The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-01

me as one stricken with horror. AT last The
''What do you mean, mamma? Papa has not
been worse tor some ears, and how does he get
the money. then. ... ...... ...|. . !
My child Your papas brain has been gradu-
ally solteniDg tor now two years; and DR.. MIL
ward assured me the other day that the cad
could not be far off. One month OF sad suffer
ing you will. see, and then - was all he
uttered; and may God give me strength to pass
through this, the worst of all my trials Alice,
my sleep is disturbed, my attention always on
the rack, Ii tening TO the incoherent sounds |
which probably will come from your dear fathers |
lips, be ore he is lost to u.s. .. |
Mamma, dear mamma, think not of this ; the !
end may be far distant.n
"Cod grant il ~ was all / could then say.
In one short month from this though nothing |
had occurred TO mark that approach which we
all dreaded so much, had left my husband
apparently sweetly sleeping; the doctor came
Unexpectedly and watched HIM for some minutes
he then hfed his evelids-the eye was rigid
though bright. DR.. Milward called for lighted
candle, and held it close to the eye; no move
ment took place; and in twelve hours from this
time my husband was no more, my children
were iatherless, and myself widow These are
words soon spoken, but to realize them in their
foil extent is the concentrated bitterness of life
My tale is drawing TO close. j had now no
two hundred a year to manage, and how to
manage with 1t was all that was requested to
write aOout,-hut my readers who have gone so
far with me will perhaps be interested IN know
Ing something about our at Ter life. Mrs. Gray
came to us in our dark hour of sorrow, as did
my parents also. With the latter we removed
to my early home-alas to me no home now.
My boy had been one year apprenticed to an old
friend OF his taCher's when our great trouble
overshadowed us. Enough money was realized
by the sale OF our furniture to pay our good
kind DOCTOR and with the five hundred pounds
obtained from the insurance company an annuity
was purchased for me. The house which for
seventeen years had but seldom seen since I
married from It, was not the home of my YOUTH
my sisters and brothers filled il, and felt myself
an interloper. My income would not suGfce for
me TO live alone with Alice, neither would Alice
stay with my parents without me. My past ex-
peIIence bad educated me TOR something better
than idleness, and wished to OBJ ain some useful
position, where some one at least might be
helped through my knowledge so dearly OBJ
tained
My ssters--three OF them-were Just no better
than | had been when married. My mother
still tolled for them, still hoped to see them
marry either men in their own position or above
them. My remonstrances-nay, entreaties-to
them to render themselves sel-hepful were in
vain; they had never experienced care or
thought for the tutuTe-a system OF education
too irequrntly adopted by parents, which leads
not untTcquently TO crime in married lie there
! fore my estions were treated as out OF place.
! and my conduct as interfering and dominant
| Let them alone" my mother would say; they
will learn time enough"
How bitterly l felt her words! My dover
| truly, had been to learn the ways Of hte-but at
what cost! 1t was of no use contestDg the
| matter, so | gave it up in despair. | seat an
| advertisement to the Times describing myself as
| a i!seiui housekeeper. In due time it was an
swered by lady who had the care OF four
| orphan nieces. She herself was unmarried, but
had been called upon sudo enly to take possession
| OF her deceased brothers household, he having
| been widOwer only year. Miss Arkwright
| had never kept house, and dlsliked all domestic
| ties; neverthe less by her brothers will she was
| lett guardian to his children, with so much per-
| sonal income as long as she resided in the house
| with them. For herself she was kind OF
| missionary lady, always begging money for
| the hCathen, while, alas thousands OF heather
| existed within walking reach.
Miss Arkwrights letter explained all that she
needed OF me-to manage the servants. to see
| that the children were nicely kept and watched,
| and to have the house al lUags comfortable OF an
| evening when she arrived: her duties taking her
| from 1t the who Gay.
My parents were exceedingly angry when they
| heoId OF my determination. Alice, with fearful
| eyes, impiOTed me to renounce the idea Of servi-
| tude, as she termed IT.; but TO each and all
answered, 81 can only forget my trouble In
| active eXortiOn, in being obliged 10 think for
| others;' and so | was allowed TO have my own
| way. To AhCe | pointed out the advantages my
| income would give herself and brother
| Not to myself, mamma will there be anv
advantages; Tor Edward let your sacrifice be
| mace"
"Eut, Alice, cannot let you live here without
| paying or your board"
| ''Mamma. intend to go into a school, where
| may obtain lessons for my services"
'have you counted the cost, AliceN asked.
| nous duties OF school rOutincY'
| Mamma, is this question asked with your
| usual Judgments" she reproachlully questioned.
| "You have all your lifetime been instilling into
| M that duty cannot be land down at will unful
| filled, or put aside for future time; and now,
| when the first real duty of lite presents itself
| Go you think me coward or incompetent, or
| what is IT, mammaW
| 81 think nothing of the kind, Alice. l merely
think that, as you have the choice Of work or
| play it were as well to weigh the consequence
OF each; and whichever you prefer 1t IS my
most earnest wish to see you happy in the choice
| you make"
! Mamma, as you have succeeded in obtaining
| a situation, viii you kindly insert an advertise
| ment Tor mer was all the answer | obtained.
Thus our destnies were settled, we both dwelt
in other homes and IRON this time | can date
| my prosperity in life. Both Alice and | were
fitted jor our positions; we gave tull satisfaction
| each in our several emplOyments, and received
| III return the most unbOunded confidence and
| esteem. Alice, at tWentYsiX, married well; an
ample settlement was made upon her. subject
only to nifty pounds year being taken from it,,
and secured to me during nv lile Ed ward
about the same time entered into partnership
with the gentleman with whom he had been so
many years, and from that hour gave me a iXeu
yearly sum sufficient to have supported me, and
which to this day moth NJ can induce him 10 re-
assume, although he has married, and a young
family have their claims upon hlm. | am living
with the youngest OF the family of the Ark.
Wrehts all the rest are married; the eldest
married my boy. Miss AIkwTight left me &l00
| a year-all her income: and Dora, her youngest
| pet, declares that nothing shall induce her "a
| leave her own minnie She insists upon il
that. as Ruth followed Naomi of old so will she
never eave.never torsake me.
She is but twenty-five shall see,