Holmes_The_English_Orphans.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
had relatives in , and after spending a short time in
that city, , remembering 's request, expressed a desire to
visit the spot renowned as the burial place of " and 's
father." ready to gratify her slightest wish, consented,
and towards the close of a mild autumnal day, they stopped at a small
public house on the border of a vast prairie. arrival of so
distinguished looking people caused quite a commotion, and after duly
inspecting 's handsome travelling dress, and calculating its
probable cost, the hostess departed to prepare the evening meal, which
was soon forthcoming.
supper was over, and the family had gathered into the pleasant
sitting room, asked if there was ever a man in those parts by
the name of "."
"! ?" asked the landlord.
did not know, but thought likely that might have seen his name,
as his son was called .
", yes," returned the landlord. " knowed well,--he
came here about the same time did, he from , and from
; but, poor feller, he was too weakly to bear much, and the
first fever he took finished him up. old woman was as clever a
creature as ever was, but she had some high notions."
" she die too?" asked .
his mouth with an enormous quid of tobacco, the landlord
continued, ", but it's a pity she didn't, for when and the boy
died, she went ravin' mad, and never felt so like cryin' as did
when see her a tearin' her hair an goin' on so. kept her a spell,
and then her old man' brother's girl came for her and took her off;
and the last heard, the girl was dead, and she was in the poor-house
somewhere east. was born there, b'lieve."
" she warn't, either," said the landlady, who for some minutes had
been aching to speak. " she warn't, either. know all about it.
was born in , and got to be quite a girl before she came over.
name was , and , who died with the
cholera, was her own uncle, and all the connection she had in this
country;--but goodness suz, what ails you?" she added, as turned
deathly white, while passed his arm around her to keep her from
falling. ", , fetch the camphire; she's goin' to faint."
did not faint, and after smelling the camphor, she said, "
on, madam, and tell me more of ."
" can do it," whispered the landlord with a sly wink. " knows
every body's history from to ."
intimation was wholly lost on the good-humored hostess, who
continued, ". died when was small, and her mother
married a . ----, don't justly remember his name"
"?" suggested .
", , that's it. was rich and cross, and broke her heart by
the time she had her second baby. was adopted by her
who died, and she came with her uncle to ."
" she ever speak of her sisters?" asked , and the woman
replied, " she got crazy, she did. of 'em, she said, was in
this country somewhere, and t'other the one she remembered the best,
and talked the most about, lived in . said she wanted to
write to 'em, but her uncle, he hated the , so he wouldn't let
her, and as time went on she kinder forgot 'em, and didn't know where
to direct, and after she took crazy she never would speak of her
sisters, or own that she had any."
" . buried near here?" asked ; and the landlord
answered, " better than a stone's throw. can see the very tree
from here, and may-be your younger eyes can make out the graves.
ought to have a grave stun, for he was a good feller."
new moon was shining, and , who came to her husband's side,
could plainly discern the buckeye tree and the two graves where
" and 's father" had long been sleeping. next morning
before the sun was up, stood by the mounds where often in years
gone by had seen the moon go down, and the stars grow
pale in the coming day, as she kept her tireless watch over her loved
and lost.
" was my cousin--your cousin," said , resting her foot upon
the bit of board which stood at the head of the little graves.
understood her wishes, and when they left the place, a handsome marble
slab marked the spot where the father and his infant son were buried.
* * * * *
, and unable to comprehend a word, listened while
told her of the relationship between them; but the mists which for
years had shrouded her reason were too dense to be suddenly cleared
away; and when wept, winding her arms around her neck and calling
her ";" and when the elegant . , scarcely less
bewildered than herself, came forward addressing her as
"sister," she turned aside to . , asking in a whisper "what
had made them crazy."
when spoke of little 's grave, and the tree which
overshadowed it, of the green prairie and cottage by the brook, once
her western home, listened, and at last one day, a week or two
after her arrival in , she suddenly clasped her hands closely
over her temples, exclaiming, "'s come! 's come! remember
now,--the large garden,--the cross old man,--the dead mother,--the
rosy-cheeked loved so well--"
" was my mother,--my mother," interrupted .
a moment regarded her intently, and then catching her in her
arms, cried over her, calling her, "her precious child," and wondering
she had never noticed how much she was like .
