CHAPTER I.
Many years ago, in one of the New England States near the banks of a small lake, stood a beautiful farm house, surrounded by a fine orchard. John Hilton, the owner of this romantic place, was an intelligent farmer and was kind to all people who chanced to come to his house. His family consisted of himself, wife and two children, a son and daughter. Warren, the eldest, was a fine lad of eighteen, with blue eyes and light complexion, and inherited his father’s kind disposition. Minnie was a brunette, a splendid girl of sixteen, with a heart as pure as the wild flowers around her home. She had company. Her cousin, Nettie Spaulding, had come from the city of New York to spend her birthday. Nettie was a lovely girl of eighteen, with dark brown eyes and dark auburn hair which hung in lovely curls around her shapely head. She had come to spend a few days with her cousin in the country. Since her father’s death nothing seemed to please this dreary, kind-hearted child of nature more than to visit her uncle’s house by the lake, where she could roam at will in the woods and gather wild flowers where nature had planted them so artistically. That Monday morning there was a great bustle around the house. There was to be a party on the Friday night following in honor of the young lady friend, and all seemed to enjoy the pleasure it afforded, except the young lady. She was silent and often in tears, and her cousins could not draw her out of this apathy. That afternoon her cousins were going to town to do some shopping. Nettie preferred staying at home and going down to the lake to gather wild flowers for a bouquet.
“It is so pleasant to gather roses, lilies and shrubs alone by the lake;” thus she said to her cousins as they rode away.
Warren waved an adieu as he said, “Dear cousin, do not go too near the brink of the lake, as you may fall in and there would be no one to get you out.”
She waved back the adieu as she sadly said, “Be not afraid, cousin. I shall be careful. How happy they are,” she said as she turned and went silently to the house, thinking how kind her cousins were to her, a poor, lonely girl of the metropolis. Thus she mused: “Mother told me my cousins would use me as if I was as well off financially as they were. Oh, if papa had lived perhaps we would not have been bankrupt. Oh, how times will change in a few short months; as soon as papa died nearly all of his creditors wished to have their pay. It was all right for them to have their dues. Poor mamma had to sell nearly all the property, only saving a small sum out of the wreck. We can get along, for ‘where there’s a will there’s a way.’ I am going to do something. One thing certain—my parents gave me a good common education and debts cannot take that away. I will try and turn it to good advantage when I can.” Thus she mused as she went slowly up the path. The tears were slowly trickling down her lovely features and falling on the little hands. She was deeply engaged in thinking and did not observe her aunt who was coming down to meet her. She was surprised when her aunt said, “Nettie dear, why those tears? Are you not happy? Have your cousins been unkind to you?”
“No, auntie, I was only thinking of papa and what might have been.”
“Yes, Nettie, I know what you are referring to, but God has willed it otherwise and you should be content. My dear, your papa did not know that he was so soon to die and leave his only child nearly penniless. If he was to know it would make him very unhappy, as he dearly loved you. It is well the dead do not know of the living, for if they did how unhappy thousands would be to see the troubles and sorrows of their friends on earth. This is a great mystery we cannot solve; we can only do our duty in helping one another, then, perhaps, we can meet them on that ‘evergreen shore.’”
While her aunt was speaking Nettie was silently weeping. Her aunt said, “Cheer up, Nettie, you and your mother can have a home with us as long as we have one, and we will share the last morsel of food with you; your uncle said so a few days ago.”
“Thank you, auntie, we can get along yet a while; something may turn up for us yet,” answered Nettie, kissing her aunt.
“Remember, my dear, you have one true Friend, One who is always near. He will not forsake you in the hour of trial,” said her aunt.