Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-07-17
Gales sllS Skdehes.


a uttle, OlO-IaS0iODe0 cndmDef. ana
little, old-fashioned occupant. A prim.
tiny room fnll Of quaint treasurers and
fanciful, unbelievable devices; prim,
tiny head at the window, full of quaint
treasurers too, and fanciful, unfarhionable
ideas. A head which the Nav moonlight
touched rather sadly. as Nettie O'Neill
raised the blind slowly and looked up;
up beyond the unmoved. white blinds OPP
posite up beyond the tiles on which the
moonlight glistened white and wet; up
beyond the pale, pure moon itself, search
ing the strip Of deep. unfath0mable blue
which hung above the narrow. quiet street
Perhaps the wistful, child-like eyes could
read no answer there to the one great
question which troubled them, for when
Nettie drew the blind down again, as lin
geringly as she had raised it, there was a
great seriousness on her small face.
She moved her dressing-table back into
its place before the window, lighted her
candle again. and standing in its light at
her high. narrow chest of drawers, opened
her desk.
Each thing had to be taken out separate
ly that it might be put in properly alter
wards, "old-maidishly." as Nettie used to
say.
F;r~t tho little snnare embro;dered case
With nossoo e stsmns worked elahorataIv
on one s;de and containing the one stamn
still, which had been put in it at its manu-
ink stains on which were so scrupulousy
confined 70 the black cloth. leaving the
scarlet dazzling and unsported. Then a
little, fiat bag Of thin, white silk, with an
swered worked in black letters across it,
and that was set aside too, tor in It there
Law only four letters, and though they were
neither yellow nor crumpled nor worn
they were within six years as old as the
girl who had handled them so tenderly.
Then came a second little bag, of blue silk
this, and labeled unanswered in white
letters, not very bulky in appearance. for
there Law but one unanswered letter in il.
This Nettie drew out and slowly opep-
ed. Il was but one sheet OF note paper
and barely filed, vet it took her long
time TO read Perhaps she was not used
to Swimming over delicate, lady-like
epistles. Perhaps the tender, affectionate
terms were new and delicious to her who
lived on those four letters which her
mother had written to her fifteen wears
before. Perhaps she was irving to read
in the straight. black lines Gas she had
tried to read in the glimpse of the moonlit
heaven) an answer TO that doubt which
puzzled her.
Almost urcorsc;onslv she turped hack
whon sha rod 6nsbod and ro.d tho los,
Lat aIond 10 harsoir
.ssrs CO., A.. sh,,,la h.uo ,ro.d
al, ,h;s hafnra hn, 7 ya;,ad nn,;, Som
.bonId no nj age that M ono might bsva
snv r;oht IN interfere with yonr decision.
Now I hone Won will come II ms at ONCE
We are waiting 10 welcome Won. Nettie.
INV child and are LONGING IN do so
Write and tall me when re send for Won
E,rJ sho,,ld MT III n Tor 20, 70 ,or,o a,ona
Ynnr C"ns,n Crahar, ,yho hos not n,uch r.
do at home her. viii h., varr gl.d ot tho a~,
cnse for :, ;anrnev ~ the c;tv Do M,
send me anv scrnnles for cannot listen
IN them
..Nettie love do vou think vour mother
wonld have countenonced the life Won
leade do not care to mince the matter.
III he Is your father, he has lost all claim
to your gratitude or love by his own con-
duct. do not care even TO remember
that he is your father. | merely remember
that you are living in wretched way.
alone with man who is very rarely at
home with you. and who. when he is. is
very rarely sober. Is this what your
mother would have wished. my DEAR Is
this the life you can bear to think she
looks upon? ! know her choice would be
that you should come to me. My heart
bleeds for you, my poor little, lonely girl.
and can feel how she would rejoice to
see you here at Greenlands with us. Who
so proper TO be mothes to YOU Nettie:
rs your mothers only sister! Come and
be daughter to me. and sister to Ora
ham, the only cousin you have in the
world and in coming you will dc the
only good that is in your power to that
to that man whom l am
ashamed to call your father. Remember
that any scrupies you may urge | shall
look upon as insults TO your mother $
memory. ana only expect to hear how
soon Graham may fetch you.
al am, dear child, your loving Aunt,
ELLEN LYTTELToN"
r.. ,. s;,.. ;. A..
.f,ar Ns,,;s hsd rssa ,bess wn ~ .'J ,, rJo ,n
herseif then the candle was snnsf:.d Nth
A Quick. resolute LITTLE hand and Nett;e
sill standing against the biub drawers be'
vnn 10 write the fiffh answer che had com.
posed To this letter which had only reached