The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-06-14
ow I came to be persuaded to leave home

how I came to be persuaded to leave home
for six months here, but now I believe it
was so ordered that / might find these girls.
As soon as 1 leave you at the hotel l am
going to nave a talk with Carl Voigt, who
l hear is a truthful, good man, n 1 shall
take the first train tomorrow for Thorby-
it is only two hours ride-to see MIR. Wick
ham, the. old clergyman of whom Mrs.
my return, when will tell you the RESULT"
M he relapsed into a thoughtful silence,
which was not broken on his part till we
gained the courtyard, from whence l
fastened upstairs to give my friends an
account of our visit, n he departed in
search of the courier.
We heard nothing further till the evening
of Tuesday, when he entered with a joyful
face, and throwing himself into a chair, ex-
claimed;
SITS all right Pm too tired, and it's too
late to goto Horton Street tonight, but in
the morning l shall settle the matter with
out delay. 1t would have made you cry to
hear Carl Voigt describe the bitter grief
and the absolute uncertainty as to their
fate of these two children when he told
them of their fathers death. Clasped in
each others arms they wept for a time
without control, when suddenly Margaret
raised her head and whispered: Lucille,
God will be our father. We must trust in
Him;' and from that time she was COM
posed, and soothed her sister, and listened
attentively to all he had to tell or suggest.
The people in the house were much at
tached to them, but unable to help them,
and all they could do, for the time, was to
come to their aunt. He said he pitied them
so that if it hadn't been for wronging his
own children, whom he can barely support,
he would nave offered them a home with
him. 1t seems their father had a brother
who now lives in Lucerne, but the two had
some disagreements and consequent un-
friendliness, and the girls know nothing OF
their uncle"
"And did you go to Thorby"
"By the first train this morning. It's as
nice a bit of English country as have seen
looks ash it lac been finished a thousand
years. Rev. Mr.. Wickham proved to be just
what he was represented, a kindly gentle
man who has spent his life in the parish
and knows it to the smallest particular.
When he learned my errand he had so much
to tell, and so many questions to ask about
America, that I could hardly get away-he
is old now, and doesn't go beyond his gar
den, and a visitor from the prairies was a
novelty.
me is this: The Dam belonged to the re-
spectacle yeomanry of the district, and
were upright, amiable people. For two
generations, however, from one cause and
another, their means had been growing less,
until, in the present one, the two daughters
there was no son-had to enter the ranks
of what he called upper servants Mary
married Charles Mason, a London clerk, a
native ofThorby, who soon left her a widow.
Margaret, he said, was the prettiest girl in
the parish, and might have welded more
than one worthy, substantial farmer, but,
un~accountable to him, she preferred the
Swiss courier she met when travelling as
Lady Vernou's maid on the continent
never came home, and he feared, had a hard
life of it. He said he had felt great COM
passion for her orphan children, and was
rejoiced atwhat l proposed to do. l should
have told you that in addition to the line
Mrs. Mason CAV me on Monday when l
expressed a desire to call on him. I took a
letter of Introduction to him from my
banker, so he knew l was no impostor. His
las. words to me were: May God reward
you. never saw Vallot, but if these girls
are anything like their mother, you will
not regret befriending them.'
$50 it's settled" he concluded, striking
his hands together favorite gesture with
him when he wished to be emphatic, sand
as 1 said yesterday, l know now why I
came to Europe. Pve had more pleasure
these two days than in the whole year
gone. Since / came back I have written
and mailed letter to my wife for to-mor-
rows steamer telling her what / I've in
view, so that she and Tom may not be too
much surprised; and telegraphed to Liver
pool for an extra berth, for of course I shall
give up my stateroom to the girls. In the
morning I shall nave them over here to stay
till we leave. Now l must bid you good
night, for Pm as tired as if rd been riding
all day over my farm"
bCu L ulU 11u1C u
after him as he shut the door, "you are a
noble representative of the prairie king.
dom, and may you reap a bountiful harvest
for you generous sowing"
Few ceremonies were necessary for the
removal of these almost friendless orphans.
At eight O'Clock the next morning l saw
Mr.. Leveridge drive away from the hotel,
and before noon he returned bringing them
and their aunt. "Here are my girls" he
cried as he ushered them in. Mrs. Mason
| cannQ forward like one in a draqm 81 am
very thankful for the children's sake" she
said, "but | am so put about and overcome
by it all that I can hardly believe what has
happened. If you could know how anxious
1 have been for them!"-and Margaret,
soft-voiced Margaret, holding her sister by
the hand said with fearful eyes: "How
strangely this has come to pass! After I
sent up my name to you Monday morning
thought you would think me bold and in
~trusive. Now what friends it has gained
us! God must have guided me-" She was
quiet, trustful, and almost awed by their
good fortune, while Lucille looked simply
happy and expectant.
There was surely no buster man in Lon
don than Mr.. Leyeridge for that n the
succeeding d~ay-consulting with Mrs. Ma.
son as to the wardrobe of her nieces, and
going with them to purchase what was re-
| heard him say; we can get plenty bet.
ter in New York or Chicago; all we want
now is comfort on the way :" ordering warm
wraps for the voyage, and trunks for pack.
ing their old and new belongings; taking
no end of trouble about a suitable cage for
a canary some one at the pension had given
Lucille, and which she was unwilling to
leave behind; advising and aiding Mrs.
Mason in her own small affairs, bringing
good Carl Voigt over for a farewell dinner
with his young friends and sending him
home with substantial gifts for his children
these and a score of things besides filled
up every moment of the time till Friday
morning, when he took the sisters on board
the express train for Liverpool. 1t was a
hurried, hopeful parting. We all cried and
all laughed and all said: "God bless you %
and thus they rolled away to their new life
in a new land, and 1, as I went back to the
hotel, under the great vault of the Charing
Cross Station, said to myself:
For its many a dark and a wild, cloudy morn
ing,
Turns out, ere the noontime, a sunshiny day
When we reached New York, two month.
! later, we found a letter from Mr.. Leveridge
l telling of their prosperous journey, and
how kindly the girls had taken to their new
home, and what constant satisfaction he
. had in their presence and companionship
"Margaret," he wrote, already interests
herself in everything about the place, and
5 all who see her speak of herresemblance tt
T Anne; Lucille is as merry as a knocking
bird, and my wife and Tom are getting SC
much attached to them both that l tell then
L oholi Sooh oC VI iO dSSouuu III hOuSCs
: Inclosed was a mote from Margaret, couche6
t in terms of religious gratitude for the
bountiful home and the tender love anG
care she and her sister had found "Wha'
. can we ever do to repay these generou.
( friends:" she asked; 81 could not have be
. lieved there was such a delightful spot OF
l earth as Oak Bluff"
{ Two or three wears passed with an occa
. sional letter of similar purport, when 1 me
at the sea-shore a neighbor of theirs, a Mrs
Benton, whom Ihad formerly known. Aftel
. a brief Galk about our Oak Bluff friends sh'
e said:
. "Of course, you AVE heard the news?"
J, "No. What is it,"
e "Margaret is to be married in October Il
$ Tom Leveridge, the only son, you know
S and as fine a young fellow as there is in tn
9 county. His father is greatly pleased, ant
}, is building them a charming house on tn
river just above his own, and she is to hav'
an aunt of hers from England, her mother
h sister, to live with her. But this isn't all
Pretty Lucille, as tall now as her sister