Daily Republican., 1885-09-25


Oscs my friends. were boys nike you;
And the grandost deeds of history
Are tho onos that you may do.
Aunt Betsy's Present.
Well, must ray, think 1t Is hor.
rlbly mean Of your Aunt Betsy, Estells.
Aftsr making such favorite OF you all
POUR life, and having you with her ever
Ancs You were q mere baby, she might
have sent you something worth having
IN your twenty first birthday especially
~ she knows how poor we are since
your fathers death, said my mother,
You had better take It as o hint for
The future, and not build any more
castles on what Aunt Betsy 10 likely 70
10 for you," remarked my sister LEM ..
Walter, my brother, added with .
grimaoe
Here ondeth my sister Stella's
great expectations"
You neod not mako such uupleas-
ant remArks," l answered, pettishly.
- In sending me the portrait CT her old
4 weethoart, poor auntio has given me
her greatest treasure, aud she, no
doubt, thinks shall Value 1t as much
rs she does"
Well, It may come In useful after
all, for If, as I expect, you never get .
q wSetheart, You can Imagine he WAS
your, when you arc q sour old maid
like Aunt Betsy" said Lena, who
pri,led herself not little on being
engaged at eighteen, while I, at twenty
one, had never had an offer, not even
the ahoes Of lover.
had lived with Aunt Betty down In
her quiet country home in the south OF
Corn wall until my fathers death two
years before, when coming up to Lon
don for his funeral, found my mother
left in such Strengthened circnm stances
that felt 1t my duty to stay and carr
what money oould 10 help her there
by, however, 1 incurred Aunt Betsy
anger.
and sister can help your mother YOU
have no need TO leave me lonely In my
old age, after have had all the troubl,
OF you n child" etc.
l would willingly have returned, fol
close London lodging was not at all II
my taste after nay aunts large, airy
house, but my mother seemet
to lean on me, and no dreaded my leav
ing her, that had not the heart to go
Aunt Betsy neither came nor wrote
and had quito resigned myself to thu
idoa that was hopeessly on her blaol
books when tie above related even
took place.
Now knew that was forgiven.
In her early youth, Aunt Betsy, thel
the beautiful Elizabeth Msrston, IN.
fathers only sister, had been engage
to the son and heir OF q wealthy Londo
banker.
He had been sent abroad, on bushes
for his father, Just before they were b
have been married, and through tn
Jealous treachery of another man WIN
had tnadly loved her, and wished b
lsupplAnt his rival, the engagement ha
been suddenly broken off by him.
! He then remained abroad, and Aur
Betsy never heard from him again
j ust before he left England he bad pr,
sented her With beautiful little min
ature OF himself act In gold and dis
moDds, and this she had kept, togetht
with her m alden name-no other love
ever induced her to change 1t.
AS girl, had often seen and revel
|ently admired the pretty souvenir, m
] had taken all girls keen Interest
the love story attached to II. Aunt ha
always told me 1t was TO be mine, an
now l felt certain, with this treasure
my possession, that l had not qui
lost my old place in her favor, though
heard In the same letter In which 81
tsolemnly commended tho portrait
my caro-, that she had adopted an or
phan girl in my place rs her oompan IL
and probable heiress.
II put the letter and portrait avn
= With . sigh OF regret for my old happ
home, with Its quiet and freedom fro
the daily toll and worry that were no
my portion.
Things went on from bad to wor
with ua, and my twenty second Dirt
b day found me In despair.
Walter, In despair, had gone to Ne
Zealand; Lena had married on q We
d slender income, and gone to live In t
North. I could not bend 10 ask he
from Aunt Betsy, aud my mother W
T IN, and my work 80 soirce that
b Ioould barely find US In the necessar
tof life.
\ At laet, too, became Ill, and We b
> mot . penny In the house everything
\ HAD, even poor mamma's engagemt
~ Irina had gone for food.
!, Stella, You must go and get 90
money. Mrs Burton says sbe
:, have the rent by to morrow, or We Oh
:, have TO turn out into the street. Tn
"a lis-would you mind, dearly
t. Aunt Bstsy's present; you could
- enough for that to kesp az for Ii
l.mo."
Mamma, dear, cannot, dare
!Sell IL. Anything Of mine l wo
/, not withhold, but this-oh, donb
l me p
"Aud yet the generous donor
la. Iuevsr sent us the price OF LOAF,
est my mosher, bitterly. "Well, take
IN Wedding ring; II has never been on
em finger sipcs your poor, dear father
,Us It on swent y five years ago; but IL m
or. Igo nov."
ION "No, no, mamma, you must
er' shAll not, take 1t off. will 60
ny, take Aunt's present, not 70 sell, bu
w t.hs pAwnshop; then 1 may. perh
,ed Iget IL back when Walter sends US
I'm money"
GU. With heavy heart aud weary,
,est sing steps, departed on my hat
,ost urrAud All our shings had been
ere We had preferred to loss them to .
am into that last disgrsce!ul refuge OF
Hhs destitute. . London paxnbroker's.
!. Arrived outside, paced to and
until my tottering limbs, weak
ILLNESS and continual fasting, warne'
'sl' that my strength would not hole
muoh longer.
7 .nta.oxs nafu opa otbar naraQ