The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-12-25

Ruth was the sister next in age to me
she came after Dick, 90 there were onl,
about three years between us, but thu
difference seemed more, I suppose, be
cause was the eldest, and therefor,
had to be bustling and stirring about
and helping mother. Not that Rutl
shirked her share of the work, only sh,
was so bright and winsome, tina,
mother and I never liked to give hel
anything very hard to do. In fact, sh,
generally chose her work, and we die
the rest.
Oh! what bitter tears I shed when
had to leave the dear old home for thu
first time, though l tried not to lei
mother see l minded much, for she haC
such gentle, feeling heart. it would
have worried her more than enough. L
was just after my fifteenth birthday,
when Aunt Alice died. She was moth
er's sister. She had never married
but lived with grandmother, at a lit
tie cottage near the seaport of Looe,
which was about six miles from oul
home.
Well, when Aunt Alice was dead,
father couldn't bear to think of Gran.
ny living all alone, so he drove ovel
one day in the cart, to ask her to come
to us, saying she could sit quietly all
day in the warm chimney corner, and
that we should all be proud to wait on
her, and mother wished 1t, too.
But Granny would not be persuaded.
She could not leave her old home, but
must wait there till James came back
Uncle James she meant, mothers broth
er, who was in the merchant service. He
had gone to sea five years before, and
nothing had been heard of him since,
except one letter from some place in
Africa, where he had landed. Most
people thought he must be dead, but
Granny still hoped on, and would not
leave Looe, saying she must keep a
home for him when he came back, for
he'd be sure to come straight to the
old cottage directly he landed, and he
wouldn't know where to find her if she
went away. And then she said to IA
Their, ''There is favor, George, l wish
you'd grant me: let me have one of
your girls to live with me in place of poor
Alice. Can you spare me one? I should
like Esther best, because she is the old
est; but l hardly like to ask for her
mothers right hand. Can you spare
me one, George?"
"Well, mother, I wish it could be
managed otherwise" was fathers re-
ply; "but if you won't come to us,
suppose you must have your own way.
l will ask Ruth about it, and see which
of the girls she can spare, though it'll
be trial to us both to part with either
of them; it'll be the first gap in our home
circle"
1 don't think ever saw mother look
so troubled as when father gave her
Granny's message. She looked round
at us as if she couldn't bear to part with
one of us; and as for me, felt great
lump rise in my throat as thought
that most likely 1 should be the one Sc
lected. Never before had l so fully
the bright, CHEEKY home,
and the warm love of brothers and Sis
tiers which had always been mine. I
went about my work with dull, heavy
heart, for l could not bear to think of
mother having so much more to do; and
once | caught myself hoping that they
would send Ruth to Granny; but then
the thought of that merry little sister
Of mine, without any of us near her to
make her life happy, rose before me,
and l felt that l was getting very self
ish, and that mother would never have
wished to shift her burdens ON to other
folks shoulders like that; and so went
and volunteered to go to Granny if
father and mother wished.
"God bless you, Esther" said mother,
with the tears in her eyes; 81 knew
you would be the best to 60, but didn't
like to turn you out of the nest. You
have always been such a good little
laughter. needn't tell you to be as
iutiful to Granny as you have been to
me, for know you will do your best"
turned away to hide the tears that
would come at mothers tender praise,
which l felt l did not deserve, and for
want of something to do 1 hastily tied
my apron over my head, seized the
bucket in which we fetched the water
from the pump, and ran across the yard
to it, slipping as l went, for the ground
was covered with frozen snow There
had been a partial thaw the previous
night, and then sharp frost which had
glazed it over, and made the ground
quite dangerous to walk on, especially
as the boys had made long slide from
The back door to the barn.
reached the pump and placed the
bucket in the trough, still wrapt in my
own thoughts, when l was aroused by
shout of laughter from Dick, who
out,
swell done, Esther! when do YOU ex-
pect to fill your bucket? Don't you see
the spout is frozen up? Why, what
ever are you thinking Of, old girl?''
And then l told him all, and his
hearty boyish sympathy was very COM
orting to me, for he had always been
ny favorite brother, and we had never
'een parted, even for day.
In less than week went away, and
III, how dull the March weather seemed
It first, though l loved Granny dearly,
md she was kindness itself to me. Still
missed the racket and the hustle of
he old home life, and, above all, the
'oys, who would turn everything topsy-
urvy as soon as you had tidied up.
And every Saturday, as it came, when
ather drove into Looe market, and
passed our door on his way home, l
onged to get up beside him and go
straight away to have a peep at the
lear ones.
But it could not be. However, 1 had
to look forward to, and used
% count the days till Christmas Eve,
when Granny and were to 20 to the
arm for a few days; and on that even
ng there was to be a Christmas tree in
he schoolroom, given by the ladies in
he parish to the Sunday scholars, and
hey were kind enough to say they
,oped to see me, too, as 1 had always
been a regular attendant.
went to Granny's in February, SO
here were good many months before
could go home; but sometimes father
would bring Ruth or Maggie on his way
o market, and fetch them on his re-
II thn,n - L