The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-02-22

inlnS polka, as her light 1ect crossed
the hall.
Hattie Farquar waited till she heard
the hall door close, and then stepped
across the entry to the nursery. The
nurse sat before the fire rocking in her
arms lovely boy OF about two sum
mers. whose flushed face and restless
In Il little crib another child girl Of
four years of are was sleeping quietly.
You can 90 to bed, Jane" said HAIR
riet, taking the child from the nurses
arms. 81 will stay here till Mrs. Far
guar returns. Wilfred, darling, come to
auntie.'
Tae child nestled down contentedly
into the loving embrace, and for hours
the aunt sat before the fire soothing and
caressin@ her little charge.
1t was long past midnight when she
placed him now sleeping quietly in his
little cradle, and went softly down to
the sitting-room. To her surprise she
found it occupied. Seated before the
fire, his hand, folded over lis knees, his
face clonded with gloomy thought, sat
the master of the house.
And here let me pause moment to
introduce the inmates of this house to
my readers. Wlfred and Harriet Far
quar- were orphans, born in a far west
ern home, and early in life left Will, but
mere pittanee for support. For few
years they struggled in their own home
for living, then an offer being made to
the young man, of II situation in a
contingencies in the city of b - he
left the west and accepted the new 20.
sition. Hattie at the same time opened
small school in a villagea few miles
from her old home.
Fortune smiled upon Wilfred, or rath-
er by his own industry, energy, and app
plieatien, he conquered the ficllle dame,
and rose in his station. From one
clcrkshtp to another he advanced stead
lily, and by close economy in his private
expenditure, saved gradually, uutil ut
last he was able to go into business for
himself, ia q modest way, but still pos
perously.
Then he married. Of his wife Ilarrie.
heard bat little, save that She WAS beau-
tiiul and Winning, and had ten thous-
and dollars. From the day When first
he felt independent of work, Wi!tred
had urged his sister 10 leave her school
and come to him, bat she preferred her
undergraduates and steadily refused All
invitations unit! about Il year after his
marriage her brother was seized with a
dangerous illness, and his vile wrO.o.
inaplofing Harriet to eo.ile to he aid.
1t Was s30n evident to tie sister thai
her presence in her brothers house
would be Il great comfort, II not Il me-
cessity,tnd she yielded to The cntrc;e-
ties poured out upoa her, gave up her
school, aud remained in b.
AIaude Ftrquar was a beatty and g
belle. Her ehildiiiSe, winning man.
neia, and elingin%, atectionate aisp0si-
ton made her 4 very sunbeam, and the
idol Of her husbands hears, but she was
as idle, too, as the sunbeam to which !
have compared her. The pettetl darling
Of wealthy parents S IL had never known
4 care IN her life. A flvositei in 50 iesY,
her hasband's indulgence allowed IL
her Guy desires full 'ope, and hef home
BEANIE 4 mere Sleeping and / = la
mouse. where the Servants ruetl. anl.
the mistress was sort o. transfers i'll
habitant.
Into this confused household Hattie
came With her quiet, orderly habits, and
it was not long before the whole house
Keeping cares glided into her hands,
Maude was only too glad to be relieved
of such drudgery,and gradually nursery
as we'll us household duties became Har-
riet'S charge, While the mistress OF the
house led the life of Il cavelcss, fashiona-
bic belle.
Upon her marriage Maude Farquar
had placed the whole Of her patiimony
in the purchase Of IL handsome house.
which Wilired had settled upon her.
self. OF course the young husbands
first outlay Of furniture was a heavy
Ds4 and he soon found that it would
tax his every resource to support his
wile's eXtravagancies in dress, jewels, |
and the thousand expenses of a BELLE
Weakly fond of her, looking upon her
as mere child, he said no word of eau
ton or warning until his affairs became
so embarrassed that ruin stared him in
the face. Then, too late, he made a few
faint reno ,trances that fell upon idle
needless ears.
Softly, like blessing, Hattie's hand
fell upon her brothers. bowed head as
he sat before the fire musing ofthc past
and the dark future.
Wilfred, are you i'll ~
He looked a moment into the kindly
face, and said
Hattie, l am almost ruinedv,
Il feared So" she said gently, taking