Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02
A BOND OF FRIENDSHIP.
MRS. CELIA SARGENT.
From the Boston Traveller.


It was dreary day in winter. The
keen wind came in gUsty swirIs, scat
tering the light snow hither and thith-
er capriciously. A few persons hast
ened along a quiet street, glancing
anon at the murky sky, their faces
rejecting, 1t would seem. the leaden
hue of the clouds. The afternoon
was indeed dark and gloomy, and so
was the face of Lawrence Ellis as he
sat at his desk reading letter-but it
was handsome face, possessing that
beauty of refinement which is almost
invariably the accompaniment of cul-
ture. He was nearly As, and had
been the principal of an academy in
small New England town for eight
years. the letter which he had Just
received was from the trustees of the
academy and requested his resigna-
ton at the close OF the present term.
They appreciated his thorough schol-
arship, but it had been painfully evil
dent for many months that his heart
was not in his work at the school.
Thus, with much regret anG delicate
consideration for the man whom they
would gladly have retained, if pos
sible, the letter was written that
brought despair. And this, then, was
the end-position gone, everything
sacrificed for a foolish lnfatuatiOn
He thought of his dead wIfe-how her
last days had been anxious ones, and
the light o. her sweet life had gone
out in sorrow a few months before
But the living-his children-he had
brought them to poverty, and thrown
his life to the Winds!
The room darkened in the winter
twilight; for few unhappy moments
he sat gazing at the desk before him,
covered with q mass Of papers, which
were evidently the subject of his deep
thought; then rising hastily, he exam
ined every portion of the desk careful
ly, but very quickly. He apparently
wished to escape detection or the sud
den wavering OF resolution. With
one nervous motion of MS hand many
valuable designs of numerous inven-
tons that Ia the future, perhaps, were
TO have lifted him suddenly to great
wealth, were swept into the center of
the room, and IN an instant more were
blazing brightly in the open fire-a fire
which proved to be, indeed, the grave
of hope.
From that day Lawrence Ellis was
a changed man, and after a few
months OF keen mental suffering he
became III, and died suddenly. Thus
Myra Ellis and her baby brother were
left almost alone In the world, with a
future looming gloonaily before them.
Fortunately she was singularly brave
and self-reliant for a young girl of II
and after listening, with the calmness
of maturer years, to much advice
from many kindly people, wisely took
her future into her own hands, and
patiently accepted her fate-a life of
toll.
In the carly days of her bereave~
ment, Myra had at least one true friend
in young Harold Farley. His cheer
full presence and helpful words brought
the sunshine of hope iEto her desolate
heart He had been her schoolmate
and constant visitor at her home for
several years. The young people had
not made the mistake of attributing a
feeling of great interest and purest
friendship TO a tenderer sentiment.
1--WE will always remain true friends,
whatever our future" had been ex-
ShduSOu 1SpCdbSOAy UOtNOOh lASh',
and If one had suspected the other OF
Indifference III the years to come, in
regard to this rather serious compact,
the result to each other would have
been a total loss of faith in all hui
mainly.
Harold Farley had been peculia rly
attached to Myra's father, his teacher
and friend, and had always sought his
society every possible opportunity.
Nothing could be more fascinating to
him than TO listen, hour after hour,
to the great inventive genius, as he
had long regarded him, explain the
mechanism of some recent invention,
and it's grand possibilities. Finally,
the young man found himself also a
dreamer of sudden wealth, and there
came happy day when he thought
his dreams were about to be realiz ed.
A few months before the inventor re-