The Penn's Grove record., 1885-03-28

than with my brothers family.
"NOw, my dear Charles, you know
my utter triendlessness. | have no
claims whatever on your kindness or
hospitality; but | dare to hope that for
Toms sake you will give his widow a
place by your own iireside. My brother
told me you had had heavy losses years
ago, but | trust fortune has favored you
since then. At all events. | shall not
be a burden upon you, for | can afford
to pay a sufficient sum for my malnte-
nance. Still | know that very f-w
would be found willing to take a poor
frail old woman into their family circle
without great expeetations;' and,
though I cannot help hoping you will
be an exception to my late experiences,
| have no right to be disappointed if
you refuse. Talk it over with your
wife and children, whose acquaintance
[ am very anxious TO make, and let me
have, If possible, an early reply.
''This long letter must have tried
your patience already; so | will say no
more at present, except to present my
kindest regards to your wife and faEaily,
and to assure you all that | will on no
account trespass on your hospitality if
| cause you the least inconvenience. [
remain, my dear Charles,
Your affectlonate sister,
MARGARET CLAYTON"
Well" l exclaimed, with a sort Of
gasp, laying down the letter, this Is
certainly adding insult to injury on the
part of Dame FortuneI How, in the
name of all that is marvellous, are we
to take another into the family when we
are on the verge Of starvation already"
Come, come, Essie, " broke In papa
cit is not quite so bad as that. Be-
sides, Margaret says she can pay for her
board and lodging"
yes" L answered doubtfully; "but
it's sure not to be much. But who is
she. dad? Do you remember her at all?'
eyes; when [ saw her last she was a
young girl of two or three and twenty;
but thirty years under an Indian sun
must have changed her very much"
"Indeed, yes," / said, shut was she
nice? We never seem to nave heard
anything about her v
NO, poor soull' replied papa. "She
cut herself off from all her old friends
when she went with Tom to India. Her
children all died young, and now poor
Tom has gone too" and fathers voice
grew low and husky as he thought of
the wild handsome brother whose bright
laughing face, as it looked out upon us
from the painted canvas, had been the
beau-ideal of u girlish fancies.
"Poor old auntiel" 1 said gently. "Of
Nurse she must come to us. 1t seems
very hard that she should be so lonely
and desolate in her old age, doesn't it.,
daddy2"
Eyes, indeed !" returned papa sadly.
stBut how on earth can we have her
here, with two invalids on your hands
alreadyp"
but she is not an invalid, papa?"
"Old people always are, nor or less,
and. besides, che will want go much at
tention and waiting upon. They never
move hand or foot, if they can help it,
In India; and poor little Moilie is almost
worn out already"
mot a bit of il, dadl'' said MOllie
briskly. "We'H manage somehow. The
a room can be turned into a sitting
room and bed room combined, and then
we sha'n't always be obliged to have her
with us;'' and MollIe pulled a wry little
face.
Everything was soon settled. Mamma
and Ethel agreed with us that poor
aunt's lot was worse than ours, mas
much as she had no one to love her or
be kind to her in her declining years;
and, though e all had a few misglvings
as to what changes she might cause in
our happy home circle, yet we set TO
work cheerfully to prepare for her COM
ing.
She certainly had not let the grass
grow under her feet. We had received
her letter on Tuesday, and now on Fri.
day evening we were expecting her by
the 8 30 express.
The fire was burning brightly, and
on one side of it, reclining on a sofa,
lay poor mamma, with alook OF pleased
expectation on her sweet worn face.
Opposite to her, in a deep armchair, sat
Ethel, looking still pale and weak, but
very lovely too
Aunt Margaret will think this is a
small private hospital, y said mamma,
smiling as | stopped to arrange her pill
lows.
81 only hope she won't turn invalid
too, l replied. I'VE have room only
for one sofa, and one armchair by the
fire. | am quite glad it is such a mis-
cradle foggy night. 1t will make our
little room look so comfortable by COM
parison;'' and with a good dealo of pride
l glanced round our snug apartment.
81 hope she won't be disappointed"
II am sure she will not answered
Ethel. Everything looks 20 nice and
homellkel Besides, papa told her we
were poor; so she won't expect any
thing wonderful"
"Harkl" exclaimed Mollie. 81 hear
a eabi Is it going pastp No, it has
stopped here! Go and open the door,
Esther,
threw open the front door, and saw
papa assisting a lady to alight. In a
minute more he had brought her up to
me, and introduced me as his second
daughter.
Take care of your aunt, Esther,
while / see after the luggage" he added.
welcome TO Bristol aunt Margaret"
| said warmly, holding out both my
hands.
'Thank you, my dear. = responded a
sweet low voice; and. throwing back
her thick Grape veil, she kissed me atfec.
.tionately.
Mollie had followed me to the door,
and now held out her hand shyly.
This is our housekeeper and dear
little Cinderella | said. ''If you are
not comfortable here, aunt Margaret, it
viii be all Mollie's fault.
Aunt Margaret smiled, and looked
into Mollie's clear gray eyes.
81 have no misgivings,' she said,
kissing her gently; and then we entered
the brightly-lit-up parlor.
The tears rushed to aunt Margaret's
eyes as she bent over poor mothers
sofa; and think from that moment we
all loved her.
81 am so grieved to Ind you like this, -
she was saying in her peculiarly sweet
voice. Chow differently we are all
tried in the furnacel''
''Yes, indeed . replied dear mother
gently. 1.-The cross comes to us all;
but have much to be grateful for,
Far.,araA.g npI nha r,lunaaI ~ tho daar