The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-03-07

Else as they Ieacheda little old fashion
ed cottage, standing in the center Of "A
large garden. Ia front Of tn house we're
beds Of lovely English yiolcts, which CAV
forth most delightful odor Behind lit
house were large number Of fun lfee-
now ii fun blossom. A. soon a. LIsle
opened the door. sailor b ms eye, fell On
II picture hanging on the Wall he fec0g-
/ nized it a. ore which had been taken II
h wife in the happy days when they
/ liAed IN England.
When the door opened, and l-Ic..
mother came into the room, Lc treI 10
rlse, but could not Size looked at tac
sailor fer some time, without saving a
/ wor1 but after long and earnest gazing
AT his face, she cried: Father. oh iata-
/ er, have you come back 10 me a. la,t>7
+ u my daughter, come HON" Hefer -
leafc you again said the old uaH, with
tear, running down his checks.
"NoW, mamma, you will get well won't
/ you. And i'll her excitement little El,ie
ran from her mother to her grandfather,
saying, on am - happy, But dear
ne, have forgotten that you ami grand
father must Want your ten, SO ! !. Isl ct
| IL ready"
~ hat, do you make the tea, said her
newly-iouud grandfather. Yes In1eed
mother fondly. They sat up untH IA latc
hour, talking about the past. How was
it, father, that they brought back The re
port that you were lost: Well, NY
dear you know the ship was wrecked
and all Of our crew, except one sailor AMI
! my self, persisted. We IN tnagcd To swim
to an island, and stayed there until we
were picked up by vessel bound for
Africa. When we landed there. one day
my companion and | Wer- lost in the
jungle. We We're taken cap is by some
African tribes, and held as prisoners for
4 quite while. but finally we succeeded in
making our escape When we reached
the SEA coast, We found employment on
borad of II vessel bound for England.
! Old Tim LOckhart and must have been
the only survivors Of the wreck, and the
vessel returning from Africa, must have
brought the tlding- that finally reached
You. arrived at home to IND it occupied
| by strangers. No one seemed to know
anything about YOU, except that YOU had
married, aud that you had all gone away
together | left the place wholly dir
! heartcned. Jim was made first mate and
| captain of Il ship bound for this city,
and | was just going around to see the
sights when happened to spy little Elsie
| noticed her pretty yiolets, and they
reminded me of those which grew in our
garden, and of which your mother was so
fond. Elsie reminded me of You when
you were her age. | came this afternoon
to have chat with my little fiower-girl,
as called her, not daring to hope that
might find my daughter again"
"Oh father, to think that the very trial
which thought so hard TO bear, has
brought you back to me. 1t was hard
| . t,,.r Foo,
the street, But here was no help for 1t
for ever since my husband died, we have
been getting poorer and poorer. aud
sometimes we have been almost without
food My dear daughter, you shall not
know want amy more, if God is willing
to spare me yet for few years. " "Oh,
mamma, | snail never like any flower,
| half as well as | do Vioets. because they
| brought me my kind old grandpa. 3"
said the happy little girl caressing the old
sailor, on whose knee Size had been sit
ting all the while he Was talking 10 her
mother. but. my daughter il i twelve
O'Clock, and am afraid onr little Elsie
will lose all her roses, if she stays up so
late. Let lis thank our heavenly father
that he has brought me safe home again. p"
And knerlin@ down, the old man poured
out his soul III Thanksgiving to God.
As soon as Elsie's mother was able To
travel, they went back to England in sail
or Ben'> ship. But old Tim Lockhart-
who rcjoiccd with all his ncart at his
mates good fortune declared himself
weary of Il sea-faring life, and pureha>-
| ing Mrs. Grdham'> neat cottage, with its
garden orchard and fields Sctt ed down
| there for the remainder of his days, with
| his household goods around him. The
last remembrance the GrahamS had of