New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-30
FsTHER's STRANGE BEQUEST

He is quite spelling her and negectlag MS owl
- ~ The ribbon on the doll has cost anything
~ IaS cost sixpence John Stmsons ridiculous love
for that child Will be the ruin OF INN 49,, Ill
1t was Miss Georgana kay VINO 2I'GlG ac trS
inSyroofed cottage. The starched uprightness OF
the speakers very stiff, tall figure, AMI the soul
look upon her gloomy lace, suggested that sue
herself was not likely to endanger anyone at pre-
sent by winning too much love.
MOTnin' TO YOU miss came over the hedge 81
old Stephen Hicks, the bottom OF whose garner
the lady had lust reached, Strengthened ms baCh
from using hoe to the potatoes on the other sue
John do seem to have got very roma o the ! ~.
mn That is what she calls herself, ony nicer Indn
7 con sneak IT, But it is pretty TO see her so tiny
and him so big playing together; 1ouIi near NE
anvil ringing out again before YOUR oNei 'ho si00"
Miss Ray bad stopped, quite startled at the slght
of Sbephen's rather soed and torn straw nat llsne
on the oIher SIDE of the prlvet renee MOI tnat 50
familiar an object, in the broad noon sunsnlng
which lust then filled the village, was Ilkely ltsell
to have frightened her Possibly u was tne gdist
Of her own uneharitableness which she saw 1Or Just
one second of surprise, her mind told her another
heheld il through accidentally oTerhearlhg nel
words that gave her tne snoHk' pu onabts rest
uuon that unpleasant explanation OF tne matter.
She faced round to the old man, looking sourei
than ever and snaPPng, .hs ue sbe said '0
Il suppose YOU heard what said, MI. HICKS ,,
A word-yes, a word like My hearing isn't as
sTben Won had no right to hear it, the angry
renlv Il was speaking only TO myself Ihough
all that SAID is quite True v am flushed little
and he gently lifted and let tali again Tue nVo on
which he leaned, One can't help ones ears near.
inc maam 1t is easier any day for anybody not
70 nse their tongue if they don't wish what they
saw heard than for one not to hear what IS sald,
lust on the other side OF your own hedge Ears are
busy whether these they belong TO Will or not. 20
far "a | see the child has done John StlEson MOTH
ing Int good maam, if may have an opinion,
Certainly you may have an OPINION III, IN
IL not acl- for
StimsOn looks on the child as hg doll Tor hlllSeI
10 play with and wastes time over her That should
be better employed Inc tracts ea'g ai miS tV IN
tage | do not believe are more than looked at' III
spite of the change which lie processes was III,
tending TO leave q new one with you, but thlhk
must postpone it, giving the bundle OF tracts IN mel
hand n white hutter ] doubt you are not IN a
frame of nind to profit by good reading. Ii is Idle
your telling me, Mr.. Hicks, that Stmson Is not
The old man during this speech. had restrained
himself admirably. Evidently he meant TO treat
Lawyer Rays daughter with al respect. Stlli'
years had given 10 him little tenacity OF opinion.
don't wish to reason against your better kEowl-
edge Miss Raw he began, taking oil the dliapl-
dated straw hat, and revealing ms scanty gray
locks as if TO soften or perhaps. also TO enforce
his speech, but / never knew anybody yet VINO
ever hurt either themselves OF others by Town EN-
100 much, providn' it was genuine, as John slim
sons for little Esther | am sure is g.,
really never heard any thing so ridiculous, SAID
Miss Ray, impatiently waving OIL butterfly tha'
was flutterlng too near. .,
To prevent her Judgment being further abused by
snch wild opinions as those of stephen Hicks, she
without adding so much as g9od morning Turned
about hastily from him, and with face more severe
than ever marched rather than walked across tht
village green, in the direction of the large red bTch
house, with the bright windows III wllch hei
Il shonld have liked new tract for they're com.
forting readin',' SAID the old man. Then he went
on with chuckle: But it's as well she dldnt 80
into the cottage this mOTnln, seem as there II
dish o. milk in the pantry He grinned I'll hls red
gums came into sight. IN enjoyment OF ms own
1n,Iya ,irhf ha'
he stopped his aged back to the hoeng OF the pOt-
toes while the yellow butterfly now lowered about
wrinkied face beneath it. and not succeeding.
