St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-03-19
CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER x.
Mr.. Gray had lived in Cincinnati, fo1
many years. At one time his circum.
stances were tolerably good but a
failure in business, and subsequent ill
health reduced him very low. A prom
Use of employment led him to remove
to Nashville, where he died, leaving
his family, as has been seen, in very
destitute circumstances.
So soon as Mrs. Gray perceived that
;;!.o kind feelings awakened in her be-
halt, were beginning : Inside, and
that she was actually regarded with
something like suspicion, she deter
mined to go back with her daughter
to Cincinnati, where they were better
known, and where she knew that they
could at least procure work enough to
keep them above want. Having no
one to consult on the subject, nothing
was said to any one. They sold off
such articles of furniture as they did
not wish to remove, and with the rem
nant of their effects, embarked for Gin
cinnati. No one asked them any ques-
tions, and they communicated with no
one on the subject.
In Cincinnati, they felt more at
home, although the return to that city
without the husband and father, who
was 50 tcnderly beloved, affected them
with an ineXpressible sadness. But
the necessity of active cxertion, and
that excrtion itself, diverted their
thoughts, and buoyed up their minds.
They soon found themselves the occu-
pants of comfortable apartments, and
with as much on their hands as they
could do, although the work they OBJ
tanned was not very profitable.
Nothing of more than ordinary in
terest occurred during the winter and
spring. The mother and daughter
continued to labor on, at work obtain
ed sometimes from the shops and som e.
times from families, managing by so
doing to provide for themselves all
they desired, and even to lay by
small sum of money for future contin-
gencics.
Although so poor as to be obliged
to toll with constant industry, Mrs.
Gray managed always to have little
time to spare in which she read to An
ma, or caused Anna to read to her.
Books were obtained from a circula-
ting library at very small cost they
were usually such as contained infor-
or set forth right principles
for conduct in life. Occasionally
work of lighter character was procur-
ed, as kind of mental relaxation.
AS before intimated, Mrs. Gray was
a woman whose appearance and man
ner indicated one above the station
she occupied. There was something
Of the lady in all her movements. She
had evidently been well educated was
and polished in her exteri-
or. With Anna, who seemed deeply
attached to her mother, she had al
ways taken great pains and it was
gratifying to her maternal pride to see
her child growing up, into modest,
graceful, well informed young woman,
fit to adorn any circle. Before her ia
ther failed in business, Anna had been
taught music and dancing, and had ta-
ken lessons in French. In all these
branches of a polite education, she
had made considerable progress.
Time passed on. Spring came and
went, and the summer was nearly
zone, when Mrs. Gray was attacked
Nth prevailing fever, that brought
almost Immediately to the verge
o.death. From this, aided by the
WIN prescription of skillful physi-
claSehe slowly recovered. But it
wasNe middle of September before
She cGld leave her room. On the first
day 'N she ventured forth, she took
heav&old, which caused relapse,
from VIM she never recovered. In
lew sNt weeks she sunk into the
Some dae previous to this aflict-