The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-02

d baby Ethel came, and then 1 longe
e fOE::m0ther to e Der pretty ways, bl
Frank would not allow me to wril
r again. Within a few months of Ell
e el's birth, many changes occurred
e Franks sister Ethel was married to
minister and went to reside in Ohi'
Soon afterwards, Father Leig
j lost all his property, an
being already weak from
e recent severe illness, he could nc
survive the shock and died. MOthe
Leigh came to live with us, and bah
. Ethel was a great comfort to her, bu
she plned for her husband and he
D old home, and in the beautiful mont
OF June we buried her.
Frank had lost what little prOpert,
he ownedin the same investment cha
, ruined his father, and in. his efforts t
keep up expenses worked early ant
late. Winter came on, and he con
tracted a fearful cold. Still b.
worked until Frustrated by lung
fever, We then had no income
The DOCTORS bill was enormous, the
rent was high; fuel and food we mus
have, and so, when Frank got up, ]
dismissed my girl, disposed Of some
of my Jewels to pay my debts, and
we moved into a cheaper locality.
But Frank did not get strong, and
every time he tried to 90 to the office
be was sick two Or three days.
At last the doctor said, plainly, ~
can't do any more for you. Mr..
Leigh. Medicine doesn't reach your
case. You must leave the city, and
I advise you to go West, to the
mountains. You will return well
and strong, or, perhaps you will To-
cate there and send for your
family"
The doctor spoke SO confidently.
that Frank decided to follow his adj
vice, so he sold q bit of land in his
native village for $500, halt of which
he left with me, and half he took.
He could not tell where he might 60,
but he thought of starting for CALI
fOrnia.
1 had a letter from him in about
two weeks. He had fallen in with 3
party going to Idaho, and had de-
cided to go with them on their pros
pecting trip. They were kind aud
Open-ilearted. HIS health Was much
improved, his spirits were excellent,
his hopes high. / should hear from
him as sOon ~ he could get q letter
back, but it would PROBABLY be some
time, so [ must not worry.
In Y few months he hoped to re-
turn to me in h alth, and able to lay
u fortune in my hands.
Icaught his hopeful spirit. knew
nothing of the dangers of an owe
! land trip in those days 1 was sure
! he would he benefited in health and
he might find wealth In the rugged
mountain guiches as we'll as others.
But time brought only disappOint-
meDt, AS days, weeks and months
passed, and 1 hearG another
word. Stella was torn six months
after her fathers departure.
The kind doctor found a good
woman to stay with me, and after a
while, weary and respondent, I
looked matters fully in the face.
My little stock of money rave out
in paying up debts, 50 1 sold my pi-
ano and the rest of my valuable
trinkets, placed the money in q bank
on deposit for a time of need, and
sought employment. 1 did fancy
work for the stores, and as / worked
rapidly, as we'll as tastefully, I had
all L could do, sometimes more; for,
to one so unaccustomed to work, it
was no slight task to take care of
my rooms, and attend to two little
ones.
still hoped to hear from my hus-
band, but soon this hope, too, was
taken away. une day I received q
package addressed to me in a strange
hand. l opened it with a%pprehen-
sion. 1t contained a pocket Bible !
with my husbands name in it. and q
letter from me, together with pictures
of Ethel and myself.
There was a letter from an officer
stationed at a western fort, VINO
wrote That on a recent raid after some
thieving redskins, he came to a SPOT
where there had evidently been a
skirmish, and there was no doubt
but that a party of p%rospectors had
been surprised and scalped by the
murderOus Indians.
The contents of the package he had
found tied together with a string
n thrown aside by the Indians, as
OF no value. AS my letter contained
my ful! address, he ventured to send
q articles to me, although he dis
liked to bring suspense to so sad a
certainty.
The letter was kind and sympa-
thetic, and I shall always regard that
man as a brother.
The news Frustrated me for a time,
and when 1 got up l had to draw my
little sum of money to pay debts.
Then / sold most of my furniture
and rented two small cheap rooms,
and again went to work. Weary of
life, I managed to live ana provide
necessities for the next three years.
and then something new happened.
Ethel was about seven years old
and a perfect little woman, so that
when l was especially busy, I used
send her to and from the store
my work. !
One evening, in early fall, she was
coming home later than usual. when
in her haste, she stubbed her toes and
fell on the pavement. The fall hnrt
her, but she felt worse because she
nad dropped her pocketbook con-
tanning my pay, and it had tumbled
nto a muddy gutter and f1oated un-
der the walk.
She began to sob, in her pain and !
grief, when she heard q voice behind !
ler say kindly. :
natter?"
She raised her tear wet face. and :
aid woefully:"I hurt myself and,Iost !
mammals money" 4.
But the old gentleman didn't seem :
o hear her. He stared at her In a
sort If way, and cried: ,
VINO are you child? What is q
our name?" q
Il anu Ethel Leigh" she answered, ,
7onderingly."
what is your fathers nxme?n be ,
|
His name was Frank Leigh, but :
e is dead" she replied. =
Dead" cried the old man in ex- !,
tement. "And my Nellie alone! !,
lav" you any brothers or s~ister-?" :,
e added. y
II have q little sister. Stella ~ cold .