The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-01-23
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A l. owe Story.

The house in which this little story came
blest in the whole village. The linden tree
in the yard was tall enough to spread it:
protecting arms over the low single roof
moss grown with age. Under the caves and
in the angles good fairies had taken up theil
quarters, and stable and granary field and
meadow, We're blessed with prosperity and
growth.
1t had always been that way since Hubert
and Kathrne came there to live They
brought with them but little more for a
dowry than courage and health and strong,
willing, working hands, for the little farm
was not their own. They had leased it for
a term of years. From season to season
they prospered, and material bliss came
with overlooking hands when little dark
haired girl was added to the flaXen headed
youpgster. The girl hadn't come in the
usual way, like the boy, whose arrival the
stork had heralded from the housetop, but
suddenly and unexpectedly. In the ad-
joining parish distant relative of Kath-
rine's had died, and fearing no refusal had
left her dark eyed baby girl to Hubert and
his wife They were astonished to be sure,
when one morning the mail carrier lifted
out of his small country wagon bundle
wrapped in a red checked pillow, with Il
letter from the dead woman acquainting
them with the tiny strangers mission.
Mistress kathrine was not long at a loss
what to do, and she soon persuaded her
husband, who shool; his head little doubt
fully at first. Their own boy, John, was
almost 5. years old. No, the undertaking
was MT such moment0us one after ali.
and the old pine cradle that had been
slowed away in the garrett was brought
down into the bedroom of Hubert and his
wife.
Thus was little LIS entrance made. She
grew out of the cradle and into short
clothes, and soon her little, quick feet pat
tered over Mother kathrne' ; clean kitchen
floor and over garden and field. Her long,
dark brads flew in the wind, and her
bright, brown eyes stole their way into
every ones heart. John kept good COM
pany with the little sister. In summer
they hunted for berries gether in the
woods, and when the winter came they
coasted down the hillside on little sled
the boy had himself built. They climbed
the trees and picked the apples from the
branches that would not give them up to
Hubert's vigorous shaking. When other
youngsters troubled the child or made her
cry, john came to the rescue and proved
an able champion.
The years sped on, and the prosperity
apd good fortune of the farm grew on apace.
The homespun linen in the cupboard was
piled up high, and the pennies in the trunk
were first turned into silver and then into
gold. When the lease ran out, the farm
became Huhert's property. He bought ad-
joining acres and planted them with grain,
and the COWS and calves in his stables aug
mented beyond his hope
"The strange child has brought us luck, 1"
Mother Kathrine was wont to say, until
she forgot altogether that Liz was not her
own flesh and blood.
"John must have the advantage Of a
better education than | had, " declared HUI
bert, when the lad was Is years old. "Ill
send him to good commercial college, and
I'll keep him there as long as he can fin"
anything to learn
SO John was sent away good many hun
bred miles from home. The farmers boy
should see the world. He shouldn't choose
his vocation ignorant of its ways, and if he
found anything that gratitied his tastes
better than the simple farm life, Hubert
was willing to make the sacrifice and set
him up in business.
After three years john came back, ready
to settle down and live and work on the
farm like his father. He found Liz as
much changed as she found him. Before
her stool broad shoudercd man. Self.
consciousness VAS in the serious face. and
the spl outing mlstache suited it well. The
half grown girl he remembered had bios
somed into a beautiful maiden.
Soon after Johns return Hubert and
Kathrne wondered why their boy and girl,
who had been the best of friends all their
lives, no longer got along well together.
There were little chickering's and differences
all the time. When Liz was gay, John was
it. When, as was often the case at first, he
sat down for quiet, confiden tal chat with