The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-24

heavy rain-storm, and the waves OF my
fathers mud-puddle ran high. Hannah
sat upon the old petunia mound by the
gate, sobbing. / raised her dropping
form to bid her farewell, pushed the
hair from her face and gave her my last
kiss. She cl,tched frantically at my
jacket, but, realizing that delays are
dangerous, I sprang upon q dry-goods
box in the wagon. The horse, most Sc
verely afflicted with spring-halt, started
off at a fearful gallop, and we disap-
peared around the corner forever.
AS soon as circumstances would per-
NIT addressed letter to Hannah, and
soon received a reply, of which the fol-
lowing is a verbatim copy:
My Dear Gorge
now set down to let you know how
l am. have had a soar throat merely
all the time sence you Left. Somebody
has shot our Cat. School commences
next week. I dred it. A new family
has moved into your House, there is too
boys, Eddy and willy. If we never see
each other again on urth l hope we may
meat in heaven. Yours Truly,
HANNAH A. FARLEY.
The letter also contained two blots
and grease spot and was directed by
Hannah's mother, wrong side up with
care. [ wrote her once more, but received
no answer q failure which / attributed to
her aversion to all literary labor rather
than to any diminution in the ardor of
her affections.
attended school for the next three
or four years, and then entered the
Who'll 5sale mercantile business in the
service of an uncle. I became a rising
young man. Some of the time I rose
rapidly, as gaseous matter and young
men between the ages of sixteen and
twenty-five are in the habit of doing.
Our family also prospered. From three
ply in our parlor we passed by easy
stages through body Brussels to Eng
lish Wilton, and we numbered the
successors of Mary Sullivan by twos
and by threes.
Presently arrived at that age whereat
extremely witty people begin pointing at
young man peculiarly sharp and or
iginal jests concerning the subject of
| matlimony. At first the implication
therein conveyed that L had only to
choose was gratifying to my vanity; but
by the time [ began to direct any serious
| thoughts that way myself so much solid
| wit had become an insutf'erable bore.
| There were girls in large quantities and
| excellent qualities all around me, but
the thought of advancing to anything
serious with any one of them always
suggested Hannah.
My "reminiscences of Hannah were not
such that 1 could create an ideal femi-
| nine character of her; but when II fell
low has sat in a coal-bin with a girl and
taken alternate sucks on as many Jack
son-balls as 1 had with Hannah, no
subsequent experience can ever entirely
et1ace the impression. l had curiosity
| to know what Hannah had become. The
| surest way to satisfy this curiosity
| seemed to be to go and see her. L ac-
cordingly went.
The girl was pretty. She had color
and frankness she had grace and re.
pose of manner. Her fnger-nails were
scrupulously kept, root and crown, and
her hair was glossy, as we'll as fashion.
| ably dressed.
The year We left town Hannah's
mother died and after the billows ol
affection had surged over his soul fol
| l.
held the sun and took new wife. The
new wife had taken infinite pains Will
her step-daughter. The step-daughter's
present appearance, as compared will
her former condition, bore favorable
testimony for the lady's system. Han
nah said that when we were children
had seemed like brother to her. and |
at once placed myself upon a fraterna
standing. I interrogated her in regard
to the occupants of my old home, ant
she finally confided to me that she was
engaged to the younger Wetherbee, the
"willy" of her letter.
[ afterward saw him, and could no
but inwardly applaud the discrimination
that led her, even in childhood, to be
gin his name with a small letter. H,
was an individual of from 10 to II!
pounds weight, though what there wa
| of him was drawn out and judiciousl,
distributed with view to making tn,
most of straitened circumstances. Their,
may be no more ink in an exclamation
point than a vowel, but it is bette
adapted to attract attention. AS t.
color, energy and vivacity, Hannah haC
enough to supply three just like him
Hannah's, [ soon perceived, was tn
philosophical form of engaged life. On
evening when We went to walk, she saiC
to me:
"Mr. Wetherbee has his faults n
one knows them better than L. Bu
where" " added she, touchingly, "wher
will you find man who hasn't faults :?
"Where, SURELY" responded I.
81 don't look for perfect happines
| here below" continued Hannah, pen
siyelv; "I've seen too much of life 70
that Hannah is some years my JUNO
and must at this period have arrived o
the mature age of nineteen years.
returned home and two years slippe,
away. was still halting between tw
opinions and looking inquiringly at
third, and the opinions" had bgun t
manifest lively symptoms of taking car
of themselves, when one day in neigh
boring city, strolling through a paper
box factory whose proprietor was m
friend, came across Hannah.
How in the world came you here
bluntly calculated /.
"By the fortunes of life and the raj
way"
/ didn't know whether she was to b
addressed as Farley or Wetherbee, an
observing that she was dressed in dee
mourning, avoided anything that migl
suggest explanations. She present.
told me that her father was dead. The
as L sought her confdence-on the fir!