Not more than three minutes passed before the
strong quick blows of the young blacksmith
hammer rang out on the anvil IN the adJaceut
forge. All muttered stephen Hicks, looking up
from his work. | told her ne would not be IDLE
long. A sudden resolve visited the speaker . / ii
GO am have a look at little Esther myself 1t is
worth twOpence any time to see her pretty lace
through the panes. All faces arnt alke not even
female ups' Resting the hoe against the hedge, he
went down the garden path as quickly as MS iheu-
matic-sIiflened legs would let him. and very soon
he was stopping at the window of the next cottage,
brushing its glass with the broad brim of his straw
hat, as he smiled, and nodded, ana spoke merflIy
TO someone within.
If the reader will look through the easement as
well as Stephen Hicks, he or she will see that the
only occupant of the blacksmiths sitting-roOm was
little Esther-a Ct ild OF about thIee, WIN eyes as
cuTls pouring over her shoulders. She lay upon a
small bed, huggng in her arms "a sOmew what gaudly'
dressed doll: the gay ribbons OF WnlcD Edu, lDuteu
offended Miss Rays notions of economy II was
little Esther's presence there that had for some
months past made the blacksmith's panes sort OF
show-window against which nearly every nose III
the village fattened itself at some time OF other
during the day, the eyes peepDg within. An injury
to the hip Of little Esther made her bedridden, so
that every body always knew where {" md her.
She was not the blacksmths child; 1t was the fact
Of her not being his which made her presence in his
cottage curious
She is ali the family shall have, or rs ! ever
want to have tall broad-shOulderel John SumsOn
would say and as have got TO be both father
and mother to her, leastways with Aunt Peggy
Worrocks to help, she'll be as much as | can about
Little Esther il will be gathered, was an orphan
and she had passed into the young smiths charge in
a singular way. The village had only known her
as yet some seven eight months, about that
period having elapsed since her mother whom the
children, for DISTINCTIONS sake, chIstened blg
Esther returned 10 her native place, after years of
absence bringing with her this one child. She
was herself already widow young as she, was,
and the old friends who saw her arrive pale and
fragile, pllOwed IN chair IN the carriers cart,
whispered to another that she was rot long for
this world. Most of the men had difficulty In
calling her by her married name of Mrs. Esther
Hill they only remembered her as Esther Lesson,
the daughter Of the wheewTght Of the village,
whom some of them followed TO the grave in the
height Oring churchyard more than dozen years
ago. While yet young girl, she had gone away TO
take service IN the family OF a farmer nine or ten
miles distant. Two or three changes OF situation
had removed her still further from the village after
her fathers death for she had lost her mother still
earlier and in the end, budding womanhO0d found
her living in of the little seapOrts the coast.
There she seen by a gOOd-OOking young sailor,
Alfred Hill by name, who wooed and won her.
They were married, and soon got comfortable
humble home of their own, which little Esther
TO be the light and the JOY of. News Of these
changes reached the village, Tor Esther Hill had
que relative there, Peggy WOrrocks, woman no
longer young who having been halfsister OF
Esthers mother was called aunt by her without
any qualifying of the degree of relationship. The
intelligence To Esthers fortunes came in letters
tQrUNHn a "a lac opn
our little story opens, quickly the heels of a
letter announcing that Alfred Hill had been pro.
NOTED TO be second mate, followed another epistle
the envelope of which had ominous black edge
stating that the Osprey, the ship in which he Mad
sailed had been lost by collision with an iceberg In
The North Sea. Esther Hill was left with hel
Oh rlrl liln mil Il