The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-04-19

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His wife was vain, weak, selfish; a
woman who knew not what it W as to
grow old gracefully, and who hunted
youthful pleasures with a wrinkled
brow, a flaxen wig, and a painted
cheek. Her mind was inconceivably
small; she wept more for the loss of
her diamonds and dresden than for her
husbands misfortunes: and mourned
incessantly that her Mino, her, darling
her exquisite poodle, was of necessity
deprived of his chicken panada! Be-
ing man Of no ordinary intellectual
powers, Mr.. Sunderland had chosen
her-no one knew why from the
love of contrast, perhaps; or the then,
as well as now, prevailing opinion, th at
silly women make the most tender
wives or, perhaps, smitten with her
pretty face-time out of mind the mat
rimonial bait for wise men as well as
fools But certainly no one could have
imagined her to have been the mother
of such being as Margaret Sunder-
land. One little anecdote will serve to
show the nature of Margaret's princi-
ples-and it is to be hoped, act as a
lesson to many similarly circumstanced
who seem not aware that honesty de-
mands the sacrifice of all ). so that, in
the emphatic words of Scripture, we
may "owe no man anything, but to
love one another When her father
was making out an inventory of his
personal property for the benefit of his
creditors, Margaret entered the room
with noiseless step, and placed before
him a large casket, containing all the
jewels she possessed. The old man
laid down the pen, and looked into her
sweet face, without a word.
"These were only valuable, dear
father, because you gave them, and
loved to see me wear such finery; in
our future dwelling they would be
worse than useles; take them, and let
them, for my sake, be appropriated to
the payment of our debts"
''Not SO, my child ; you have nothing
to do witb"-
She prevented the sentence being
finished by an affectionate kiss.
81 will not suffer you to say SO, be-
cause it makes me as if not one with
you. If you do not take them, will
sell them myself, and send the money
where it may be required"
Mr. Sunderland Enclosed portion of
the casket, and his eyes rested on a
tiara of the finest oriental pearl. 81
remember when you last wore this, my
child; it was at the gallant fete given
at Hampstead, by the rich Jew of
Cheapside. How beautiful it looked
in your dark hairr'
"And does not this look as beautiful,
father % exclaimed Margaret, snatch
ing white rose from an overturned
vace of flowers, and placing it on her
head. "When we live in nice country
cottage, you shall gather one for me
every summer morning"
But the winter-the winter will
come there, girl, as well as here, and
where then shall 1 gather roses?"
eve will then, father, live upon
memory and upon hope!' She hardly
dared trust herself to pronounce that
little word s'hope," which, to really
broken heart, sounds more like mocke-
ry than consolation. Her father looked
mournfully into her face, and shook
his head in bitter silence; he then re-
closed the casket, aud would have
placed it in her hands.
"They are the only portion left you
Margaret"
ssNot so, father, they would take a
portion from me-"
GLOW, child ?" m III
Gan honest conscience I cannot
keep them; they were bought with
your money for the daughter of the
rioh-they would not, dearest father,
become the daughter of poor man.
All i ask, is permission to initiate your
example. You give up all: o. suffer
me to do the same, and do not suppose
so meanly of your own girl, as that she
: valued these more than that self-ap'
probation, whose silent voice is sweeteI
than the applause of courts OF kings"
Maurice Sunderland was neither q
harsh man nor stern father he had
loved and admired his daughter, but
he had never known her till that mo
! ment. He made no reply to her words
but folded her silently to his breast
, and she felt tears-the first she hae
, ever known him shed-falling upon be-
brow.
ITO be continued.)