Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-07-05


; asked pettishly. 81 bad rather the
, rainy day should come 81 once, and be
: really poor, than to live IS we do, so full
ofpreteuses, and practicing SO many mean
nesses.''
ooh, child, child, ,yoa dor't know"
answered my mother, as she hurried away
into the Kitchen; and as she shut the door
heard her mutter somea hing that sound
ed like 'your fathers spaculations"
intended to inquire What she meant by
these mysterious words; hst She wasbusy
all the morning, and in the afternoon our
guests arrived, and, ere the opportunity
came the words were forgotten.
Those were very happy weeks for me,
that followed. l gave myself up to pleas
ure. Our visitors were two of my school
friends, gay girls of good family and CON
siderable beauty. They had been visiting
in the college town few miles distant, and
score of youths followed in their train
when they came to see me.
Each of them had lover, and l, too,
had mine. | had pleasant, joyous dream
"a. dream of young. happy, approved
love-
The pinching economies of our house :
hold were laid aside, or if any were prac-
ticed L did not see them, for was alb
sorbed with my guests and my lover.
ought to have seen that my mothers tasks
were too hard tor her, but l was so ac-
customed TO the sight OF her ceaseless toll
that ] no longer needed it, and did not
even observe that her wan cheek was
paler than ever before. My father was
more busting, louder voiced, more impor-
tant in manner than had ever seen him,
and many times the untilial thought
crossed my mind that he had grown very
disagreeable with his increase of wealth.
A great many persons came to see him
on business, whereat | was thankful, for
he was often with them, and little at home.
The autumn came, and our summer
friends departed l was sorry to have
them leave, but [ was to spend some weeks
with them in the city during the winter,
and 10 procure my bridal wardrobe there,
for was to be married in the spring
My father had given his consent, and
promised dashing fortune.
In the autumn days, when | no longer
had my time aud thoughts absorbed in
other matters, and the household had re-
turned to its Il ual routine, observed my
mothers iIlness. She had not complained
she never complained, but size silently
lay down on her bed, at last, saying,
mildly, that she was afraid she WAS going
To be sick, and sickness was very expen-
sive.''
She never rose from that sick bed. She
faded rapidly away, and died Her death
was the dawn of our "rainy day" Be-
fore midwinter it had burst upon u.s.
My father failed! For two yea he had
been rushing Inadly into specuk tions.-
The bubble burst, and as it foated away
it carried with it the splendid fortune
be, and my poor toiling mother, + ad been
for years SO labori ously building.
81 never rains, but it pours," is a
homely old proverb, but it was a true one
in our case. Ny mothers death, my
fathers failure, and our poverty, were fol-
lowed by the desertion of the friends our
wealth had drawn around us. Ny letter
to my city friends announcing our mislor-
tunes and delaying my visit, remained to-
tally unnoticed.
My lover wrote to ask a release from
his engagement. His heart and wishes,
he assured me, were unchanged, but his
father forbade him to marry portionless
bride. | proudly and quietly released
him, and baGe him farewell.
In our ''rainy day" my father fled to
me for shelter. The old house was mine,
now, and so was the remnant of my grand
fathers bequest to me, only part Of
which had been expended upon my edu-
cation. We had more than enough TO
support us in our accustomed style.
But we did not live thus. l was mis-
tress, and L would suffer no such sordd
economy. We were frugal, but not mean,
and my father, who was utterly subdued
by the loss of the wealth he had built up
and enjoyed so proudly, acquiesced in all
my plans.
In his misfortune learned to love him.
Trials had been like the tests of alchemy
to his hard nature-the dross was melted |
away, the pure metal remained, and shone
brightly amidst the ashes Of its worthless
portions.
Our ''rainy day." after all, was our
brightest one. often found myself wish
ing that my mother could have lived to
snjoy it, for she would have had rest, and
peace, and freedom from her wearying
cares. But did not repine that she had
gone where no sorrow comes-she would
have suffered at sight of my SORROW,
which, though overcome and lived down
At last, was keen enough in its early days.
Nevertheless, iD the peaceful years that
ollowed, in the great happiness that came
o me at last, 1 never really regretted our
rainy day"