Year: 1876

cular ailment, but had literally Pined
and wasted away. The bird had lost i.s
mate Of many years, and when at last
she kissed me and said 'Good-by," it
seemed to me to De in a quiet, rest-seek
ing spirit, and she spoke like one look
ing hopefully forward TO the meeting
with him who had gone before


But she could think Of me even then,
and almost the last whispered words
were.


"Only eleven months, Grace, and then
he will be back to fetch you"


Poor mother she would not have pas
sed so peacefully away ifshe had known
that which l withheli-namely, the
news that came TO me from our lawyer
For, through the failure of the enter
prise in which my fathers savings had
been invested, and which brought US
little income Of eco year, was left
penniless-so poor in faci that the furn-
itnre of the cottage in the little town, TO
which we had moved when we left the
farm. had TO be sold to defray the funer
al expenses.


1t was very hard TO bear, and for a
month l was terribly depressed; but
there was that great hopeful time ever
drawing near-the end of the three years
when Jack would cUme TO fetch me TO be
his wife.


II was nov for the first time that ! re-
member feeling particular about my per
sonal appearance, and | studied my
glass 10 ace if Jack would find me look
ing careworn and thin, and my glass told
me truIy-yes.


But l had to be up and doing. and be-
fore another month was over, through
the kindness of people whom we had
known, / was placed where could work
contentedly for the bread ! must earn
till Jack should come to fetch me away.


1t was at l. large West End dress
makers, and it was hard work to get
used to the hurry and excitement of the
place, where there were twelve girls liv-
ing in the house and as many more came
every day.


There were all kinds of petty pieces
ef tyranny to submit to at first, and J
suppose some of the foolish girls were
Jealous of me and my looks, SO much SO
that found they nicknamed me The
Beauty" Poor girls! If they had only
l. L., I hx-v
they would have behaved at first as they
did later on.


The fist thing that wen them to me
was when Mary Sanders was taken i'll
with a terrible fever Nine. Granger
twas for sending her away at once on ac-
count of her business and the infection,
but the doctor who was called in, a young,
impetuous, but very clever man, told
her that it would he at her peril if she
did so, for Mary Sanders life was in
danger. So the poor girl was shut up in
her bedroom without a soul to go near
her except hired nurse, and after the
first night this woman stayed away.


No one dared go near the poor girl
then, so I timidly asked leave to nurse
her, for felt no fear of the infection,
and it seemed so hard for her to be left
there alone.


l obtained leave and went upstairs,
staying with her till she recovered; and
from that day there was always kind
look for me and kiss from every girl in
the place.


What was more, oddly enough, per-
haps because was so quiet and restrain
ed, first one girl and then another came
to make me the confdant of her love
secrets and ask my advice.


I gave it, such as it was, though
heartsore myself. for Jacks letters to
me had suddenly ceased. We had cor
responded so regularly, but it had struck
me that his last two letters had been
formal and constrained; they were full
of business matters too, and he had hint
ed at its being possible that he should
not be able 10 keep time about the three
years in consequence of some contract.


did not think this when ! first read
these letters, for then ! had kissed and
cried over them; but when no reply came
to my last l re -ead them, and the cold
ness seemed apparent.


But | waited and waiied, and then
news came from the country. Jack
father, a widower, had died suddenly;
and | said to myself, with throhbing
heart, as longed to be at his side to try
and comfort him in his affiiction, Poor
Jack, he will come home now"


But he did not come, neither did ] get
any reply to my last two letters. Anoth-
er month and the three years would be
up; and as l sat over some work one
spring morning by the open window
with bunch of violets that one of the
girls had brought me in glass. the soft
breeze that came floating over the chin
ney-tops and sooty roofs waited to me the
scent of the humble little blossoms, and
my eyes became full of tears, for in an
instant the busy work room had passed
away, and was down home by the riv-
er-side listening to dear Jack, as he ask
ed me to be his wife.


Only a month! only month my
| pulses seemed to beat; and then as it
happened we were all busy upon a large
wedding order, and was stitching away
at the white satin skirt intended for the
bride.


| / tried 50 hard to bear it, but I could
not; the rush of feelings was too great.
| Another month and he was to have
fetched me to be his wife, and ] had not
had an answer to my last two fond and
loving letters.


As | said, / tried hard to bear it, but
could not, and sitting sob / hurried
out of the work room to reach my attic,
throw myself upon my knees by the bed,
and burrying my face in my hands |