Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1880-01-09
ALONE IN A CITY FULL.
By Miss Amelia Thropp.

Mable Grey was the daughter of
a poor farmer in the county of c..
near the city of Philadelphia. Mr..
Grey rented his farm and managed,
whilst in. good health, to make a
comfortable living for himself and
family. He was a hard-working,
honest man; esteemed by all who
knew him. His wife was a woman
of far more than ordinary refine
ment. Mr.. and Mrs. Grey had three
children; Laura, the eldest, beau.
tiful rsuDny-haired, blue-eyed girl,
whose refined ways and naughty
nature, were far above her station
and constant anxiety to her parents.
Willie, cripple, and Mabel, sen,
sitive, loving little creature, who in
herited her mothers consumptive
constitution.
The old home, with It's quaint, old
|, fashioned gables and red tile roof,
was to little Mabel a castle; her
fond and vivid child's imagination
pictured it with visions fairer than
an artist could ever dream off, and
though she often read of the homes
of the rich, and great, with their
architectural splendor, none, in her
loving nature, were half so fair as
the scene near her heart, the home
of her birth. 49,
= EV,ba -nro ,,tif,7J- T s,,ro of tho ac.o Of
sixteen, attracted the attention of
Mr.. Reed, a dashing young gentle
man, the son Of a rich banker of
Philadelphia, who, with his parents,
boarded during the summer months
in the neighborhood of the cold
farm" He first beheld the daugh-
ter Laura at the country church,
and was so captivated by her beau
ty that, in spite of the opposition of
his parents, who, in consequence, at
first disowned him, married her.
However, being an only child, he
was soon reinstated in their affec-
tions, and the fair Laura was taken
to her new and elegant home in the
city, where, with her ready tact and
natural shrewdness, she soon. adapt
ed herself to her new position.
She left her parents with but few
tears of regret, and her departure
cast a gloom over the inmates of
the Gold farm" Though not kind
in her nature, they missed the beau
tiful, richly gifted girl aud felt in
her altered CIRCUMSTANCES, the gulf
would now be mighty that rolled
between them. When she passed
through the old rustic portch her
mothers fearful eyes followed her;
she would not see her cold indiffer-
ence, but only saw the golden hair,
and sweet face of the bride; it seem
ed as if bright ray of light had de
parted, leaving a shadow instead.
At first her letters were long and
frequent, but gradually became
shorter, with such long intervals be-
tween, that finally they ceased alto
gether. They felt they had lost her,
but not without pain.
The little Mabel was but ten years
of age when Laura left them. She
had looked upon her sister as mod
el of beauty and elegance, and could
not understand that she could for.
get them. When her mother died
she begged her father to send her
word, and was almost heart-broken
when he replied, sit is no use dear,
she has become such a fine lady that
she has forgotten mother and all
that is, connected with the sold
farm. :" -
Time, burdened with changes,
rolled on, and nothing was heard of
Mr.. and Mrs. Reed. Mr.. Grey's
health had now become very poor,
and he was unable to manage the
farm. In Consequence they were
forcedto sell out their stock and
farming implements, and move to
small house and live on the proceeds
of the sale, and very little they
had accumulated besides. The deli
cate little Mabel was forced to take
her mothers place, and wait upon
her father and crippled brother.
Three years after his mothers death
the suffering little Willie followed
her, and was buried meath the dai.
sizes, leaving no one in the little
-hOme-but Mabel and her invalid
father.
Mabel, who was now advancing
on to womanhood, worked faithful
ly and devOtedly for her feeble par
ent. Her education was neglected,
so much of her time was required by
her father and domestic duties, that
her only time for study was an the
evening after the days work was
doue, and he had retired to repose.
Mabel had great thirst for knowl-
edge, but seeing the disadvantages
in her situation, accepted her lot
with calm resignation, and bore
the burden of her life with patience.
Shortly after her seventeenth birth
day, her father was taken to his
eternal home, leaving her alone.
Kind neighbors gathered around
her, but as they, Ike herself, were