The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-04-05
fshness. I wish I were Fenelon with all
his divine sclf-anbegation.
FRIDAY EVENING.
RuIH.


in our street q mother has crossed the dark
river, and left husband and children mourn
ing on tho shore. Just at twilight they
carried the coffin out to the house. o 0!how
Il made mo shudder. And more because
Adelaide Conant is so sick.
She is very sick. We fear she cannot live.
Since Christmas Eve she has not left her bed.
| told you she went home silent and sad from
the Cathedral, and she wanted me to stay
with her, and SO all night she lay in my arms.
She wept herself to sleep, poor girl, and then
shc wcpt in her sleep.
She has grown thin as q shadow, and her
hands make my heart ache, Hortensc, hang
ing 80 transparent and nerveless out on the
patch quilt.
But her lips are sealed tight as they wero
a month ago, in regard to the past. They
told her there was little hope of her rccoy.
cry, and asked il they should send for her
friends. "Pray for God to be my friend "
she answered brokenly, and clasped her hands
so imploringly that we all sObbed aloud.
Talk Of mans will What is itIto 'roman's /!
Does poverty breed u miserly spirit, won
der. at is weary thing, and full Of grief
and pain," l know, but | see no need Of its
locking up the hearts door.
Mrs. Rounds, Adelaide's boarding mistress,
has either no heart at all or else 1t is frozen
colder than an iciclc. She is an estimable
woman I suppose. Her knitting-work,
spcctaclcs and bible always lay together on
the sitting.room table, and she quotes con.
tinually to her pale daughter Hannah who
had pain in her side" go to the ant, thou
One night when was tired Of waiting
upon Adelaide all day, she asked he 1t |
would have tea or water for my supper.
K" Water, II you please" Delighted either
with my politeness or with being saved pre-
pairing the tea, she said was sensible girl.
Adelaide would have nothing but Hyson tea
and loaf sugar" So she bcsrudged even
the drink we put in our mouths. wished
she was in China and had to gather tes
leaves oil the rest Of her life.
All this when Adelaide was lying at deaths
door but we live by contraries, dear sister,
and the ludicrous plays shadow with tho
heart-rcnding.
Ipray every night that Adelaide may live,
tcndcrly as ! would for you. darling. II |
only had the faith Of my childhood, | should
pray hopefully us well us tcnderly.
JANUARY q.
DEAR HoRrESsE.-T am in burning fever.
/ can scarcely command my hand to write.
Such depth Of meanness as there is in
Mrs. Rounds soul never dreamed of.
Adelaide grew better, but there would be
weeks Of convaloscencc, and even then tho
doctor said she must not go to work, at least
in the mills. Hcrcons titution was too deli
cate to bear 1t.
Mrs. Rounds sat down with paper and
pencil. Her head nodded encrgctically over
the paper and she counted on her fingers.
81 cannot afford to lose twenty oncdollars
and seventy cents " she said decidedly, push
ing back her chair and coming to the bed
side.
Adelaide lay wcarily turned on one side,
her snowy hands clasped tightly on her FORE
head, like wax moulded in wax.
Tho woman's heart must have rclented for
a moment before the beautiful sufferer, for
she turned and left the room on tip.toe, but
when she came back her face looked hard
and gripins.like.
She asked Adelaide IL she had any home.
It was the first time home ever had an un-
pleasant sound to me, dear IIortcnsc.
"Home-father-m -mother-Bayard Ade-
laide cried, with wildness that frightened
me.
Mrs. Rounds, inexorablc, repeated her
question.
do not torture me-do not" And tho
poor girl crouched under the bed clothes like
a guilty thing.
"As thought-as told Hannah " nut
tered Mrs. Rounds, and then In the most de-
Iiberate tone as If concluding bargain with
grocer instead Of toying with a womans
pride, she told Adelaide that the tosa officers
were coming to remove her to the poor house.
"You are not able to pay your expenses
and am not able to lose 50 much. Twenty
one dollars and seventy cents"
Adelaide rosc in bed. Her face was like
that Of corpse. Z" How dare you " she
began, in tone and with look that made
Mrs. Rounds shrink into the farthercst cor
ner then she broke out into sobs that shook
her fcoble frame.
"a pauper-a pauper" she mourned.
q o Coda pauper."
dearest Adelaide " ! whispered, and
pressed my liTs to her icy forehead. She
threw her arms round my neck and wcpt her
self quiet on my bosom. felt tho warmth
return to her chilled franc before l lay her
back on the pillows. Then said "now'
darling. / will write for you."
There was momentary struggle In her
face, but kept my hand on her forehead and
my eyes on hers. i
"Yes. write, dear Ruth and she kissed
mo like child. "Direct to my iatbcr'
Judge Conant Of B -"
LATER.
Judge Conant has come, dear sister, with
a face full Of grief and love. lie was white