The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-08-06

are. Cousin Leonard aud I stood watch.
log the heaps Of dsmask closds piled up
in corner OF the west. vhsa ! caught
sighs Of Lena Grant coming mp to tho
house; she carried large basdis. which
almost concealed her nssrA II was the
first time she bad been there. and. some.
what surprised. vent oat 70 her.
oh Maggie. she said, I've bad such =
present. And | don't know who sent IT.
either; but guess you do. I've brought
il with me.
Well, Lena, wen so round on the back
porch. where noboy n scs us. and look at
Il; and ! led the way.
II was indeed handsome present,
There we're four new dresses, two muslin
and two Of calico, two pair Of morocco Ties,
some white aprons, and, Lena said tho
most beautiful bonnet At home. trimmed
with white ribbon.
And you don't know Who sent them,
Lenai said. altar sxhausting my admir-
alton on every artlcIe.
No. Grandma aid Il vas blsck man.
The bundle wss directed to me, sad the
man wouldn't tell her word. only said he
was ordered to leave at her house for her
granddaughter.
] thought you must be At the bottom.
Maggie, so came right over 10 zee. Don't
you know who sent them?
No truly, truly. l don't; but only 10
think, Lena. how beautiful you will lookl
Miss Martell, the dressmaker. must III
them for you; she does all my dresses,
and she has 30 much taste.
Did you everl said LENA. I'm just
Is grateful and happy Is / can be; but l
cau't help crying ever since these things
came, aud she wiped away her tears. isn't
it funny?
l think not, t,lLena. Mamma says people
may cry for JOY as well as sorrow, but you
won't forget Miss Martsll9
No. Grandma will lot me have her. l
know. You see, Maggie, ! shouldn't have
worn these old dresses il mamma had
lived; but grandma thinks the old fashion.
ed ones as good as any other.
Those new dresses we're soon placed In
the tasteful fingers Of Miss Martell and
under that lady s supervision Lena Grants
personnelle was entirely revolutionixed.
You would hot have Identified her with
the strange, wild looking being VINO, two
months before had presented herself for
the first time at Miss Mervin's desk.
Before the term closed she was quite .
favorite with the girls. II Was surprising
how easily she jumped from class to class.
proving that she possessed mind Of no
ordinary character. The attachment
which had!commenced under such peculiar
circumstances strengthened daily between
us.
Mrs Grant, too proved TO bea good sort
Of woman on acquaintance; she was . lit.
tie singular and ''notional," It is true. be-
Iieving that in oil things ''the old vas bot.
ter than the new" bnt. aside from this
idiosyncrasy, she VAS : good hearted
woman, aud we'll nigh worshipped
Miranda. Mrs. Grant was poor and the
SHOWS Of nearly seventy winters lay on
her forehead; but her spirit was not "dead
within her." She cultivated the land
around her dwelling, and therefrom pro-
cured comfortable Subsistence for her
self and Lena.
l shall be school teacher some day and
support grandma when she is old, said
Lena. with an uplift Of her earnest eyes.
And then knew the purpose thst conse-
Grated her studies.
Maggie, said Hattie Morse, coming to
me after school, you know your cousin
and Albert were always talking about
some old tree where they pass the day TO.
gether. Well. I've teascd Al to tell me
where this remarkable tree was; but he
never would. and only laughed, To-day.
while Leonard came for him resolved 10
find out; and, what do you thinka--I fol-
lowed him to that old tree that stands in
the lane behind the field. There's Just the
incest seat for two, made by curve Of
one OF the lowest branches. and it's 80 cool
and pleasant. Wasn't | smart TO fnd il
outt
Yes, very, Hattie, and We Laughed TO.
gether. But an after thought flashed into
my mind.
Were they not there that dsyf land had
they not witnessed the scene that trans
pired between Lena Grant and me. Yes,
they must have done IL and it WAS from
Leonard and Albert the dresses had
comel That was why Leonard had asked
me how many yards it required to make q
girls dress. II was oil unrsveled now.
How very stupid ! was not TO have II be-
fors They bad looked down from the
green oak boughs, and been silent spec,s
tors OF the wholel / buried my burning
face in my hands as thought cf it. but
from my heart ! blessed the young men.
/ kept the secret.
Eight years bave passed.
1t WAS August again. Cousin Leonard
and Albert Morse have flushed their COL
legiate and professional studies. aud were
ct Moss Farm again. The latter came up
one evening, with his mother and sisters,
10 see us. Lena Grant happened 10 be
there my noble. beautiful Lena. For
three years she had supported herself and
her grandmother. whom the inhrmities Of
age had confined to her room. Lens had
developed into beautiful girl woman.
Her auburn hair still hung 10 heavy curls
about her fair. gentle face; her large eyes