The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-06-27

vague recollection of having wandered far
and long from her home.
She had just confded these facts to Clara
but as a little talking exhausted her, she
could not mention who she was or where she
lived.
She had become extraordinarily attached
to Clara, and would lie back on the pillows
of her easy-ehair regarding her with a fixed
look of love and gratitude
As she now sank into doze, Clara noise
lessly left the room and went out for walk.
Half an hour later, handsome young
gentleman, mounted on fine horse, stopped
at the gate, then walked quickly up the path
and marched into the room where Miss De.
borah was busting the furniture
Miss Dickson ?" taking off his hat.
I'm Miss Dickson" said that lady.
Well, madam, about month ago. my
mother, who had become somewhat derang.
ed from an accident to her head, wandered
away from home. All this time we have
been unable to find her but / liua raced
her to this neighborhood, aud but an hour
ago l learned that you had charitably given
;heiter to one who seems to answer her de-
scription. For Gods sake, madam, tell me |
We are all nearly crazy about it."
He was very asitated, aud spoke most
eagerly indeed, with tears in his eyes.
Aunt Deborah dropped tue buster and
said
When this old woman came, all torn
with travel and all over mud, says this is
tramp; and do be down on tramps, young
man. Sol won't deny i'll told the poor,
sick old sou. to git as suppose others did
before me. But my niece Clara, how she
did flare up, and wouldn't let her go. And
thank God she didn't go, for she was near
DEATHS door. didn't mean it hard, young
man; but tramps is my abominaton. Well,
my niece Clara she says, This amt no
tramp, aunt and she hung on to the poor
old woman and nursed her, and kept death
away from her, and did as much as If she
was her child Now you come up stairs,
but don't make no noise. You see, we in.
tended to ask her name, and where she
come from, this very day. If it is your
mother, don't give her no shock, and creep
up easy. Laws how you're tremblingl"
He was trembling, indeed, with love and
fear He pictured his mother, haggard,
white, weak, merely paroled for time by
Death, before he made her prisoner for aye.
He stood in the doorway; and propped up
by pillows in the big armchair by the win
dow sat his mother-2ale, indeed, but coun-
try dir and wholesome food, aud above all,
devoted nursing had called back into her
face an expression she had wanted before
she wandered away. 1t was plain to her
sons loving eyes that she was on the high
road to complete recovery.
At the moment, she opened her eyes, and
mother and son gazed on each other; then,
with cry of love and joy, the son was
kneeling beside the chair of the mother
whom he had almost worshipped all his life.
Miss Deborah waited for some few min
utes, to be on band if the old lady tainted !;
but she did nothing of the sort. She cried
over her son, and called him by namo again
and again. Then Miss Deborah slipped
down stairs, and out into the garden. =
Meanwhile, mother and son had happy
conversation. She seemed to gather new
energy as she spoke. She told him all the
devoted attention she had received from her
nurse. She praised her kindness, her good
ness, her beauty.
The keen old eyes had even detected that
she was unhappy, and, oh, how she had
InnnaH N fntf har ha1 op1xr haax 81
her called Clara, and, of course, believed her
name was Dickson. How could she repay
this angel? Oh, how he loved her 4
My son." she said, off 1 could have
such daughter for life If you could only
forget your foolish passion for that girl I
have never seen, and try to love my Clara,
and try to make her love you, how happy /
should bel"
But her son shook his head.
"Mother, the name brings up the pure,
beautiful face of my Clara, whom I have lost.
i can never love any one else, and fear 1
shall never see her again"
A step came quickly but softly up the
stairs, and turning round, as the door
opened, the mother saw her Clara, and the
son his, standing in the doorway, gazing on
them with a strange look of joy and fear.
But the next moment, "Clara !" "Phil-
ip!" rang out in tones that only lovers can
use, and the two were locked in each others
arms, while into old Mrs Duponts face
amazement. and then joy unutterable,
rushed, and she held out her trembling
arms and took her new daughters head and
held it to her heart.