Year: 1864




Charles request, and no sooner were they
alone than the latter said:


perhaps you will think it strange; hut
am anxious TO know why you so suddenly left
off your habit of taking fashionable glass. 1t
alarmed me. / said whenever saw you turn
fror, me, is it possible he fears to trust him
sen or wha: has wrought this chang IN him?"


eyes, Charlie, will tell You,' was the
ready reply.


And then be proceeded to tell him the
circu instances that led to this change in his
habits-omiting to relate that his name was
particularly mentioned as the one over whom
Lita feared the influence of her brother exam
pie.


,'Your sister is an angel of goodness, Fred;
you may well b. proud of and worship her.
IL more ladies would take the same stand she
has done, young men would have higher in
ducements to break from fashionable follies;
but instead of that they smile upon custom
which dear, delightful Mrs. Grundy sanctions
and give the cold shoulder to one who has
the independence to assert and carry out his
honest intentions. You, with your wealth are
an exception, And yet am resolved to follow
your example; and whenever temptation is
strong upon me, will look upon Lita, in her
dark drab dress, and call to mind the sacri-
flee she has made--not so much from fear
that her brother might fall prey to the wine
cup; but lest others, who have not so much
selfcontrol, might take encouragement from
your example" s-r


A few moments spent in discussing the
subject ard the two friends parted; and when
Fred related the conversation to Lita, after
expressing her satisfaction, stole away to her
chamber--as was her wont-to give vent to
the gratitude of her heart, and an earnest pc!
tition ascended to heaven that Charlie Ches.
ter might have strength impaired to remain
true to his VOW. ....


Well ,Lita, SO this rich, talented, handsome
European, who sued SO earnestly for this lit
tie white hand, has shared the same fate
with your many suitors? You are an enigma,
Sis, and Pm afraid if do not begin to exer.
else my authority you will never marry"


81 am sure | shall not, Fred, unless my
heart goes with my hand )" and Lita smiled
quiet smile as she locked up from her sewing.
Now, don't you leave me with such sober
face, for assure you that I am happy as
] ann .-.


'' l doubt it Sis, was the laughing rejoin-
der, as her brother closed the door, and went
through the hall humming snatch of sen
timental song. ........


Two years had flown by, and still Charles
Chester kept his VOW inviolate. Lita had
watched him narrowly, and every day in her
b cart she thanked God that it was so; and
yet to have seen them no one would have
imagined that they had the heart feeling in
common.


Lita sat alone in the back parlor of her
home, thinking of the past-of the happy
hours she had spent with Charlie Chester
when she was a mere child-wondering why
he avoided her SO studiously of late-when
she was aroused by a tap at the door, and
before her stood the object of her thoughts.
With heightened color and an embarrassed
air she welcomed him, wondering at this
unceremonious call. A few moments of
silence followed his entrance, and then Char
lie drew his seat near to her, and said


"Lita-Lita, my early play mate, my boy
hoods love-now that know, apd can trust
myself, will you entru st your life, your hap
piness to my keeping ? l owe to you all
that have, all that am. 1t was through
your influence that abandoned the wine
cup just in time to save me from an inebri-
ate's grave. o Lita, what do not owe to
you And yet this very fact encourages me
to ask more. Say, will you become my
wife 7"


The small hand he held nesting more con-
fidently in his, the brown eyes lifted to his
face with so much of truthful! love in them,
answered him. ... ....


And she told him of the long years his
image had been hidden in her heart-for his
srfety when she saw him with the wine cup
pressed to his lip; of her resolve to save him,
and the consequent adoption of her drab
dress.


"And it was for my sake, and mine alone,
that you were led to this sacrifice! And
yet you did not know half my danger. l
loved wine; my thirst for it was growing
more intense, and only few months longer
would have placed me beyond the reach of
aid. But you were tho good angel commits
stoned by Cpd to save me-"


Lita is now happy wife and mother but
she still maintains her plain style of dress.
She wore a drab on her bridal day and as
she passes along the street she is pointed out
as the lady in drab." But many there are
who know not the story connected with it,
nor that her husband will not hear to chang.