Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-07-08
For the Ellsworth Americanl
A Drink Of Water and What Game Of Il
Ri fLoSsIE.

" '''s "'o' VI suiaii, neat cottage.
\ girl about ten years old was sitting on
the door-sione. studying a we'll worn book.
She was bAFefoo,ed and scantiy clothed. but
her print gown was fresh and neat, and her
glossy hair in perfect order.
Little girl, will you please give me a
drink OF wa,er9"
Yes. SIR and she sprang up quickly.
rs he stopped from his saddle to take the
glass, he glanced within the cottage; i,
seemed spotlessly clean, but very bare.
Thank YOU. Wha, is your name, little
girl ?"
''lanthe Clsymore, sir"
An odd name, and think it pretty.
Good-day, and thank you again" He
touched his hat smllingly and rode on
That evening as be sat in Lawyer Ta,lor'.
/ par!or' he remembered the little girl and
asked his hostess. "Who lives in the house
/ beside the forest p
"Iha, is only Robert Claymore, poor
laboreE," she replied.
The li,,le girl gave me glass of water
,o-day"
That Is lanthe abe is quite nice child
/ and takes good care Of her mother who is
NJ most Of the time. But We do not see
much Of them. they are so poor that they
are not in our set" Then Mrs. Taylor wa.
called out, and the gentleman turned TO the
highly dressed fashionable little lady Of
twelve summers tha, sat near
do YOU know this girl, Ian,he Clasmore.
Agnes ?"
81 meet her nearly every day as she goes
10 our school. but am no, much acquainted
with her; she i. not in our set YOU know.
and mamma would not allow US 10 become
intimate with her"
Then Agnes little sister spoke Il think
lanthe nice girl, and she is good scholar
too"
Can you tell me how old she is. Mag
g.e p
"She is two wears younger than Agnes.
but She Is IN her classes. Indeed Aggie. |
think she is better scholar than YOU, but
the teacher doesn't wan, 10 put her ahead Of
you"
Maggie why do you talk such non
sense Mamma would be very angry if she
heard you, SAID Miss Agnes hastily, and
the little sister was silenced
Mr. lorke's curiosity was aroused, and he
resolved to more OF the Clsymores so
on the next day he called there. taking
pretty book for lanthe as an excuse. After
that he vent there often. Mrs Clsymore
was very delicate looking lady With re-
lined. once pretty face, but ravages Of sick
ness and poverty marred the fresh look
Mr- lorke found her very well educated, /
aud one day be got her history. Her par
ents were well 10 do, and she lived very
happily TIL al the age OF eighteen she met
Robert CiAymore, and much against the /
val Of her father, she married him. She
had never regretted her choice, for her hus- /
band was always kind and loving, and did /
the beet be could, but misfortunes followed /
them thickly, and after trying several places /
they settled there. Their luck wa. no bet
ter, and worst Of all, she was taken i'll. Poor /
lan'he was unhappy at school, because mos,
OF the children sighted her. Mrs. Clay /
more felt very bad about it, and seriously (
thought Of keeping her at home, but she
was not equal 10 the task of teaching her,
and was not willing for the child to neglect /
her studies
Mr.. lorke made them many useful gifts. /
and was very kind. He was really interest
ed and wished to aid them The result was.
he offered Mr.. Claymore position in his
mills and when he returned home the family /
went with him.
He lived in large, handsome mansion
alone, save for servants, and he got Mrs.
Claymore to be his housekeeper, SO they
lived with him.
Mr.. Iorke made much of Ianthe, and |
finally adopted her as his heress, and edu-
Gated her. He bought her everything she
wished for, piano, ponies, pretty dresses
and books. He taught her to play the
guitar, to master horses, to use all sorts of
weapons toOk Het IiltU tuc
mills and tssght her about them; she spent
whole days in hi. Office learning to assist
her kind benefactor.
AT sixteen she was very different from
most girls. She was undoubtedly pretty
and very dark, very self-reliant, business
like. Having thorough knowledge of Mr..
forke's affairs, she sometimes filled the
place of book-keeper or cashier, and often,
when Mr.. Yorke was absent, assisted her
father in executing his orders.
She knew every one Of the families that
depended upon work in the mills. If they
were poor, she helped them if shiftless, she
endeavored TO wake some hidden spark of
energy; if bad. she counseled them earnestly
and tried to make them better. They
looked upon her as an angel. She was so
far above them that not one of the roughest
ventured to approach her when she came
among them.
Mr.. Claymore had advanced to q promi-
nent position, and Mr.. Yorke seriously
thought of taking him in Is . partner. But
at last he said to Ianthe 81 have decided
not 10 take your father in the business.
When l am gone you will own everything,
and he can act as your agent, but you had
better reserve the partnership for your hus-
band. OF course you will look out for your
parents"
"Yes, Uncle Yorke, always. But you are
not going to leave us for many years yet
you are by no means old"
"Not very. but cannot live very long.
The doctor tells me msy linger some
years, or may drop away suddenly. have
placed everything 90 that you viii have no