Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-11-27
AUNT MARCARET'S DREAM.
Ky lane PRENTICE.

A very quiet, orderly household we
were at the farm after that Wild frolic-
some, noisy Joe had gone back to his
city life. He had only dragged through
q month and a half of the summer at the
dear, delightful old country home when
he declared the whole place a 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, yearnlng
hearts that were fast growing
sorrowiul and old-ono the moth
er's, the other the fathers. But
little the hish-spirited boy thought of
that Che niorning 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 off, to be
freed from restraint. How hurriedly
he told the old folks good bye. and then
as he dashed away threw kiss from the
tips of his fingers to his sister Nell who
stood and looked longingIy 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
ont 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 1T the gaming table. Poor
Aunt Margaret, it seemed as if her face
grew little thinner, her hair little
whittier every day after that. ] shall
never forget how she looked one morn
ing as we all sat around the breakfast
table. Pushing her plate away hay-
ing scarcely tasted the food upon it.
she said looking mp at uncle, who was
himself in danger of falling into
brown study over his smoking mullins
and steaks.
Husband couldn't You spare little
time to run UP to the city in a day or
two? fear that things are going
wrong with our boy some way. That
was queer dream | had last night"
and here she leaned her head upon her
hand and looked down thoughtfully.
81 thought that Joseph was standing on
prec;pice, at a fearful height, above n
black, yawning sea, and that we were
powerless to help him, but when l
reached out my hands and shrieked for
aid 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 III dispair, a beautiful angel
appeared at my side. y that instant /
awokc."
Tut, tut; there's nothing in dreams,
wife. What could there. be in
such nonsense as that and I'M
Gle went on sipping his cof-
fee. while Nellie glanced toward me
with II strange, serious expression on
her face, and then with a cheerful smile
at her mother she said:
"Never mind, mother, you know it's
said that dreams go by contraries, and
If so JOSEPH 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 ont OF anybody's mind for
late that afternoon, when the sound of
the massive old door knocker resounded
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, / think
she had been longing for some
thing to break the monotony of the day
she might have been 6 lad If it had been
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 so
Nell did not refuse to go into the par.
ior. Mr.. Wells was a neighbor farmer,
you must understand. Pray do not let
your Imagination rush off into pictur-
ing some rustic young gallant of ten
der years and sentimental heart. No;
such is not the beau that comes court
ing our Nellie to-day. There lie is
lank. grim-visaged little man, slightly
stopped about the shoulders, bending
beneath the weight of the sixty years
he had lived through, ] guess. His
thin, white hair hung in . most
neglected fasion about his neoh
and ears, and the long whitS
beard flowing down upon his breaet.
added not little toward the appearance
of patriarch. Wait n minute; worse
than all this, he was a most miserable
miser, and had already been twice mar
ried; and how could he dare set I'M
heart on our fun-loving, innocent
kind-hearted Nell; she so gentle anC
childlike that we couldn't bear to hav,
the house left a single day without her
Many times it had scented strange L
me why Uncle Ben would have Nelli,
receive Mr.. Wells atten ton, and VIII,
he would persist in talking about wha
fine catch the rich old man would b
for any girl
j had once or twice heard Aun
Margaret say that times were rathe
hard, and chat Uncle didn't always hav
little ready change when il was wanted
Perhaps that was WHY he thought
best that Nellie should be, as he some
times said, well married.
There was John Atherligh, a nephev
of Mr.. Wells, the only child of his poo
"a. a.. ot.l. 81