Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-30
morning IIrpe srriaIn.
STRASSMERE.~
nv MRS. c. t. B Il An c H.
CHAPTER /.

CHAPTER /.
woke and heard the great town
, strike the hour OF one. 1t seemed
strange for me to wake
then. that kind OF
.r-+itious awe began to creep into
--tfart. I was not given to foolish ter
rsar night and solitude as most girls
.rarhaps on account Of my being an
--~ laughter, who had OF necessity be
.rr-a used tc having no companion in my
I.-u- apartment. The emotions, which
= mat night made my teeth
I1 10 chatter, were not
s--.uI ones. but 1 was unused TO
-r--l. ia tact. il was so different from me
r. nervous, that in part through shame
T--ranc up and hurried to the window,
ID soon felt refreshed By the sweet
s5-.l-rn mOOnit air that touched my
Some a'clOck. b" sOliliquizedI /; yesterday
r.. Vow l am sixteen years Old. 1
uJy read the letters IN good faith
II -rita OF the desire that had grown
r.-r uv growth TO know what was IN
t--t Iiriam's letter the one was not
t men for 50 long, though IL was aC-
.-sad 20 mel l could not make UP my
mind t1 Opel 10 Just then. The pale moon
lt would not serve me for a candle, and
-leIOw I did not like the thought OF
Ic king that seal at the midnight hour.
Ers-e / lay down to sleep the night pre-
s.. took out from among my treasures
ID little packet containing letter writ
ZEN . my mother, and also the box m
vaIch i knew was one from Aunt Miriam,
rlting to the enclosed jewels which
we're q gift tome from her. These placed
ccefully underneath my pillow, eXciaim-
iu- with a sigh of relief:
Tomorrow morning nv sixteenth
birthday viii dawn, and ali this torturlng
cir 1-ity VIII end
s-l- 10 strange that my curiosity had
ren painful through SIX years OF wait
5.v.wn recoIIections of Aunt Miriam
v-- very faint. Indeed, / sometimes
bt.f L had any, bus whose name was
m-aamiliar around cur tiresldes She
fal When I was very young, but So often
we've Incidents related TO me of how she
TALKED Dob me and how she acted, and OF
DIV mfiutile words TO her, that they
seemed to be parts OF any own memory.
W.ftH difference there would have been
ir ms childhood had there been no Aunt
Miriam for me.
.tu remember no period during which
IEI not bear the consciousness that
was ta De the heiress TO her jewels. The
levels rF q JeWess are no mere heritage
Is many cases, and IL was well known
t-at hers we're Of great value.
Dear reader, 1 am no JeweSs. This
Aunt Miriam was only aunt in name.
Nr father went to sea at an early age,
ami met with many dangerous adventures
anal hlir-breadth escapes. Among the
0tler events of his youth was long at
tack 81. ship fever that came near ending
his career. While he was at the worst
stage ~ his sickness, raging with fever
aEl rfying IN delirium, the ship touched
il 60 LezlOrn. lt happened that there
was o. board a JeW-brOtheT TO Miriam
Bsr1h.rI. She came to meet him there,
and found out about the sick sailor boy
WAC lII no mother or sister to watch over
L Tier heart was moved within her,
a sl proved an angel Of mercy to him,
l---... him night and day. She finally
Gice leave of the Captain Of the vessel
t--lae him To- her own home IN LeghOrn,
where she lavished upon him every kind
at--lt on during several weeks, IN which
LIZ r1u1aiued nearly helpless from weak
ness. The physicians who attended MN
said that he owed his restoration TO health
% ter care. Gratitude on his part and
most wonderful attachment on hers were
I'll result OF this accidental meeting, and
It's eQusequeuces were destined TO be lie
l1-- Many years afterward father land
CI a-Jiu at Leghorn. and did not fail To
So. bus friend. This time he was him
SER the mastered the ship, aud my mother
al- title son Cf two years Of age were
VITA him.
NrIam was at her home, unchanged in
hear. aud in life, and was OveTjOyed TO
nave tie young couple with Eer. Faith
tr -ett mother and son at her home while
l1 elIlinUed on his voyage. 1t was dur
M- BIS absence that my eyes first saw
i-l l-1t. and / received Immediately the
name nt Miriam Bernhard.
Miriam, though single, was already in
t -lre and yellow leaf or life, and her
.ss were not many. She centred the
se5- affections Of her heart upon me in my
tas hood. and when the time came for
neither GOD return with ms father 70 the
United States. 1t seemed as If poor Miri-
am liia would go out in the sorrow of
parting. Mother begged that she would
=a vita US, and 50 il came about that we
n--9lle family from that day until Miri-
a death. She did not grow strOngerin
t- Amy climate of the South, but grad
4a-v faded away. Ny brother Harry and
called her Aunt Miriam, and so did
every one else. / imagine there were
many Viii stories told about her wealth,
ana that I was looked upon as quite an
l--ess. Perhaps these rumOTs were Of
more weight 10 me than l imagined; at
Elst Is was true that she had ,wels that
e--t % ne mine after my sixteenth birth
gay had this truth from mothers own
LIs on mT tenth birthday. at which time
sac gave into my hands the box of jewels
e-l a letter written by her own dear
hand.
~l1 not open this letter. she said, s'uE-
y ne day You are sixteen years old.
e---d be living then l Will take back
u letter. for you viii not need it while l
a- =-lle YOU with my cOunsels, but, If l
-.-' lle words 1 have written viii bear q
I--'s-@e 90 IOu- which perhaps may ena-
- you On understand the true value of
y0s1
f.f o season my childish thoughts
-~s-efeI continually about the letters
go --e ~. and curiosity burned within
-i--- o was painful TO bear; yet
'-- dreamed OF peering dishOnOTably
~ --- Ills steTy. It was not long before
=.--- shadow fell upon our home, that
--- --t Tor many seasons even the men,
aunt Niriam-my mother died.
-- -yt dwell upon this event; my story
u N'Ler things. Enough that in the
e1e OF my mother 1 buried the only Sc
-. pare OF my lIie-my childhood. From
Ia. gay waited with patience for the
fs--l as TO dawn upon my sixteenth
T----ay. IL had comet Who can Won
- -ldt my slumbers were broken by the
.ills OF the hour Of One-that L awOke
-.-lIs with excitement! After gaZ-
~ INTO the night for little while,
.,-Vd ana drew forth the packet from
t-4ce under my pillow. just then a
f---- --1ird, which had sang numberless
So % me near my window in the sun
s- began a subdued serenade. 1t
--s -reu0r.
l- w. m1cking-bird. hush - cried, audi
- The packet slipped out OF my cold
-t-5 and fell upon the cOunteTpane.
az a. not sixteen years old. you noisy
T- VI nat has walked you, pray!'
once more near the easement and
6--.s4 out while the weird night song
f+--1 the name I gave my bird
r--l ana We knew each other well. 10
IA Else did pour out my condolences, I
49, Neuld never betray me. 1t seemed
~. -t-lral and easy for me to make a
T-li such biTd-such songs he sang.
-" every note that he could raise. 1t
ye-- ,tslet according TO act Of Congress IN the
Lil---3ss- oy j. II. Estill, in the Office Of the
IN OF Congress at Washington.