of her feeble parents, and he to take
care of his invalid mother and the two little ones.

But lo and behold! after they had lived in that Western city for a few
years, Tom a-workin' hard as he could to keep the wolf from the door,
and from devourin' the three helpless ones, his brother returned from
California as rich as a Jew, and he took his two little girls back with
him and put 'em in school, and give Tom the money to start in business,
and he wuz fortunate beyend any tellin'--got independent rich; then his
ma wuz took sick and died, he a-waitin' on her devoted to the very last.

Then, heart-hungry and lonesome, he broke through the vow he had made,
and writ to Isabelle; but Isabelle had gone from the old place--she
didn't git the letters.

Then he writ agin, for his love wuz strong and his pride weak--weak as a
cat. True Love will always have that effect on pride and resolve, etc.

But no answer came back to his longin' and waitin' heart.

And then, I spoze, Pride kinder riz up agin, and he said to himself that
he wouldn't worry her and weary her with letters that she didn't think
enough of to answer.

And he had about made up his mind that all he should ever see of
Isabelle would be the shadder of her beauty in the girl by the old
medder bars, standin' in the fresh grasses, by the laughin' brook, all
lookin' so like the dear old farm when he won her love so long ago.

That dead, mute, irresponsive picture wuz more to him than any livin',
breathin' woman could ever be.

So he camped down before it, as you may say, for life--that is, he
thought so; but Providence wuz a-watchin' over him, and his thoughtful,
unselfish kindness to a stranger, or strangers, wuz to be rewarded with
the prize of love and bliss.

Wall, the World's Fair wuz, I spoze, looked on by many a pair of glad
eyes. Hearts that throbbed high with happiness beat on through them
majestic rooms. But happier hearts and gladder eyes never glowed and
rejoiced in 'em than Isabelle's and her handsome lover's.

And wuzn't Krit glad? Wuzn't he glad of soul to see Isabelle's
happiness? Yes, indeed! And Maggie and Thomas Jefferson.

Why, of course we wouldn't sing out loud in public, not for anything. We
knew it wouldn't do to go along the streets or in the halls and
corridors of the World's Fair, a-singin' as loud as we could--

"Joy to the World!"

Or, "What amazin' bliss is this!" or anything else of that kind--no, we
wuz too well-bread to at