Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-09-03
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thd old coat asleep. Blu. where was ST.
las Manner?
see the child. He had gone to the door
to look oaf, and put his right hand on the
latch Of the door to close it-but he did
not close it, he was arrested by the inyisi-
Die hand OF catalepsy, and stood with
wide but sightless eyes, holding open his
door, powerless to resist the good or evil
that might enter.
When Manners sensibility returned he
closed the door, and turning towards the
hearth, where, to his lurid vision, it
seemed as if there were gold on the floor
in front of the hearth
Gold his own gold-brought back as
mysteriously as il had been taken away
He loaned forward at last and stretched
forth his hand; but instead of the hard
coin his fingers encountered soft. warm
curls.
Could this be his little sister come back
TO him in dream
He had dreamy feeling that this child
was somehow a message come To him
from that far off life. But there was "A
cry on the hearth and Slas fed and soothed
it.
He found IT had on wet shoes. which
suggested to him that she must have come
from out doors, 30 he raised the child and
went To the door and the little one cried
NANNY.
Bending forward he could just discern
marks made by the little feet, and he fol-
lowed their track To the furZe bush, and
there be found human body. with the
head sunk low in the furze. and half COW
cred with the shaken snow.
Silas knew that all the town was at
the grand party at the Squire $50 he
crrricd the little one there in search oil the
doctor
The doctor, Godfrey, and a few cthers
60 to the stone pits, and there find that
the woman is past help dead. They
urged Slas to part with the child, but he
presses it to him and says:
mo, no. can't part with it. It's come
to me-i've right to keep it."
1t was a bright autumn Sunday. sixteen
years after Silas Mariner had found his
new treasure on the hearth.
The bells of the old Raveloe church
were ringing the cheerful peal which told
that the morning service was ended. He
called her Eppie for his sister, and that
morning As they walked home together
in low murmurng tones, Eppie talked to
him.
Father. if was to be married, ought
I to be married with mothers ring?'
why, Eppie, have you been Il thinking
on it?"
.'Only this last week, father said Ep-
pie, ingeniously, "slnce Aaron talked to
me about it?n
And what did he say ?'' said Silas.
''IIe said he should like to be married
because he was going on four and twenty
and had got good deal of gardening
work. now Mr.. Motifs given up"
"And who is it AS he's wanting to mar
ryP" said Sias. with rather sad smile.
"Why, me, to he sure. daddy said
Eppie. with dimpling laughter. kissing
her fathers cheek; las if he'd wanted to
marry anybody else"
"And you mean to have him, do you9'.
said Silas.
Eyes, some time" said Eppie, lido t
know when
''Everybody's married some time. ="
Aaron says.
..But told him that wasn't true. for
said. look mt iather-he's never been mar
ried."
MY child" said Silas, ''your father
was lone man till YOU was sent him"
but you'll never be a lone man again.
father" said Eppie tendcrly. That was
what Aaron said
IL could never think o. taking YOU
away from Master Mariner. Eppie. And.
| said. it 'ud be no use il YOU did. Aaron.
and he wants us all to live together. 81
you needn': work. and he'd be rs good as
n son to YOU. But don't want any change
Only Aaron does want change and he
made me cry bit-only n bit-bccause
he said didn't care for him. for if | cared
for him. should want us 10 be married.
rs he did"
"Oh. my blessed child" said Silas.
You are DER young to be married But
shall get older and helpless. and should
like to have you marry some body else
besides me--somebodv Young and strong.
as nd take care o. you to the end
Then you would like me to be mar
ried. father p''
''rll not be the man to say no, Eppie.
but will ask your godmother. She d
wish the right thing by you and her son
too"
And the godmother wished it.
In draining the lands the stone pits
were drained dry. and the skeleton of
Dunston Cass was found and all OF Silas
Manners gold. two hundred and sixty five
pounds. So Aaron and Eppie enlarged
their garden and made pretty their home
rs they did not wish to leave the stone
pits. and Eppie's own words tell the story
OF their united happy life.
"Oh, father what q pretty home oms
is! think nobody could be happier than
we ,,-Geor1e EViof