The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-09-28

I've q good mind to try her broad
piazzas and new milk. III I don't like
it, there'll be no harm DONE"
And so Delia's first boarder arrived
an old lady with false front hair, brown
wrinkled skin, faded eyes, a black
alpaca gown, and q hair trunk. Della
made her as welcome as if she had been
a duchess; lighted a wood fire in Mrs.
Clements room, as the night was
damp, and brought out her daintiest
cup and saucer, with the fadeless old
roses wreathing them.
Wonderful kind" reflected Mrs.
Clement, as she combed out her wisps
of gray hair and confded the false front
to o box. Wonderful kindness for
seven dollars week She's new to
the trade. She'll learn better. Human
nature doesn't change with latitudes.
She'll find it doesn't pay to consider the
comfort of poverty-stricken old
creature"
But in spite of her worldly wisdom
Mrs. Clement was forced to confess that
Della had begun as she meant to hold
out, though other boarders came to
demand her attention, to multiply her
/
temperaments under her roof was new
experience to Della. When Mrs. Gre
some complained of the mosquitoes,
with an air as if Miss Rogerson were
responsible for their creation; of the
flies, as if they were new acquaintances;
of want of appetite, as though Della
had agreed to supply it, along with
berries and new milk; of the weather,
as if she had pledged herself there
would be no sudden changes to annoy
her boarders; of the shabby house and
antiquated furniture, "too old for COM
fort and not old enough for fashion -
then Della doubted if taking boarders
was her mission.
"What makes you keep us, my
dear ?" asked Mrs. Clement, after day
when everything and everybody had
seemed to go wrong. "Why didn't you
ever marry? You had lover, dare
sayf"
eyes; a long, long time ago."
"Tell me about hint ?"
"There isn't much to tell. He
asked me to marry him. He was going
| to Australia. 1 couldn't leave father
and mother, you know (they were both
feeble), and he couldn't stay here.
That's ALL"
"And you-you-"
"Now all men beside are to me like
shadows"
"And have you never heard of him
sincep"
"Yes. He wrote; but where was the
use? 1t could never come to anything.
It was better for him to forget me and
marry. / was a milestone about his
neck. didn't answer his letter"
"And supposing he should return
some day, would you marry him" p"
"I dare say" laughed Della, gently,
as if the idea were familiar, "let the
neighbors laugh ever so wisely, I've
thought of it sometimes, sitting alone,
when the world was barren and COM
monplace. One must have recreation
of some kind, you know. Everybody
to flavor very-day thinking and doing.
I'm afraid you think me a silly old
maid, Mrs Clement"
"No. The heart never grows old. The
skin shrivels, the color departs, the
eyes fade, the features grow pinched;
but the soul is heir of eternal youth
it is as beautiful at fourscore as at
sweet and twenty Time makes
amends for the ravAges of the body by
developing the spirit. You didn't tell
me your lovers name. Perhaps you
would rather not"
"His name was Stephen Langdon.
Sometimes Captain Seymour runs
against him in Melbourne, and brings
me word how he looks and what he is
doing; though 1 never ask, and Stephen
never asks for me, that 1 can hear"
Delia's summer boarders were not a
success, to be sure. If they took no
money out of her pocket, they put none
in. She was obliged to exc out her
support with copying for Lawyer Dun
more and embroidering for Mrs. Judge
Dorr. One by one her boarders dropped
away like the autumn leaves; all but
old Mrs. Clement.
"I believe 1 will stay on" she said.
"Im getting too old to move often.
Perhaps you take winter boarders at re-
duced rates. Eh?"
"Do you think my terms high?"
"By no means. But when ones purse
is low"
"Yes, I know. Do stay at your
price. 1 can't spare you" She had
grown such fondness for the old lady
that to refuse her at her own terms
would have seemed like turning her own
mother out of doors; besides, one
mouth more would not signify. But
she found it hard to make both ends
meet, and often went to bed hungry
that her mother and Mrs. Clement
might enjoy enough, without there ap-
pearing to be "just pattern" At
Christmas, however, came a ray of sun
shine for Della, in the shape of hun
dred-dollar bill from an unknown
friend.
"It can't be meant for me-" she cried.
Its directed to Della Rogerson,
said her mother; "and there's nobody
else of that name. now that your Aunt