Yes, it was from Aunt Sophie.
And while Madame Von Bruyin opened and glanced over her own hitherto neglected correspondence, Lilith opened and read Aunt Sophie’s simple epistle:
“New York, October 21, 18—.
“My Darling Child:—I take this favorable opportunity to rite to you to inform you that we are all in good helth, thanks be to the gracious Lord, and hoping that this letter may find you and the barreness enjoying the same rich blessing.
“My dear child, I have not received any letter from you sence I rote to you last September, which I think my letter must of miscarryed or else the ship must of been shiprecked. Oh, do rite to me and tell me how you are and when you are coming home, for you know this is your home, my darling child and honey. There is an interesting young man here, who have taken Mr. More’s room which he left when he got married, you know, and he is a very hopeful young man, indeed, which I hope he will make a powerful minister some of these days, though he says he is not worthy to black a Christian minister’s boots. He saw your photograf on the mantlepiece one day and took such an interest into it and read the dedercation on the back, where you know you rote To my dear Aunt Sophie, from her loving child, and he asked me most a hundred questions about you and I tolde him all I knowd. He is a Perfeck Gentleman and his name is a Mister Ansolong. I dont know as I spell it rite because I never saw it rote but thats the way it sounds. Well honey we are all going on very much in the same way as when you left. Mrs. Farquier I think is agoing to be married to Elder perkins of our church. I don’t holde with second marriages myself, but everybody must walk accordin’ to their own lites. Brother More has done a good work for the Lord and brought a menny wandering sheepe into the fold. But you know his term with us will soon be out and I hope and pray as the Conference will send him back to us but after all we mussent lean too much on the Arm of flesh knowing who is Our Helper. I do wish as that dear Mister Ansolong would enter the ministry. What a preacher he would make! He reads the Bible like an Angel! It is enough to make one Cry to hear him. But he says he has not studied and I tell him that Peter and John and James and their brethren never studied because there want any collidges in their days but he up and put it to me that John and James and they had the best of all teaching in the pursonal presence and example and instruction of Our Saviour. And there he got the better of me which only makes me feel surer what a powerful preacher he would be if he only had the Holy Spirit. But there, my darling child, I am running on until this shete of paper though it is foolscap is almost full—so I must finish, with praying that the Lord will bless you. Give my Love to the dear barreness and tell her the money she giv me to spend on the poor Street children is doing a good work and Brother More is drawing up a Report to send her, with the names and histories of the children Benifitted. So no more at present from your Affectionate Friend
Sophie Downie.”
Lilith read this letter with a joy scarcely less profound and grateful than that with which she had read the vindicatory confession of the convict, Thomas Estel.
Ancillon was still living; he had not fallen a victim to any deadly fever of the South, or to the knife of any border ruffian of the West; he had not perished in any railroad collision or steamboat explosion; and these were the only perils which, in Lilith’s opinion, could end a life so young and sound as his was. He still lived, and in his adventurous or drifting life had drifted into the calm haven of Aunt Sophie’s home.
It was very curious that he should have done so, Lilith thought; but, then, experience shows us many curious coincidences in life.
She wondered whether he had seen her advertisement in the Pursuivant, or whether, since he had given her up for dead, he had not ceased to search the Personal column, which was to have been their medium of communication when far distant from each other. But even if he had neglected that particular column in which her one advertisement was a standing item, still he must have read other portions of the paper, and so must have seen the account of the convict’s ante-mortem confession, which cleared John Weston from all complicity in the crime for which he—John Weston—alone had suffered; and yet, perhaps, he might have missed that one paper, or even in reading it, he might have overlooked that one article, so full of importance to him.