The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-06-27
CHAPTER 1.-THE CHRISTIANS.

expected occurrence may be better evidence
by the manner in which the evening of that da
was spent in various houses III Carlingford, tina
by any other means.
First, in the little house of the Christians ]
was cottage on the other side of Grove Stree
"a homely little box of two stories, with MOI
sci of garden in front, and some vegetables be
hind. There, on that spring afternoon, matter
j did not look cheerful The little sitting room
was deserted-the fire had died out-the heartl
was unswept-the room in litter. Bessie
pupils had not come to-day. They had got
holiday three days ago, in happy anticipation
of being dismissed for ever; and only thei
young teachers prudential remonstrances hat
prevented poor Mrs. Christian from making
little speech to them, telling them all that hence
forward Miss Christian would have other occu
pations, but would always be fond OF them aaC
glad TO see her little friends in their new house
To make that speech would have delighted Mrs
| Christians heart. She had managed however
to convey the meaning of it in many fatal hin
| and allusion. In this work of self destruction
the poor woman had been only two successful
for already the mothers of the little girls had be
gun to inquire into the terms and capabilities
of other teachers. and the foundations of Bes
sizes little empire were shaken and tottering
though, fortunately, they did not know of it to
day. Everything was cold, dismal and deserted
III that little parlor. Faint sounds overhead
were the only sounds audible in the house
sometimes foot moved over the creaky
boards now and then groan Up stairs there
were two rooms one a close, curtained, fire
lighted, sitting, invalid's room. There wa!
Bessie, sitting listlessly BIZ table, upon which
were the familiar tea things, which conveyed
no comfort tonight; and there was her paralyt
lc father sitting helpless, sometimes shaking his
head orrnmhlipCe fai h,1f o.4so
ulate words, signs and ordinations. Dear
dear ah well that's what it has come to {
said the sick man, hushed, by long habit, into
sort of spectatorship, and feeling even so great
disappointment rather by way of sympathy
than personal emotion. Bessie sat listless by
feeling vague evaporation at this languid
running accompaniment to her thoughts. The
future had been botted out suddenly. and at g
blow, from Bessie eyes. She could see moth
ing before her-nothing but this dark, mSnoto
nous present moment pervaded by the dropping
sounds of that faint, half. articolate voice. Oh
her scenes were not to dawn upon her youth.
1t was hard for Bessie. She sat silent in
the sitting room, with her bed and It's hangings
between her and the window, aad the fire seorch.
ing her cheek. She could neither cry, nor
scold, nor blame anybody None of the re-
sources OF dispair were possible to her. She
knew it would have to go on again all the same,
and that now things never would be any bet
Ter. She could not run away from the prospect
before her. 1t was not so much the contino-
ance of poverty, of labor, of all the dreadful
pinches of thrift; 1t was the end of possibility
the knowledge that now there was no long
er anything to expect.
On the other side of the passage Bessie's own
sleeping room was inhabited by restless fe-
yer of disappointment and despair and hope
There was Mrs. Christian lying on her daugh-
ter's bed The poor woman was half crazed
with the whirl of passion in her brain. That
intoleTable sense of having been duped and de-
ceived, of actually having hand IL the over
throw OF all her own hopes, aggravated her nat
ural disappointment into frenzy. When she rec
elected her state ofexa ltation that morning, her
confident intentions-whon they were to re-
move, what changes were to be in their manner
of lite, even what house they were to occupy
it is not wonderful that the veins swelled in
her poor head, and al her pulses throbbed with
the misery of the contrast, But with all this
there mingled vindictive personal feeling still
more exciting. Nancy, whom she knew more
of than any one else did-her close, secret, I'M
wavering enemy and even the innocent law
yer, whom in her present condition of mind,
she could not believe not to have known of the
dreadful cheat practised upon her, or not to care
for hiatt prize which, now that it was lost, seem
ed to her worth everything that was precious
Ia life. The poor creature lay goading herself
into madness with thoughts of how she would
be revenged upon these enemies how she
would watch and track out, and reveal their
hidden plots against her; how she would tri-
umph over and crush them. All these half fren-
zied cogitations were secretly pervaded-a still
more maddening exasperation-by a conscious
ness of her own impotence The evening came
creeping on, growing dark around her-silence
fell over the little house, where nobody moved
or spoke, and where all the world, the heavens
and ths earth, seemed changed since this morn
ing but the wonder was how that silence
could contain her-all palpitating with pangs
and pains, a bleeding, Infatuated, wounded crea-
ture-and show no sign OF the frenzy it covered.
She had laiD down to rest, as the saying is
How many women are there who go thus TO
voluntary crucifxion aud torture by lying down
to rest Mrs. Christian lay with her dry eyes
blazing through the darkness, no more able TO
sleep than she was to do all that her burning
fancy described to her. She was hot-blooded
Celtic woman, of that primitive island which
has preserved her name. If she could have
sought sympathy, there was nobody to bestow
it. Not the heart which that poor ghost ofman-
hood in the next loom had lost out of his chilled
and bewildered bosom; not Bessie's steadfagt,
umexclted spirit. The poor soul saved herself
from going wild by thinking Of her boy; hold
ing cut her passionate arms to him thousands
of miles away; setting him forth as the deliv-
erer, with all the absolute folly of love and pas
sion. II would come home and have justice
done to his mother Never fancy was more
madly unreasonable; but saved her from some
of the effects Of the agitation in her heart.
Gro BE CoNTIEUED.)