The Republican journal., 1883-08-23

his father had died suddenly, and he had
been obliged to leave school at once, and
to give up this dream of his. She re-
membered, too, that he liked reading, and
that he was very fond of history, and how
many winter evening she had seen him
sit by the fire holding one of his books in
one hand and candle in the other. She
thought of the wider world of literature
and art of which she had already been
made a citizen, and she wondered if she
could not bring many pleasures and
treasures into his life. Her father had al
ways been poor man. He had had to pay
note which he had foolishly indorsed
for a neighbor, and to do this the farm
had been mortgaged, and it was only
within two Years that he had paid the
last dollar, and had called himself free
again. She had taken some of the first
money she could spare to subscribe to
some newspaper and magazine, and his
thanks which had been written in one of
his intrequent letters had touched her
heart at the time she read them first, and
were still dearer now as she recalled
them. Her mother too. Annie remem-
bered that she had never complained of
doing so much hard work, and of so dull
and tlreSOme life. Old Aunt Harriet
was he bugbear of the family, and dread
fully hard to live with, but Annie could
not remember that her mother had ever
been cross or unkind. Then there were
the boys, and she meant to be kind sister
to them. 1t was plain enough that she
was needed at home, and she thought of
many ways in which she meant to carry
some new brightness and hd dppiness into
these lives that were, after all, nearest
hers.
Her mother had urged her to 90 with
her uncles family to Europe, if she liked
for letter had been sent to her lust
before school closed, begging for Annie's
company-but our friend Had at once
refused. Mrs. Hollis had said that she
was afraid it was going I'd be great
change for her to come badk, and that
they did not feel that they ought to take
her from such pleasant associations, and
make her give up SO much for their
sakes; but the answer that came back
decided the question for once and all. II
feel sure that you have given up great
deal for. my sake, mother" said Annie,
''you and father both and have made
up my mind that | would rather be at
home with YOU than to do anything else.
II am used to better things than shall
find in Brookfed, shall try to make
you share all my pleasures, and to give
you half OF everything | have gained 1t
has been Of no use to me if can't be of
any use to YOU And when they read
this letter, one spring evening, Mr. Hollis
said, brushing a tear away, "Annies a
good girl"
But still they were uneasy about her
coming home, and as her father took the
big trunk and the little one out of the
wagon and left them on the grass. and
led the old horse away to unharness
him-the boys having at last remember
ed the COWS that We're raising loud walls
at the pasture bars-he Thought how
different she was from all the girls in the
region, and be suddenly felt unlike her.
and as if he were rough and tountritied
81 wish | had had chance when | was
boy to go off and see something I
shouldn't have been like this J 1t seem
ed to him, for a minute, that all his own
possible success and refinement had been
really given him, after all, in the pretty,
well-bred daughter who had come home
to him. 1t was a cruel thought that she
might be ashamed Of him, and that, 1T
any rate, her home life and her city life
must always be kept apart 1'I'm afraid
she'll be lonesome when it comes to be
WINTER" he said to himself, sprrowfullv,
as he took OIL his best coat and carefully
laid it over the low branch of an apple
free before hp went in n tl,o lha nm InDr
In the meanwhile, Annie had gone in
to see Aunt Harriet whom she had
always hated when she wa a child.
Nothing could be seen of the old lady but
her nose and the trill of very prim cap,
but, in answer to the girls greeting, she
said, in faint tone, that she was much
as usual; nobody knew what she suffer
ed, and she seemed to be left in the
world to be burden to herself and
everybody else.
"Oh, no, Aunt Harriet" Sd id Annie,
cheerfully, "don't say that Eve got a
great deal to tell you-they all wished to
be remembered to you at Uncle Henry's.
Aunt Fanny sent you very handsome
cap, with her love- III get it out of my
trunk after supper"
81 expect she thought it ould do to
lay me out in," said Aunt Harriet, in
dlgnantly, and forgetting to dep to her
whining tone. "What good did she
think a handsome cap would do me,
bedridden as | be? | should much
rather ha' had something to tempt my
Appetite
"Here's a good supper for you as
could get" said Mrs. Hollis, who just
then came in with a tray, and she and
Annie caught each others eyes and found
it hard to keep from laughing.
If anything had been needed to make
our 1rlend sure OF the welcome that was
given her, the sight of the tea table
would have been enough, for it was
evident that her mother had done the
best she could to make it pleasan nt. She
even had put a little bouquet in front of
Annies plate. 81 know you spoke once
about there being flowers On the table
where you were," she told her daughter.
81 never had seen any myself, but |
thought perhaps you would like it. You
always did like sweet briar it's late this
year"
Annie knew at glance that her
mother had put on the very best table
cloth, and somehow she could hardly
keep from crying The boys ha Id seized
lunch in the pantry, and had gone
away again to milk, 50 that the ere were
only three OF them at the table. at does
seem good to have you homo again,
her father said, looking away rom her
ard flushing little, ''and it sef ems as if
you liked to be here after all Mother and
| | pf off
our ways"
And Annie told them, laaghingly,
that, perhaps, they wouldn't bf pleased
with hers, but she did not see why they
should not get on well together, if they
all tried hard. She gave fun by glance
at Aunt Harriet's bedroom door and her
father shook his head, solem1ly, as if
that gesture conveyed more than any
words could of the difficulties Of the old
lady's disposition. 81 do not see who
you have got along without an body to
help you, mother" said Annie.
The boys had remembered that there
was company tea in progress, and they
returned presently, their appet tites get
ting the better of their shynes S. The
| two COWS never were MIXED sol quickly
| 90 tbaV wara tbat p;rbt o,1 ~ I,o,c