Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-03

kCSEtLbING hSANAIS--OhC 0tlbl1NGNl bll0 Ot4A- CT for a few weeks only-it was found that she was tho inheritor of all they had to leave. ... .--..
 "What had been strengthened means to ladies who in their earlier days had been used to somethin so much better was affluence to Ann Elizabeth. She was sole mistress of the pretty house where she had formerly been servant, an she had enough to secure her com fort an independence for the remainder of her life.
 "She had got too much good sense to put on any airs or to pretend to be what she was not. But she quietly al- tered her style of dress, kept servant of her own an was respected by all the folks in the village, "Now, just us things had gone we'll with Ann Elizabeth so had they gone badly with Robert Jones. Ellen had now a child of her own, an, strangely enough, her health began to fail in just the same way as Mary's had done.
 Another serious trouble seemed like ly to overt;slie them. Roberts eyesight was beginnin to fail, so much so that he was threatened with total blindness
 "At last Ellen died. This time Rob- ert was left with two children-dei- cate, both of them-an an overwhelm- ing disaster hangin over him. The man seemed fairly broken down, an no wonder.
 "ThinSs grew worse instead of bet ter, for Robert was obliged to resign his appointment as rural postman, owin to his bein no longer able to properly distinguish the addresses on the letters. The postal authorities allowed him a small pension, an this was all the poor fellow had to reckon on with any degree of certainty. He did any kind of odd job that came in his way, but it really seemed as if luck was dead against him an he would sink down under the weight of his misfortunes.
 ''Well, miss, you Il perhaps be hard ly able to believe what I am now goin to tell you, but it is nevertheless true, that, although Robert an Ann Elizabeth had for years lived not more than a milo apart, they had never set eyes on one an- other since the eventful mornin which should have been their weddin day. It was certainly very strange, for if people try to keep out of one another's way aSSANSAAO uouNAAy SAlS1A 1LlIO SOlL- tact, but it had not done so in this case. "One day-it was gettin on for 12 months after Ellen's death, an, as said before, things had been gettin worse | an worse with Robert ever since-Ann Elizabeth left her own house to go out for a walk. She was never one to go l about much, but the fine weather tempt ed her.
 "She hadn't gone very far when she | caught sight of a man an a child wall1in ! toward her in the distance. As they got | nearer she couldn' t help thinkin what | pitiful sight it was, for the man walk. l ed slowly an uncertainty, an the poor little thin child, coughin at every step, l seemed to be takin care of him an leadin him. She'dgot 8 motherly heart, had Ann Elizabeth, ill spite of her odd ways an old maidenhood, an she began to | feel yearnin over the little lad who I was doin his brave, childish best to help his father.
 "She stood an watched them, an it was not till they got quite near that she saw the man was Robert. What she felt ill that min0te I'm not goin to try to | tell you, but I've often fancied that the l O4O AONS AllAtSp 1AtAhS SOllAo CNNNi'AlI oNC1 her like flood, washin away every harsh an bitter thought an leavin noth- in but love an sympathy almost divine.
 "She stepped forward an met him. "'Robert!' said she 'Robert!' "He looked up. His poor dim eyes l could hardly see her, but he knew the once familiar loved voice, an he began to tremble, while the little lad held his hand tightly, wonderin what it all | meant.
 "'Ann Elizabeth ? whispered Robert.
 He could hardly speak, an tho little lad held him tighter an tighter an clung
 closer to his side.
 "'Yes it's Ann Elizabeth, she said,
 takin hold of his other hand, and it's
 more than that, Robert. It is your wife,
 if you like to take her There's a home l for you an tho children, an if you will marry me I will marry you. l ''So Robert became Ann Elizabeth s
 husband nearly 20 years from the time
 they first began courtin. Strange! NCs,
 miss, so it was. Strange enough, but
 I've known many a woman whose truth
 an tenderness never. came so fully to the
 surface as ill the time of sorrow an mis-
 fortune.
 "After the weddin Robert went tC
 some big doctor, who was clever enough
 to do a good deal for him. His sight
 never became really strong, but Inc can
 see well enough to go about Ann Eliza
 beth reads the papers to him, an he is
 the very picture of contcnted man.
 "As for Ann Elizabeth, you we only
 got to look at her to know she is
 happy woman. Tho children outgrew
 their delicacy an are now two as fine
 young fellows as you would wish tc
 see. They both call Ann Elizabeth
 mother, an she is as fond an proud oi
 them as if they were indeed her owr
 sons.
 "So you see, miss, that in spite of al
 those two came together at last. ''-
 Household Words.