The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-04

OhoiI hhu 5pIed LIS lOuR uouuS W eho
blaze. An immense re lief as felt when
he was safely delivered Of the following
words:
"No, mum; nobody's sick; no more be
they lonesome, but" with long pause
III cum of an arrsnt, and while I'm
thawin' out, Lecty can look in the west
pocket O. my surtout fer billet that'll
tell the whole story"
In an instant Electa had produced it,
and its contents as given to the family
were as follows:
"DEAR SISTER MILLINGToN-I'm on
the edge of great disappointment. I've
calallsted ever since geese pickin' time
last lection, on Sylvy's bringin' home her
family TO Christmas, and Mis- 'Liphlet
Enos promised to work for me two days
afore that time and one arter. Her dar-
ter's child is sick with the hoarse eanker
and Mis- 'Liphlet can't be had for love
nor money. Now bein' as you don't keep
Christmas 1 venture to ask il you will
spare Lecty for couple of days. L might
fur ii not get along alone, but I've got
the master esquire Newton's SOM here
boardin.' 1 took him for the minister's
wife, she's got such family and is so
put tot for help, so I'm as busy as bee
in punkin' blow, and if Lecty'll help me
out shall be greatly obleeged.
"This from your sister
"BELCHRR."
"The old Nick and Dinah," was Mrs.
Millington's irrevei ent yet entirely in
voluntary exclamation, as Electa, con-
Guiding the reading of the note, sank into
her chair in undisguised distress. "Your
aunt didn't know about yer calculations
or she'd never sent such word, never"
The girl looked helplessly from father
to mother while the real weight of the
decision settled down upon herself.
Whenever had this kindest of aunts re-
fused her or her mother anything; but
then this would be such cruel dissp-
pointment. It struck cold to her and al
most made her faint; and such night to
go out, toe.
Uriah hastened matters for the first
time in his life, by saying that "when
the critter was rested, they must be a
goin'. There was so much to do to-mor-
row, he had come tonight. Storm made
slow travelin'; lucky it didn't drift"
In tender sympathy Mrs. Wilmington
heated bricks, got out the camlet cloak
and planned in energetic whispers that
fright AFTER dinner Christmas day Am
ariah could tackle pas colt and go and
fetch her home In time for the occasion"
Thus comforted by her mother and en-
couraged by her father that if it blowed
and drifted the roads would then be bro
ken, Electa was soon seated in the high.
backed yellow sleigh; her father brought
the buffalo robe carefully up around her
and Uriah, with reins we'll in hand, set
forth with her upon the journey.
Aunt Hepsey, the only and elder sister
of Mrs. Wilmington, was familiarly known
in all the country round as the Widow
Belcher. Shortly after the death of her
husband and the marriage Of their adopt
ed daughter, Sylvia, Mrs. Belcher in her
loneliness had given home to her hus-
bands cousin, Betsey Hopson and Grand
ma Reed, relict OF revolutionary Grand
father Reed, now for some years deceased.
Into this home the lines of these two wo-
men had worn channels of their own,
which had bothered the aforetime benev-
olence of the family until the Belcher
hospit atty was felt throughout the en-
tire community in which these kind
hearted women dwelt. Grandma Reed,
now rising of 10, retained the excellent
common sense for which she was for
merly noted, and held her place in all
family condolences as in former years.
Consin Betsey, spry, slight little person
with dark eyes and hair just streaked
with gray, and possessed Of a neatness
and dispatch which constituted her a
woman after Mrs. Belcher's own heart,
had become of late so exceedingly deli
cate as to be spoken of throughout the
u6lRuDOruOOu as OcA'ilu OotSoy mp
son.
Uriah Harding, now for thirty years
hired boy and man OF the Belcher family,
had been trained by Mrs. Belcher as
gears before she had trained her husband,
Obadiah, till not a clearer or more thor
ough man could be found within the bor-
ders of Connecticut. Married and snug
ly settled in a little brown house at the
foot of hill, he was training up solid
line of boys and girls for the future farm
ers and housekeepers.
Aunt Hepsey had built up an all night
fire in the cavernous fireplace and was
waiting Uriahs return. The tea-kettle
hung on one of the pot hooks Of the
great black crane, and was sputter-
ing in appreciation of its coy quar-
ters, when Uriah's loud "whoa" an
nounced their arrival. She opened the
outside door, against which the snow lay
banked and the bright lesping flames
threw their rays far out into the stormy
night Electa, tired and benumbsd, was
received into this bright, warm room, the
door closed, and the old mare cour-
ageously ploughed her way to the barn.
ooNCLUDED NEXT WEEK.
IuLEpE DIVERS GAME FROM