Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-11-19
AUNT MARCARET'S DREAM.
BY JANE PRENTICE.

somes noisy Joe had gone back to hi,
city, life. He had only dragged through
month and half of the summer at the
dear, delightful old country home when
he declared the whole place bore, but
in truth it had only been bored by him,
and packing up once more he went back
to his work in the city, leaving every
thing more peaceful for his absence; all
perhaps, except two anxious, yearnlne
hearts that were fast growing
sorrowil and old-one the moth
er's, the other the fathers. But
little The highs spirited boy thought OF
that The nlorling he drove away from
the old farm gate; his spirit, like the
pranc;ng horse the driver firmly held
in check, was impatient to be of, to be
freed from restraint. How hurriedly
he told the old folks goodbye. and then
as he dashed away threw kiss from the
tips of his fingers to his sister Nell, who
stood and looked longingly after him.
Oh, brothers, sons, too little you care
for the tender, anxious hearts at home
when You set sail upon an untried sea
and venture out alone.
Several weeks passed away quiet
ly and pleasantly, too, except for
occasional bits of news. Bad news
goes here, there aud everywhere,
you know, which found the way
out TO our country home, that Joe was
not living just as he ought to do; rather
too fast, too fond OF drink and some-
times found at the gaming table. Poor
Aunt Margaret. it seemed as if her face
grew|n little thinner, her hair a little
winter every day after that. 1 shall
never forget how she looked one morn
ing as we all sat around the breakfast
table. Pushing her plate away hav-
ing scarcely tasted the food upon it,
she said, looking up at uncle. who was
himself III danger of falling into a
brown study over his smoking mullins
and steaks.
Husband couldn't you spare little
time to run up to the city in day or
two? fear that things are going
wrong with our boy some way. That
was queer dream L had last night
and here she leaned her head upon her
hand and looked down thoughtfully.
81 thought that Joseph was standing on
q precipice, at fearful height, above a
black, yawning sea, and that we were
powerless to help him, but when ]
reached out my hands and shrieked for
sid an ugly little dwarf came in sight,
and in answer to my entreaties he said
that there was only one way to save my
boy, and that was money; but even
that effort would cost me the life of
my other child, aud then as threw up
my hands in dispsir, beautiful angel
appeared at my side. At that instant /
hwoke."
Tut, tut; there's nothing in dreams,
wife. 81 What corld there be in
such nonsense as that?" and I'M
clio went on slipping his cof-
fee. while Nellie glanced toward me
with strange, serious expression on
her face, and then with cheerful smile
ut her mother she said:
"Never mind, mother, you know 'tis
said that dreams go by contraries, and
il so Josepli is going to make us very
happy about something"
Aunt Margaret shook her head sadly
but nothing more was said about the
dream. / think, however, it did not
quite pass out OF anybody's mind, fol
late that afternoon, when the sound o.
tho massive old door knocker resoundei
through the house, We all started ner'
vously. A sigh of relief went round
when Andrew returned to say
that il was Mr.. Wells to SEE
Miss Nellie. Poor Nell, i thinl
she had been longing for some
thing to break the monotony of the day
she might have been glad ii it had beer
any other visitor than Mr.. Wells. I'm
Gle Ben sat in his big arm chair read
ing the paper, but in no way ignorant
of what was passing around him and Sc
Nell did'not refuse to go into the par
ior. Ma Wells was neighbor farmer
you must understand, Pray do not lei
your imagination rush off into pictur
ing some rustic young gallant OF ten
der years end sentimental heart. No
such Is not the beau that comes court
inc our Nellie to-day. There he is
fank. grim visaged little man, slight.
stopped about the shoulders, bending
beneath the weight OF the sixty year
he had lived through, / guess. Hi
thin, white hair hung in Q mos
neglected fasion about his necl
and ears, and the long whit
beard flowing down upon his breast
,ded not little toward the appearanc
80 patriarch. Wait minute; wors
az u this, he was a most miseiab
. .n"n |" VI had already been twice mar
, r;aS. o a. bow could he dare set hi
haar, on " fun-loving, innocent
h hs@5' he on Veil; she so gentle an
childlike that we ee ,sa Az D 9w;sbout bs,
the house left sin, Us Guy w'' atuano ne .
Many times il had ~s1su Ne,,;
me why Uncle Ben wo. ~ SHse e .,h
receive Mr.. Wells attenh on, A' WI W.
he would persist in talking ~ps, ;
a fine catch the rich old man wp"'u
for any girl. A.
had once or twice heard Aui
Margaret say that times we're l e'n s
hard, and that Uncle didn't always Wv
alittle ready change when it was want.
Perhaps that was WIN he thought 4
best that Nellie should be, as he some
times said, we'll married.
There was John Atherligh, nephew
of Mr.. Wells, the only child Of his pool
dead sister, to whom the wretched ole
miser never even lent a helping hand
John was poor, but he was just as gen