The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-06-24
Miss Halidane's Family.

"Weil, it's curious assortment, Miss
Halidane's family, and 1 don't wonder
you was struck by il; most is that sees
il for the first time as you did to-day al
meetin'. All sorts aud sizes Of young
ones, as you say. No resemblance be-
tween them or to her2 No, faint in
natur' there should be-"
"But do explain, Mrs. Beebe; this
Mrs. Halidane is a very distinguished
looking woman, and her children are
so-incongruous." | said, pausing for
the right word
"Well, they be-" said my landlady,
whose Summer boarder' / had just be-
come, aud she smoothed out the strings
OF her Sunday bonnet, grasped palm
leaf fan, aud settled her plump proper
tions in her rocker for a good long story,
such as only the day Of rest could afford
her time to relate.
"TO begin, she's Miss Halidane, not
Missis; born Mary Halidane she was,
aud the old Squire, her father, was con-
sid'rable OF a man in these parts ; had
money, and built that big house with col
yums that you noticed as we come
home-the one with the big shady yard
and the nice garden.
"Well, it made a good deal of talk
that Mary didu't marry, but she never
took a notion tO-thOugh she had
chances they say-Rnd she was going on
thirty when the Squire died OF apOpsexy,
very sudden (he was q high liveT) aud
she was left all livin' alone.
81 went up the night her pa died
took in few pies for the mOurners-
aud there she sat by the winder. NV
house is left unto me desOlate,' was
what she said, and IL did seem kinder
appropriate, for her mother had died
young, aud the only brother, Captain
Halidane, was killed in the war and
there she sat In her desolaie house, for
none of the relations had got there then,
aud old Jane aud Martha, the servant
girls, were taking on soft they were
neither comfort nor company. Others
came in, OF course, but l stayed the
evening and talked about her pa; I'd
known him old aud young, and think
it was along OF my being in that night
that she took so to me afterwards.
at was all the talk that she'd 90 to
New York and live with her friends
there, aud mebbe sell the place. / know
her friends urged it, for l stayed awhile
after the funeral to help set the chairs
back and make things look more natural,
and 1 heard her uncle talking to her.
Says ne Mary, We can't leave you to
such a lonesome life. 'Tain't natural
al Your s-e, and az soon as 1t can be ar
ranged you must come 70 Us. You have
devoted yourself to your father for the
past lew years, but when your first grief
Is over you will enjoy going iuto society
agaln, and staying here. .ynu will grow
morbid. You mustn't thiuk II it,
BUT Miss Halidane she only said.
Wait awhile, uncle, before making any
plans Tor me. l cannot part with NV
home yet and 1 hope the Lord will ind
me some work to do that may be done
here Her uncle only bowed al that
not being used TO consulting the Lord
much, as 1 could judge. But Miss Hal
idane was, and l see plainly that She
was waiting and looking for a IesdinS
from Him.
"One by one her relatives went home.
and she came TO meetini o. SUNDAY. All
alone in her pew, but looking as calm
in her mourning clothes as II the Lord
was beside her in her fathers place.
Somehow that verse of Scriptur' come
into my mind-'The solitary hath He