elinor visited. The genial
Doctor declared that Elinor was better
than a regular assistant, and prophesied
that when they became partners he
would get nothing to do. She laugh
ingly replied that the less he was called
upon by the class OF patients she usually
visited, the richer he would be.
Elinor had studied faithfully under
the Doctors direction, aud between that
and work, outside aud at home, she led
a busy life yes, and happy one,
though she cherished dark-eyed, man
ly image in her heart, and daily sent
earnest petitions heavenward in behalf
of the man she loved. She would not
permit herself to repine and grieve, but
stifled all such feelings resolutely, by
thinking Of the misery about her aud
striving to alleviate it as far as possible
It was her constant thought to tighten
her dear old friends burdens in every
way she could, and she was richly re-
warded by the motherly affection the
good lady bestowed upon her so unre-
servedly. All the tenderness Mrs. DUFF
had always longed to lavish upon a
daughter she now gave to Einor; and
the latter was scarcely less dear to the
fatherly heart Of the kind Doctor. She
proved herself so useful to him as
secretary that the Doctor declared he
did not see bow he had ever got along
without her, aud that he certainly never
could again. Owing to certain projects
ia which he was engaged, his eorre- I
spondeuce was quite extensive, and
Elinor's quick, comprehensive mind
made her an excellent aid 10 him.
Thus busiiy, quietly and cheerfully .
the Summer days passed by, and Au-
tumn came IN all its pomp aud splen- f.
'.a ith nners OF gorgeous hues float /
ing from every tree that had stretched
outonly bare, ghostly arms when Eiiuor
first come TO the "City Of Brotherly
Love" She bad formed some very
pleasant friendships here now among .
the Doctors acquaintance, with people F.
who priced her for what she was her F.
self, who cared not in The least whether
she belonged 10 tone OF the first fami- +.
lies or the last, and who admired her
for her determination to make herself
at once useful aud Independent as
physician, while her thoughtful, unseif-
ish kindness made her beloved by all.
She always answered Franks letters
as she might have done had she been
his sister-at least, as FAR as possible
though sometimes 10 was hard 20 refrain
from letting him see how she longed for
his presence. She repressed her feelings
firmly, however, knowing what a trial
it was for him to endure their sePars-
tion, and to write as calmly as he gem
orally did for her sake.
DR.. DUFF bad been to New York but
twice since Eiinor left there, and he,
guessing pretty closely how matters
stood, made it a point to see young
Stoddard, Of whom he had a high opin-
ion, and tell him all about E.iuor; and,
when be came home, be made Frank
the subject Of his conversation. Mrs.
Duff, gentle soul, could not believe that
Mrs. Stoddard opposed the marriage Of
the two, for she could imagine no reason
why she should, and she was puzzled a
good deal over the matter, for she felt
sure they loved each other; tut, with
true delicacy, she forbore TO question
Eliuor, saying to her husband:
"The dear girl has good reason for
whatever she does, am certain, and i'll
she doesn't feel like talking about her
trouble, will not worry her with it.ii
But it was from no desire to keep her
affairs secret from her kind friends that
Elinor refrained from speaking Of thena
Since her mothers death she had always
r.ar compelled to keep her own coun-
kept about such matters as she
cft discuss with Frank, and now il
scarcely entered her mind that she
could speak to any one Of feelings so
deep and personal as her love and its
scconpanying- trials. Sometimes, in
ae- hours Of loneliness, she felt that if
.be gentle woman near her were her
own iost mother, it would be relief to
Isy her head on the kind breast and
wee. away the pain I'm her heart and
tak Of the past; but she thought it
would be selfish weakness TO burden
Mrs. DuH with such things never
Dreaming ast soc t.o,h -iy a9mAa
secretly rriefea 1se-uee a-- Gforte did
not tell heG ''ali about i."
Time passed on and .-ought Thanks
irirg Day, stormy aitloui but CHEEKY
wltt.n, when all the younger Dufs,
iouI SO numter, gathered around the
srus' board, with wives aud little
nss or Ihe Doctor KEEP. bis old New
agia16 habits, and stil loved his ma
ais f-ioe.
EHuor nos became acguaiaed So ~
t1cs E-smber of The family - had
20. pst before, and by every one she