Year: 1874

/ Iney LOOK now tnat they must nave Deen
pretty then. My mother was early en-
gagged and married to my father but
there was Augusta, and there was Sam
and where one was you might usually
find the other near at hand. Sam never
said anything. he asnot of a demon
strative kind, but he knew how he felt,
and he supposed Augusta knew, too.


So the years budded aud blossomed
and brought forth fruit, until at last
Sam went down to Connecticut to take
charge of saw-mill for an uncle of his.
He wrote to Aunt Augusta and Aunt
Augusta wrote to him and now and
then he came to Maine on business, al
ways going to my grandfather's before
he went home, and carrying himself to-
ward Augusta like an accepted lover.


After a few years he found himself
possessed of twelve thousand dollars, and
Immediately went to work to spend it.
He went abroad. to England and Rome
and Egypt and Paris and Germany and
Sweden and Russia and everywhere.
When he came home at last it was with
only fifty dollars in his pocket. So next
he went out among the copper mines of
Lake Superior, and in time was again
possessed of twelve thousand dollars.


.'Now [ will come home and marry
Augusta, and settle down. said he to
himself. But he didn't say it to any
body else. It never occurred to him that
it was necessary.


Meantime my Aunt Augusta had not
stood like rose IN a pot, waiting for
the gardener to come and pick it. She
cast out her roots and threw up her
branches and bloomed as though it was
enough to fulfill the laws of being and
beauty for their own sakes.


In that simple neighborhood work was
supposed to be the chief end Of every
body. So Aunt Ar,e----~ i0''r"0u '0'0-
--eshIng, and then she went to Coos.
where her brother Nathan lived, and set
up for herself.


Coos was little crumb of town in
those days but it held up its head and
had its stores and its mills, and its shops,
and its great white meeting house on
hill, with galleries on three sides and
square pews and high box pulpit.


The first Sunday after Aunt Augusta
went there. she climbed the hill, of
course, and went in the front pew with
Uncle Nathan and his wife. She was
fashionably dressed in black Grape
gown, scarlet shawl and white silk
bonnet with pink roses inside. Her
cheeks were as pink as her roses, and
her eyes were as black as her gown.


There was no need that Mr.. Keller
should point her out to the young men,
but he took the pains to do it. Mr. Keel.
er, the minister, was little lank man,
as plain and gray as dor-bug, and so
afraid of the pomps and vanities that he
wouldn't wear buttons on his coat No
sooner had his eyes fallen On Aunt Au-
gusta. settling herself in the front pew
like variegated tulip. than he dropped
the subject he had started upon for his
sermon, and began to preach against con-
formity to the world. He was sincere,
earnest man, and he preached with all
his might, emphasizing and illustrating
his words by pointing with his blunt fin
ger at the scarlet shawl ard pink roses.
So if anybody had neglected to look at
them before, they looked then.


Among those who were obedient to
the ministerial forefnger, was Abner
Stanton, the village blacksmith.


Abner Stanton's heart was good deal
like his iron not easily melted-but
when it once had been hammered into
shape, there it was, fixed and steadfast.
And to-day Aunt Augustus eyes went
through it like red-hot arrows as he
peered around at her from behind one of
the pillars in the gallery.


The next day he came to get a vest
made. The day after, he came to bring
the buttons for it and the day after
that he thought, as he was going by, he
would cali and see if she had everything
she needed, and how soon the vest would
be done. 1t was not two days more be-
fore he was there again to bring a letter.


81 happened to see it at the post-of-
flee when | went after my paper, and so
brought it along. | could as we'll as
not" said he.


The letter was from Sam Averill, tell
ing about the luck he had had in min
ing, the weather, and the fact that he
was we'll. Nothing more nothing about
the home he was building in his fancy,
and the figure that was always central
in his thoughts.


81 hope" said my Uncle Nathan,
'.you are not foolish enough to set your
mind on such rolling stone as Sam Av-
erill. He has no continuity to him."


-''If We are going to hunt for man
that has no faults In this world, we'll
have long road Of it, returned Aunt
Augusta. bearing down the heavy press
ing-iron upon her seam as though she
were trying to crush the life out Of SON e.
thing.


In Iesz than a veek Abuer gtanfon