ed partner, who, at his death,
would be left quite alone in the world. 'Then,' continued he, 'I thought
of the sin I had committed in so long neglecting my parents, and I
resolved to atone for my past neglect, by hastening home to care for my
mother, should I find her still alive; and the happiness is yet left me
of watching over the declining years of my aged mother.' For awhile I
refused to listen to him when he spoke about marriage, and told him it
was better we should remain only as friends; but he talked and talked,
and kept saying that, as we loved each other in youth, we could yet
spend the evening of our lives together; and I at last said yes, only to
stop his talking, and if we should happen not to agree, we shall have
less time to quarrel than if we had got married twenty-five years ago;
but, I rather think we have both got sobered down, so we can get along
peaceably. And now, Walter, you go right off to bed, for you must get up
bright and early to-morrow morning, to assist in the preparations for
the wedding." Aunt Lucinda looked very becoming in her bridal dress of
gray silk with its rich lace trimming, and she looked younger and
handsomer than I had ever seen her before, when Joshua Blake placed the
marriage ring upon her finger; he was a fine-looking man, but I could
not help thinking that the mixture of gray in his auburn locks was more
of an improvement than otherwise. He had returned to Fulton a rich man,
and on the same spot where stood his father's old house, he erected and
furnished a beautiful residence, which every one allowed was an ornament
to the village; and removed thither with his wife and aged mother a
short time after his marriage. My aunt's marriage made quite a change
in the home arrangements at Uncle Nathan's, but he finally persuaded my
mother to sell her old house and Elmwood, to come and reside with him.
It was some time before my mother could make up her mind to leave her
old home, hallowed by so many associations of the past; but, judging the
lonely situation of the brother, who had done so much for me, she at
length consented; and my uncle's home is now presided over by my mother,
who was always his favorite sister. Cousin Silas's eldest daughter, now
an intelligent girl of eighteen, stays with my mother, as an assistant
companion; and the summer gathering of friends from the dusty city is
now held at Uncle Nathan's farm-house instead of my mother's old home at
Elmwood.

CHAP