Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-12-31
rContinued from first page. ]



IAN only son think
Eyes, 50 he has, said Miss Achorn.
Now see here, little mother" said
Ralph. I'm Just take Will Achorn over
to the school to see my sister. next week.
and then when we 90 back I'll tell him.
Won't it be jolly. though
well, but what Of Mabel ?-'
''Oh, she's sure to like him he's hand
some as picture
"And right good fellow, too said
the Professor.
So it was arranged /; but when they were
going away Saturday evening. Mrs. Pierce
broke down and cried little for the
daughter that was hers no lonser-brave-
" conquering her weakness, however,
but blushing rosily when the Professor
got chance at parting to whisper:
''There need be no vacancies. Alice. for
love you..'
"What can say 10 him. Mary" said
she, after telling her. How con say
YES. and hate to say no.
The inseparables, Time and Change,
are ever with US. the former speeds the
hours. the latter marks their impress and
history. So in the little village Of Way
land, the movement Of temperance reform
had spread and become firmly grounded
in the hearts of the people. Men had
been reclaimed from among the lowest,
and were rapidly mounting the toilsome.
oft times painful ascent, striving to regain
the elevated plane Of true manhood.
Men and women gathered in the hall 10
listen to those who had so lately been OBJ
.iects OF cOmmiseratiOn or contempt. and
hung breatbless upon the oftimes glowing
elOguence of words poured forth from
hearts full OF thankful joy. and new and
noble aspirations, showing the latent pow
or which had been nearly ruinedb strong
drink.
what pity said Mary Achorn. that
young men cannot be made to see, and
avoid the power Of this terrible moral
leprsy which only the finger OF God can
heal-whose scars are indelible,"
Truly, as heard Mabel lin. once
said Mrs. Pierce.
"The bird that fell with broken wing
Conlh not soar so swiftly, or far again.
down at the door, that wants to see yces,"
said Norah. the new girl. bursting into
the room where the two friends were sit
ting.
''Invitc him into the silting-room. No
4
but axed him. and he won't at all at
all.''
So Mrs. Pierce went down and found
nice looking man at the door who intro
duced himself as James Achorn, and
apologized for want of ceremony. saying
that his wife was in a terrible state tor joy
1T the good news threatened to do what
grief had failed to--unhinge her reason
pd bn xyta bo tn fuln ho troi nd
get his daughter home as soon as possible,
1.-The doctor says it is the only way" said
he.
Mrs Pierce looked ut her watch. saying,
The next train leaves in two hours and
that will give you two hours at the school
before YOU can possibly take train for
home. Come in and wait, and | will 20
with you. Mabel knows nothing Of all
this. and supposes herself to be truly my
husbands daughter"
Noble man, how | wish he knew how
my heart thanks him." exclaimed Mr..
Achorn.
Mrs. Pierce could only answer with her
tears, and leaving him with his niece she
quickly prepared to accompany him.
When they reached the school they
=. found it all in conmotion. and excitement,
and 1t was some time before they could
see Mabel.
The nurse IN charge of the department
for the sick, in the large establishment.
or.''The Nursery" rs they called it, find
ing that small doses of laudanum surep-
titiously administered TO those under her
care, made them less of trouble to her.
sell, and having quite number of lively
girls under her charge, suffering from Sc
we're colds, had tried to keep them quiet
in that way, and had quietly given an
overdose of the powerful soporific to one
Of them, which was not discovered till
too late by the young lady's sister. who
failed in her efforts to waken her. and in
spite Of the utmost sAili of the physicians
the poor girl had just breathed her last,
without waking from the fatal slumber.
When Mrs. Pierce found that Mabel had
been in the nursery all day with severe
cold. she could not but feel that she had
escaped Il great danger,
No one seemed to blame but the nurse. |
who terror-stricken at the result of her !
carelessness, made a full confession, by |
which it appeared that she had carried on
the reprehcnsble practice a long time, but |
that some one spoke to her as she was
counting the drops into bowl of cruel,
and some went in quickly. which she
thought would not matter, and
did not know which Young lady got that
particular bowl.
''Oh, dear. Mrs. Pierce. I'm so glad
YOU are here. What shall dop who can
get to fill Eleanor's place ?; and
thought her so good, so trustworthy
the sorrowing Madam Odenwald,
for the young lady had been at the school
a long time, and was universal favoritc
Mrs. Pierce thought of Mrs. Lowe or
Aunt Hitty, as everyone called her
though not by any means old; ''she's a
jewel if you can get her. one whom you
can trust implicitly" she told the per-
picked preceptress.
1t seemed almost impossible to perform
her painful and yet pleasureable task,
under such circumstances, but Mabels
head grew better under her sympathetic !
touch, and very gently at last she spoke |
of the surprising news, and of its effect |
on her true mother.
To Mrs. Pierce's astonishnent, Mabel |
assured> her that she remembered the |
most of her own experience and had often |
wondered il it were a dream.
She told Ralph about il once but no |