Year: 1866

| peared impatient 10 be on. She laugh
inglv said as she was entering the car
rage


Z" | leave tear and a kiss for each one
of you" and iiuttered her handkerchief
from the window as long as she could see
us standing on the pizza. Fred accom-
panied them to the city, and was left
alone with Mr.. Bennett for the first time.
strove to make the day pass pleasantly
but it seemed to me like weary task, for
my spirits were depressed at the depart
ure of my father and sis.er.


We scent the morning at my cousins 8,
returning home in time for luncheon
After this we repaired to the parlcr, where
we conversed for long timo, ard finally
I consented to play for him. | prefer
red old pieces to new, and so selected
them, finally concluding with "Sweet
Home" After finishing turned to see
if he was satisfied, only to find him rest
ing bis head on his hand apparently alb
sorbed in meditation. At length he
walked towards me, saying as he came, -


"Sweet, sweet home, this is indeed one
a happier one than / had dared lately
dream of. Miss Ashley, you are blest in
deed, possessing, as you do, such sweet
resting place. | have neither father,
mother, brother nor sister in this wide
world, no place dear to me for the sweet
faces the associations found there, where
after my long wanderings / can turn to
end contentment and rest / am alone in
this cold world but it is only when list
ening to such music, or beholding hap
py family group. that these bitter tho'ts
haunt me. Your song carried me back
to days when sweet, blue-eyo being,
something like your Maud, twined her
fond arms about me, calling me Brother
when a loving mother taught me to follow
the right path, and an iudulgent father
laid his hand an my head, praying God
would bless his boy. They are all gone
now one by ene they dropped and faded
away, fast my parents, then she, my idol,
the treasure to which | clung so fondly
my sweet, angel sister Allie. Forgive my
sad musings | know | must have wea-
lied you but all the old joys and sor-
rows came back so forcibly | gave myself
up to train Of reflections. May you
never know what it is to be left alone as
| have been"


His heartfelt sorrow awoke slumber-
ing chord of sympathy in my heart, and
| could but recall my mother to mind
Sure had my father, brother and sister
left me but still there was a void which
nothing but mothers love could fill,
and could only sigh to think of his des-
olation.


From this hour we were the best OF
friends. At night, when it came time
for the train to arrive from the city, he
invited me to accompany him to meet
my brother, which l accepted. While
riding home Mr.. Bennett happened to ad-
dress me as Miss Ashley, when my broth
er inquired if he had not yet given me
my proper name. l replied


"It is by my own request that he calls
me so, giving an old maid her title"


"Not an old maid yet, Isa; you are
scarcely twenty-five, while l, so nearly
thirty, feel quite as young as Maud at
eighteen. The care you have taken upon
yourself makes you feel older, but now
our blossom is away you will soon be
young again"


Well, perhaps I'm not so very old
after all but [ really feel as if Maud
was my child, she is 30 childish and re-
quires so much attention. Now she is
gone l shall be Quilted rested and per.
haps more like my yself."


"Well, then, change your title if you
wish to be young, and don't let Charlie
call you Miss Ashley any more"
Perhaps he will not accept the
change; but if he is willing to call me
lisa in future l shall be pleased to ac
knowledge the honor" replied.


Gladly, gladly. l could not wish for
a greater pleasure than to forego all such
formalities but you in turn must forget
Mr.. Bennett. I'd rather be less the gen
tlemaD, and more the boy. Call me
Charlie, hereafter please" he said





Five months passed away. ano during
that time they told me changed to a
joyous girl again, full as merry as Maud
had ever been; as Fred expressed it, "the
statue warmed into life" Charles Sum
ner was still with us, and during that
time the warm sympathy We felt forene
another ripencd into warmer and more
enduring affection. My brother express.