Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-12-06

income at all; that. being of a compass
sionate heart. he was strongly minded to
help them; and that the best way, as well
as he could Judge. would DO to make her
daughter Drusilla his wife. This done,
he wonld then see that their later years
would be attended with comfort and the
relief of all anxiety.
at first my mother did not reply. She
had no reason to love Mathew, whose I'M
kindness TO his ward was well known to
her Again. she had still some remains
OF family pride left-you do not destroy a
womans pride by taking away her money.
She thought. being the daughter OF a well
to do London citizen. that her child should
look higher than man who had nothing
in the world of his own but thirty acres
of land. although he lived at the mill and
pretended to be it's owner. And she very
truly thought that the man was not in per-
son likely to attract SO young girl as my
self But she spoke him fair She told
him that was young as yet, too young
to know my own mind. and that perhaps
he had better wait. He replied that he
was not young. for his own part, and that
he would not wait. Then she told him
that she should not, certainly. force the
inclinations Of her daughter, but that she
would speak to me about him.
She opened the subject to me in the
evening No sooner did | understand
that Mathew had spoken for me than |
threw myself upon my knees to my moth
err, and implored her with many tears
and protestations not to urge me to ac-
cept his suit ! declared with vehe-
mence. that if there were no other man
in the world could not accept Mathew
Humble reminded her of his behavior
toward Ralph assured her that ! be-
lieved him TO be one who sat drinking by
himself. and plotter of evil. "a man with
hardened heart and dead conscience
Well. my mother shed tears with me,
and said that ! should not be married
against my will. that Mathew was not q
good man. and that she would bid him,
not rncourteously go look elsewhere
This she did thanking him for the honor
he had proposed.
For some reason. perhaps because heidi
not really wish to marry me. perhaps be-
cause he had not thoroughly laid out the
scheme Of marrying me to revenge himself
upon Ralph Mathew gave me a respite for
the time though went in great terror lest
he might poster my mother or myself Per
haps. which think more likely. he trusted
to the influence of poverty and privation,
and was contented to wait till these should
make me submissive to his will.
However that may be. he said nothing
more concerning love. and continued his
visits to my father. in whose conversation
he took so great pleasure Oh. villainl
Things were in this posture. being in
the greatest anxiety and fear that some
thing terrible was going before long to
happen to us. when most joyful and I'M
expected event happened.
1t was in the month of May. seven years
since Ralph's fight--like the followers Of
Mohammed, reekoned the years from the
flight--that this event happened
The event was this. that the fugleman
had letter sent to him-the first letter
he ever received In his life.
| saw the post boy riding down the
road early in the afternoon, he passed by
the house Of Mr.. Carnaby. where he some
times stopped, past our cottage. where he
never stopped because there was nobody
who wrote letters to us, and over the
bridge, his horses hoofs gathering under
the old gateway thought he was going
to the vicarage. but he left that on his
right and rode straight up the street.
blowing his horn as he went. | wondered,
but had no time to waste in wonder, who
was going to get letter in that part of
the town The letter. in fact, was for no
other than the fugleman.
Half an hour later the fugleman. who
had been at work in the garden all the
morning. came down the town again. and
asked me-with respect TO her ladyship,
my mother-if would give him five min
utes' talk. With him was Sailor Nan,
cause the thing was altogether so strange
that he could not avoid telling her about
it, and she came with him. curious as
woman, though bold and brave as becomes
an old salt.
IT'S a strange thing" said the fugle-
man, turning the unopened letter over
and over in his hand; '''tis a strange
thing; here is letter which tells me
know not what-comes from know not
where. have paid three shillings and
eight pence for it. Agreat sum doubt
was fool 1t may mean money, and it
may mean soss."