Year: 1873

Nv mind had been so much occupied that
1 had not thought of the allusion Mr.. Howard
had made, in regard to our having another
friend in Cuba, besides Owen Morris. In all
probability, the subject would never have oc-
Cured to me again, except from the following
circumstance, for the only other person who
ever knew anything of our family history was
Nellie's father and we had heard of his death
several years before.


Twas sitting in my own room one morning,
when letter was handed me. I observed, on
taking it, that it bore foreign post-mark,
and then I recognized the hand writing. 1t
was from Owen Morris, and this is what he
said to me:


"You will no doubt be surprised when you see
the signature to this letter. make no excuse for
writing to you, after your urgent request that l
should not do so. IT. on reading this, you blame
me, shall be grieved; but Shall never regret
having written to you, for consider it an act OF


81 shall not weary you with an account of all
that has happened to me since you sent me away,
but proceed at once to the object of this letter.,
s'Some months since was sent for to attend
man who had been brought into the hospital from
one @ of the ships in the barbor. 1 found him des-
perately i'll with brain fever. In his delirum he
disclosed the fact that he was the father OF your
sister Nellie. Fortunately, was the only per-
son near him at the time, and need not tell you
that his secret is safe with me.


"Hc is now convalescent, and speaks OF return
ing to the United States. I am endeavorng to
dissuade him from this, knowing that twill cause
you trouble shonld he do So He says ne ne owns owns
look after. do not know where it is situated, or
even if he is telling me the truth in making this
statement; but considered it best to write you
the above facts, that you might be somewhat pre-
thought to be no longer living I hope you are
not offended with me for writing to you. lshould
not have presumed to do so, were it not that may
aid you in shielding those you love so dearly from
suffering. This is my only excuse.


"But now that am writing, l cannot resist the
impulse which bids say to you, that in spite OF
separation and utter silence between us, my feel
ings toward you are unchanged. Even when you
sent me away, you did not doubt my love- be-
lieve it is now as it was them I sometimes fancy
that this man-your step-father-may have been
the cause of my having been discarded by you.
All my darling, if this is all, let me come back
toyou Now that know you are to be harrassed
and annoyed, and perhaps grieved, feel, more
than ever, that ought to be near you: May
come? AS ever, yours, OWEN NORRIS


1t was we'll that I was alone when read
this letter. forgot all that was unpleasant
in it, and remembered only that Owen Morris
loved me! He was right. Nellie's father
avas the cause of my giving him up; but the
same cause existed now as then, and much as
longed to see him, I could not write for him
to come. I knew there was no one / could
call upon to aid me in the coming struggle;
but I had lived through the greatest sorrow
my life could ever know, and l must likewise
live through this, with no loving heart to cheer
and comfort me.


As to my conduct for the future, found it
was impossible to think of that now. Was it
very silly in me? I had been waiting so
long for kind and loving words, and now they
had come when 1 thought should never hear
them again on this earth, and when | had
learned to look forward to that "better coun-
try" with all the more longing.


was still sitting with the letter in my
hand when Mary entered the room.


Chow happy you look, Mattie!" she ex-
claimed "you must have heard some good
news. Was your letter from Nellie?'


"No, darling only from an old friend. You
know it is always pleasant for old folks, like
myself, to hear they are held in kind remem-
brance by those from whom they have been
separated for long time. 1 suppose it was
that thought which made me smile"


Just then I heard Johns voice calling me,
and hurried down to see him. On reaching
the parlor, I found Henrietta and Mr.. Howard
awaiting me. 1t was their first visit since the
day Mary tainted. Henrietta was all affec-
ton, but knew her visit to Elmwood was
from some other motive than merely to make
display of her devotion. My conjecture
soon proved to be correct.


Il suppose, Mr.. Leslie has been too much
occupied to call on our new neighbor," was
her first remark.


II did not know we had new neighbor,"
1 said in surprise, "who is it"


81 thought you knew that Mr. Harris had
rented out his place to Mr.. English. | hear
he is rich, and therefore catch. He is not
very young, so, perhaps, you would like to set
,,o,, oo,> for him -