" don't you remember the baby ?" asked , who was
present.
",--perfectly," answered . " died, and you came in a
carriage; but didn't cry,--nobody cried but ."
was in vain that tried to explain to her that .
was her sister,--once the baby . was not to be convinced.
her and the little were the same. was none of her
blood in . 's veins, "or why," said she, "did she leave us
so long in obscurity, me and my niece, _. , .!_"
was the title which she always gave when speaking of her,
while to , who occasionally spent a week in her sister's pleasant
home, she gave the name of "little cipher," as expressing exactly her
opinion of her. so much excited , or threw her into so
violent a passion, as to have call her aunt.
" wasn't her kin when wore a sixpenny calico," said she, "
certainly am not now that dress in purple and fine linen."
first went to , procured for her the best
possible medical advice, but her case was of so long standing that but
little hope was entertained of her entire recovery. every thing
was done for her that could be done, and after a time she became far
less boisterous than formerly, and sometimes appeared perfectly
rational for days. still retained her taste for literature, and
nothing but 's firmness and decision prevented her from sending
off the manuscript of her grammar, which was now finished. was in
vain that he told her she was not now obliged to write for a living,
as he had more than enough for her support.
replied it was not _money_ she coveted, but _reputation_,--a
name,--to be pointed at as . , authoress of "'s
," &c.,--_this_ was her aim!
" may write all you choose for the entertainment of ourselves and
our friends," said , "but cannot allow you to send any thing
to a publisher,"
saw he was in earnest, and at last yielded the point, telling
in confidence that "she never saw any one in her life she feared
as she did when he set his foot down!"
did seem to have a wonderful influence over her, for a
single look from him would quiet her when in her wildest moods.
spite of the desire she once expressed of finding her sister, .
's pride at first shrank from acknowledging a relationship
between herself and , but the fact that
brought her to his home, treating her in every respect as his equal,
and always introducing her to his fashionable friends as his aunt,
gradually reconciled her to the matter, and she herself became at last
very attentive to her, frequently urging her to spend a part of the
time with her. always refused, saying that "for the sake of
her niece she must be very particular in the choice of her
associates!"
to her promise, on 's twenty-first birth-day,
made over to her one fourth of her property, and , remembering her
intentions towards , immediately offered him one half of
it. he declined accepting it, saying that his profession was
sufficient to support both himself and , for in a few weeks
, whose father had returned from , was coming, and
already a neat little cottage, a mile from, the city, was being
prepared for her reception. did not urge the matter, but many an
article of furniture more costly than was able to purchase
found its way into the cottage, which with its overhanging vines,
climbing roses, and profusion of flowers, seemed just the home for
.
when the flowers were in full bloom, when the birds sung amid the
trees, and the summer sky was bright and blue, came to the
cottage, a joyous, loving bride, believing her own husband the best in
the world, and wondering if there was ever any one as happy as
herself. was very happy. as a bee she flitted about
the house and garden, and if in the morning a tear glistened in her
laughing eyes as bade her adieu, it was quickly dried, and all
day long she busied herself in her household matters, studying some
agreeable surprise for her husband, and trying for his sake to be very
neat and orderly. when the clock pointed the hour for his return,
she would station herself at the gate, and , as he kissed the
moisture from her rosy cheek, thought her a perfect enigma to weep
when he went away, and weep when he came home.
was no place which loved so well to visit, of where she
seemed so happy, as at the "," and as she was of but little use
at home, she frequently spent whole weeks with , becoming
gradually more cheerful,--more like herself, but always insisting that
she should never be married.
spring following 's removal to , . came down to
the city to live with her adopted daughter, greatly to the delight of
, whose home was lonelier than it was wont to be, for
was gone, and too had recently been married to . ,
and removed to , .
now a glance at , and our story is done. . 's
adventure had been a successful one, and not long after his
return he received from a conveyance of the farm,
which, under . 's efficient management, was in a high state of
cultivation. the inmates of the poor-house but few changes have
taken place. , who continues at the helm, has grown
somewhat older and crosser; while labors industriously at
his new fiddle, the gift of , who is still remembered with much
affection.
, now a young lady of sixteen, is a pupil at
, and . , after wondering and wondering where the
money came from, has finally concluded that "some of _'s folks_
must have sent it!"