The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-08-14


The jug?" repeated Mary.
It's q room down cellar, where, we
shut up the troublesome cases, said
the matron. II can't stand this run
ming away business. and I won't!
The Jug, perhaps, proved eficacious,
for old Miss Abby did not. appear again
fora week. At the expiration of that
time, however, she crept noiselessly in
Just ct dusk and seated herself like
silent shadow in the chimney corner.
ITS so good to be at home again."
she said, rubbing her wrink1ed hands,
IT some how seem to get lost of late.
Elnathan is gone, and Betty's gone, and
I am left here all alone. Yes, a cup of
tea, p1ease-sugar and milk. They
never remember how T like my tea at
Tewkstown. This is good and butter
on my bread, too! We don't get but
ter at Tewkstown."
Mary burst into tears.
Mother" said she, miss Abby shall
not go back to Tewkstown-she shall
stay here! Mother, how should I feel
if you were wandering friendless and
alone through the world?"
But my dear
"She shall sleep in her own old
room, out of the Kitchen" persisted
Mary. "She will be no more care than
a canary bird. Oh, mother, do consent!
She will think then that she is in her
own old home. Oh, if you knew how
dreary it is at that poor house, with
the grass all trampled out, and piles of
clam shells lying round the door, and
not so much as dandelion or daisy to
be SEEM"
And Mrs. Miller yielded to Mary's
fearful solicitations.
"Do as you please, my Child" said
she. The Tewkstown authorities we're
but too Sl&d to be rid of the poor incu-
bus and Miss Abby Dabney settled down
in her o1d home, as contentedly and I'M
questlonably as if she had never left it..
She ate and drank but little; she talked
still less, and seemed to regard Mrs.
Miller and Mary as guests, who had
come to visit the old farm.
"The widow Miller and her darter
must he rich folks, to undertake to sup
port old Miss Abby" sneered one neigh
Dor
"She was we'll provided for at the
poorhouse," said another.
II never yet saw farm succeed that
was managed by women folks" jeered
the third.
"Thereu be the biggest kind of a
smash up presently" observed number
four, "and an auction sale of everything !;
and I'll be on hand-for don't deny
that them little Attorney COWS is the
cunningest creatures ever set my eyes
on, and good mixers into the bargain.
But time wore on, and there was no
autter Of a red flag over the porch.
On the contrary matters throve, and
Mary declared joyously that farming
was great deal more profitable bust
ness than working in factory, and she
only wished that she had found it out
before
Until one gray autumnal evening
Mary and her mother came back from a
brisk walk to the village, and found q
stalwart, sun Drowned man sitting OPP
posite to Miss Abby, by the red glow
of the fire.
The old lady rose up in an odd, I'M
certain way.
ladies'" she said, fumbling in her
snuff box, "this is my dephew, Cyrus
Dubrey, he as ran away from home
twenty nine years ago come Mich@lmas
Day, and we all supposed was dead.
Cyrus, these are the ladies who are 50
good as to visit me here. I don't quite
recollect their names; but then it don't
matter much, and after all my memory
amt as good as it used to be. Nothing
matters much now-a-days"
And Miss Abby sat down and fell in.
to "daze" again, as if all necessity for
conversational effort were over.
Cyrus Dubrey stood up-a bronzed,
bearded giant, with dark eyes and SUI
perb stature.
Ladies, beg your pardon" he said
"But Supposed when I came here was
coming home! knew nothing of all
these changes. I never could have
dreamed my cousins would let this crea-
ture go to the poor house. Idon't know
who you are, ladies'" with husky rat
tie in his throat, "but I thank you from
the bottom of my heart for giving her a
shelter in her old age. And if money
will pay you for it"
1T will not!" said Mary, sharply, as
if the words conveyed slur.
"No, I suppose not" said Cyrus with
sigh. "But I've plenty of money now.
The dear old aunty shall live like a
queen the rest of her days, for she was
good to me when all the rest set me
down as black sheep. I've made my
fortune out in Panama, and have come
home to redeem myself.
II have heard of Cyrus Dubrey," said
Mrs. Miller, gently.
"And I'll venture, nam. you heard
no good of me-" said the young giant,
with a short laugh. "I'll not deny that
1 was wild boy enough, but there
wasn't any actual evil in me, let folks
say what they would. And now I've
come back rich man, and there's
nobody to bid me welcome home,
except old aunt Abby out of the poor
house."
He could not long have made this
statement however.
ALI the town was up to bid the rich
government contractor welcome to
Tewkstown within twenty-four hours.
But Cyrus cared little for the friendly
overtures of the old neighbors.
Aunt Abby was the only person for
whom he seemed to care, and his great
est grief was that the old woman re-
fused to leave the old Dabney farm
house to live in the stately brick man
sion which he built on Prospect Hill.
And then he asked permission to deck
her little bedroom with the curiosities
he had brought from the Isthmus, and
in lacking up draperies and arranging
shells and silver coine he and Mary un-
consciously became quite good friends.
Friends. She never knew that it was
any thing else, until one day old Aunt
Abby took strange idea into her head.
And Mary, holding rich Oriental cord
for Cyrus to loop into knots for picture
frames, heard her introduce Mrs. Mil
Ter to neighbor as my guest, Mrs.
Miller, the mother of the young lady
thatnephew Cyrus is to marry"
Cyrus looked at Mary. Mary drop
ped the ball of cord and turned crimson.
Mary" he said piteously, "say that it
shall be so. For I love- you! And
and you were good to old Aunt Abby
when all the world turned against her.
I sometimes think, Mary, that you must
be like one of heavens angles"
And this was how they became en-
gagged.
They still live at the old farm house,
the happiest of married lovers, and
Aunt Abby firmly believes that they are
oil lo,. ~, Ro~ ~ how Tho x,,ooro