Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-03-23
lead. and she now biI fair to make a

children. and her faAeK was compare
:.ve'y poor. Her motter.a kind hearted
but hitherto broken spirited woman, FIRE
/ quently suffered from i'll health when the
care OF the family always devolved upon
Mary who, from her earliest years. had
been habituated to self denial and active
exertion, and what was much worse 1han
that, she had. many tine4 known what it
was to await in dread anxiety the arrival
home of father-savage, and sometimes
furious, from the excitefnent of strong
drink; and ready to deal blows for the
least infraction of his STERN commands.
and to deal out curses upon his wretched
family, for the uncomforta blencss of his
home and all its surroundings, which
could not reasonably be attributed to any
body bat himself He had once been
wealthy and respectable man, moved in
i the best society, aud married an amiabIe
!. woman but getting mao Office. in the
I military line. seemed to lead to his ruin
The established custom of treating. upon
all military occasions, and being treated,
+, proved snare to Col Aston. and his
insignificant title cost him very dear
Buta change had Of late come over him !;
the blessed operations of the temperance
refornl-then just beginning to be felt in
this country, had happily extended to him !;
and few months before. he had been
gathered into its fold of safety
/ An air of peace and happiness now per
vaded the home, once the abode of ruin
and despair, the gaps in the dilapidated
walls and buildings were beginning to be
filed up, and SMALL payment had been
I Il, t,,aIa A.
that cncumbercdf the estate he had nher-
itcd frotn his ancestors the wife and
mother felt encouraged and hopeful. ouce
more and the children happy. and resoly-
ed to do everything in their power to en-
Courage their repentant father. and better
/ the condition of the family
Mary Aston was possessed Of good
/ health, sense, and discretion. aud the will
to make the most of whatever advantages
came within her reach The school of ad
versIty, IN which she had been reared had
gwen to her character firmness and self
reiance 1T might never have acquired IL
/ prosperity and this firnness, however
acquired, is a valuable quality towards the
! attainment of success III life as a reso-
/ lute mind is omnipotent"
( Though young. she was Sufficiently
qualified for the post of school teacher in
the wild. out of the way country district
where she was engaged at a salary SO small
as to excite Ellens ridicule
/ just to think of working three long
months for only Ten dollars she said =
T Why it wouIdn't buy a single good dress
or bonnet, Mary
! Not bonnet or dress for you, Ellen.
l,,t I +
I have had IN two years. a..ei that l. a gresrt
deal to me or it would buy books, that |
want very much and give me an expert
ence of teaching. that has some value for
you know [ could have commanded higher
wages if | had had that
We'll, Mary, you are a queer girl and
considering your situation. | ought not to
! discourage Your plans, without | could
/ propose something better which I can't
except in one thing, and that is. not to
spend any of your hard earned money III
books, when any of my old ones would
answer your purpose for you may have
mine and welcome
L thank you Ellen, from the bottom of
my heart Iou are really a kind hearted
girl, if you do sometimes talk little
! proudly. Your books would be inyalua
bic to me jast now, as | think can find
a great deal OF time this summer to stud y
out of school hours. aud mean to improve
it. Father, you know, is not able to buy
me books though, thank God he is now
! good and kind
t Mary. | almost regret that | possess
SO little Of your energetic spirit of i'm
provement. | really hateastudy and bad
rather think of anything else. If | had
been in your place, should have been a
complete Ounce
L do not believe it. Ellen. for you have
sense enough. out rou have been sent to
the best schools, and bad nothing in the
world else to do. till you are completely
tired of it ; and besides your father is SO
rich that you have no motive for eXerti"u,
as | have. You do not get education for
anything. bat as a polish to your manners
and appearance and YOU have not the
most remote idea of ever being obliged to
use it as a means of getting living
Certainly not, Mary, for why should l
think Of it p
Why. because there is a bare possibili-
ty that such might be your fate Do you
remember telling me the history of your
music teacher 2
Yes. she was once very rich but her
husband lost all they had, and his life too.
in terrible shipwreck and left her and
her children in poverty.
w ell Whenever you are tempted TO
neglect your great advantages, Ellen. just
think of Mrs Forester, your music teach
er
What an eloquent little preacher you
are. for a girl of eighteen you are posi-
lively fifty at least, in wisdom and eSpe-
rience but try as you will you can never
make anything very learned of me. Mary.
You have, certainly, much better nat
ural talents than |. Ellen, all you lack is
application and [ really believe that If
you had been obliged to wori, half the
time you have spent at school you would
be as well or better. versed in your stud
les than ypjl are now
Work. Mary. deliver me from work
IF you'd said plav. | might have agreed
with vo,, c.i1 Elan tossing her hear