A few days after 'Lina's burial, there came three letters to Spring

Bank, one to Mrs. Worthington from Murdock, as he now chose to be

called, saying that though he had looked, and was still looking

everywhere for the missing Adah, he could only trace her, and that but

vaguely, to the Greenbush depot, where he lost sight of her entirely, no

one after that having seen a person bearing the least resemblance to

her. After a consultation with the doctor, he had advertised for her,

and he inclosed a copy of the advertisement, as it appeared in the

different papers of Boston, Albany, and New York.

"If A---- H---- will let her whereabouts be known to her friends, she

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will hear of something to her advantage."

This was the purport of Murdock's letter, if we except a kind of inquiry

after 'Lina, of whose death he had not heard.

The second, for Alice, was from Anna Richards, who was also ignorant as

yet of 'Lina's decease. After inquiring kindly for the unfortunate girl,

she wrote: "I have great hopes of my erring brother, now that I know how his whole

heart goes toward his beautiful boy, our darling Willie. I wish poor,

dear Lily could have seen him when, on his arrival at Terrace Hill, he

not only bent over, but knelt by the crib of his sleeping child, waking

him at once, and hugging him to his bosom, while his tears dropped like

rain. I am sure she would have chosen to be his wife, for her own sake

as well as Willie's.

"You know how proud my mother and sisters are, and it would surprise

you, as it does me, to see them pet, and spoil, and fondle Willie, who

rules the entire household, mother even allowing him to bring

wheelbarrow, drum, and trumpet into the parlor, declaring that she likes

the noise, as it stirs up her blood. Willie has made a vast change in

our once quiet home, and I fear I shall meet with much opposition when I

take him away, as I expect to do next month, for Lily gave him to me,

and brother John has said that I may have him until the mother is found,

while Charlie is perfectly willing; and thus, you see, my cup of joy is

full.

"Brother is away now, hunting for Adah, and I am wicked enough not to

miss him, so busy am I in the few preparations needed by the wife of a

poor missionary."

Then, in a postscript. Anna added: "I forgot to tell you that Charlie

and I are to be married some time in July, that the Presbyterian Society

of Snowdon has given him a call to be their pastor, that he has

accepted, and what is best of all, has actually rented your old home for

us to live in. I don't know how it will seem to stop on Sundays at the

meeting house instead of keeping on to our dear, old St. Luke's. I love

the service dearly, but I love my Charlie more, notwithstanding that he

calls me his little heretic, and accuses me of proselytizing intentions

towards himself. I have never confessed it before, but, seriously, I

have strong hopes of seeing him yet in surplice and gown; but till that

time comes, I shall be a real good Presbyterian, or orthodox, as they

are called here in Massachusetts.




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