The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-26
AUNT NELL'S ORPHAN ASYLUM. :"
written for the Record Union by Eva Spar
CUR and Kittie Spargur Hulse,
1.-THE OLD, SWEET STORY.


young people went down the path to the
gate, but ere they reached that point he
drew her aside.
"Come into the arbor. Nell. want to
tell you something"
They stood inside of the arbor. Out
side the garden lay, moon-lighted, and
the scent of roses was in the air.
Look up, Nell," he said.
She looked into his earnest eyes and
smiled the faint. sweet smile that love
alone brings to the lips. By the divine
right of love he drew her to him.
"Ah, little coquette. you loved me all
the time, and l knew it. You could not
hide ii from me. Nellie, dear; but you led
me long chase, and now you must
make a fair atonement."
With flushed cheeks and shining eyes
she drew his head down and kissed him
OH the forehead, and as long as he lived
he remen bered that there was some
thing almost solemn in her look and
act.
"NellieI Nellie, deari''
"Yes, mother, am coming"
At the door she turned for a last look.
and stood an instant, silhouette against
the mellow lamp light. Then the door
closed.
P" What made you cry last night, Aunt
Neliie?" asked her little niece-the child
OF dead sister-next morning.
"Cry? Nonsense! You must have been
dreaming" Nellie answered brightly,
but the little one told her grandmother
afterward that 1t was the ''realest" dream
she ever had.
1T just seemed as real. grandma. She
was on her knees right there by the bed.
She had on her pretty blue dress, the one
VIII Charlton thinks is the incest, and
she cried so hard il made the bed shake"
ia LETTER AND a WEDDING.
DEAR WILL: 1t is all in my mind
now, but when l try to write | am at a
loss for words. l love you, VIII, dear,
but when you have read this letter you
will not believe me. You will think L
am selfish and mercenary, | know. If
you would only believe in me it would
not seem so hard. You called me CO.
quette. l am not. I did try TO hold you
at arms length, but, as you said. you
would not be repulsed. Last night when
you asked me to be your wife l SAID
yes weakly, and SO won some moments
OF happiness whose memory will go with
lne through life. l dared not say mo-
then, for l knew you would leave mo in
anger, and | could not defend myself,
for you know it IS my misfortune that
cannot talk as well is | can write.
II can not. dare not, be your wife,
Will, dear. We are too poor. You have
nothing but your small salary to depend
on, and your tenure OF office is very un-
certain. l could not help you. l am a
good housekeeper and that is all. You
have no relatives, and my parents are not
able to assist us.
You are 80 years old now, Will, and
you have nothing. Ii you have only
been able to care for yourself thus far,
how could you provide for a family and
lay up something for that rainy day
that comes TO every one sooner or later?
"Ah, l have seen it too often! Think
of my poor sister Mary. Their prospects
were brighter than ours when she and
Robert were married, but after their first
child was born Mary was never able to
help her husband. She had to work be-
yond her strength, had to study and plan
and worry over making both ends meet;'
the strain was too great; her beauty
faded; she became irritable and petulant,
and no longer made home pleasant for
her husband. Oily poor sister! she was
not TO blame.) Quarrels became of FREE
quens occurrence. Robert sought peace
and consolation elsewhere. You know
how it ended; how Robert drank him
self TO death, leaving bis family in deep
est poverty. and Mary came home to us,
only to die, heartbrOken, at al early age.
leaving her little ones 10 our care.
This and lessons learned from other
sorrowful lives have made such deep
impression on me that have come to re-
gard 1t as the greatest folly, even SIN,
for poor people to marry.
at would be we'll enough for them to
thus court misery and suffering, but is it
wise, is it right for them to risk entaling
il on their innocent and helpless off,
spring? think not.
80 dear, l must ask you to forgive me
for deceiving you as | did last night.
Surely one has right to be happy once
in lifetime.
II dare not become your wife, VIII
Charlton, but L love you, and so long as |
live [ will be true TO you.
Try to see with my eyes, and at least
think kindly of me. May God bless
you. NELLIE"
This was Nellie Darrow's first letter to
her lover. His anawer was such one
as only wounded pride, disappointed
love and scorn could dictate. Nellie's
tears flowed as she read it, yet she kissed
it again and again, aud laid it away. His
hand had pressed the paper, and it was
the only letter he had ever written to her;
and through the bitterness and scorn she
saw his love flinging itself against her
firm resolve as bird beats at its prison
bars.
Six months afterward Will Charlton
married girl who, having had little eX-
perience OF the sad realities of life, and
having read a great deal Of a certain class
of literature, fancied herself willing TO
live on a crust" to dwell in a howell"
l.
q doormat," as Miss Muloch says, for the
man she loved.
Nellie barrow was not among the we'd
ding guests; she was visiting a friend in
California; but she sent best wishes and
dozen dish towels with the brides mono
gram embroidered in the corner, the
work OF her own hands.
lila TRAMP.
"Pm so tired. Myrtle. Can't 1 rest
little bIt?" asked Daisy pleading.
seems to me you're most always
tired,' answered Myrtle severely.
But, Myrtle, it's so hot and my back
does ache awful"
"N ell, go and sit down in the shade
and rest awhile, but mind you don't take
any berries out OF the pam" said Myrtle,
releuting at the sight OF the sweet little
face raised coaxiugly TO hers. Myrtle.
though only a child herself, could rarely
deny this little sister anything. Young
as she was. she could never forget her
mothers dying words when that mother
kissed her for the last time. and babe her
"be good TO the baby Always
So Daisy gathered some straw berries
in her apron and sat down under a tree 10
eat them, very picture OF contentment
In less than a minute she came running
back.
"Oh. Myrtle, what do you think!
There's tramp right on the other side of
the fence. He's asleep, though"
Pm going to have a peep at him."
said Myrtle, and she went cautiously to-
ward the fence. Daisy holding her hand