National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-07-05

'Oh, dearp said the lady, with a
little start and shiver, and uncon.
scious glance at the mass of brown,
FURNISHED hair that had nestled
down on the hearth.rug, what a
terrible picture, Luther
Mr.. Randolph followed his wife's
gaze. Perhaps he OWNED the asso.
citation which suggested itself to the
mind, for the tone was certainly mo-
dified as he answered:
That Is true, and | need not have
painted it quite so black. Perhaps
TOMS future may not be so bad as
my croaking. AT all events, give
your pretty little head no further
concern on .he subject, for the boy
is not worthy of it,
'Ican't help wishing, Luther, that
you had given him one more trial,
said the lady speaking more to her.
self than to her husband.
The gentleman turned upon his
~ife, AID regarded her with one of
his nIe,,sant smiles, i'll which lurked
lust the faintest tinge of irony.
Mary said he, i regafa you as
a most exemplary wonan--ln sn2r',
as the very cream and flower Of
your sex. In all your relations as
wife, mother, and mistress, | be-
lieve you tn he above reproach, and
unequaled. But in all business mat.
tiers, your Judgment and opinions
wouldn't be worth a sixpence, at
least OH any subject where your
Sv npathies were enlisted. This soft
little head of yours would be Ger
tain ~ leaI your good sense cap.
tive. and yGu'd ne grossly imposed
upon and deceii,eG Oh every side.
All. nv dear. a man who has had to
fight the battle of life as | nave Done
and to make his own way III u"
world, knows better than all this.
He may harden and tougher him
self on every side. He can't turn
his office into mere philanthropist.
He must look at these things IN a
business point of view, else he and
they will be ruined
He 81 okc, the hard, sagacious
business man, looking at life from a
stand point of mere seltinterest he
had broader out looks sometime, but
his horizon was narrowed to one OF
money and gain.
The words grated along the finer
instincts of Mrs, Randolph's nature
\ faint sigh crept into her face,
fainter one from her lips. Perhaps
for almost the first time in her life
her womanly iutuitions warned hel
for some latent hardness and self
shness in her husbands nature
She did not, however, attempt tt
argue with him, although she knew
that his reasoning was III some sense
false and superficial. Her qnes
tions did not even touch his tate re
marks. but went straight to the dis
charged office boy.
How came Tom to fall into thl
bad company Luther ?
The answer is easy enough, Mary
II all came of that cheap boarding
house, and the folks inside OF II
Bows with their salary have to pu
their heads where they can, AM
| eople who take them Oil low terms
with provisions at these starvatlo
prices, can neither afford TO be e'
elusive with regard to the class the
take in, nor offer an attractive HON
to the hoardere.
Tom, like the rest, ,bolted his foot
! suppo, G, and Lad no place but Il
streets to pass the evenings i'll, ah'
Of course, green hoy from the coul
try afforded a iii chance to his fe
low.lodgers to induct him into a
sorts OF follies sLd sin, and |
hadn't sense or strength to resi-
} them
, .poor boy! All, Luther, if
were ours ! and the mothers SO
brown eyes glanced again towal
A the white heap of life and briEl
I ness and bloom which lay on q
floor.
? And again IN fathe's eyes folio
q ed hers, and the hardness WAS me
n ed out Of them now, and he sad II
II vently God forbid! ] Won
d rather lay my boy in the grave Il
e hour, than know that he should II
,e to be TUNED adrift in his youth,
Il this great city, with no friends
At protect, and temptations laying
Ia wait OH every hand to devour hi
.d 'And Tom had u mother, too, a
ut she must have loved him once,
we ours, Luther. / almost hopes
OF amt alive now, for can Judge
IN my own heart, that it must brt
TX hers to know that her boy is 10
~ yes, she is living Mr.. Rando
to answered, almost reluctantly.
nd remember Toni told Inc SO, and &
a. she was widow and he was
.r. only son although he had II II
th sister besides. Foolish boy TO
be his neck straight into that tr;
added tho gentleman, half an
,e. with himself to hnd that his bt
Iul was beeiAning to relent towards
a culprit.
Tears brimmed down the bea
,ys full brown eyes of Mrs. X. ndoI
el. From the first she had taken u
ut, cy to, aud unusual interest in,
~. bright ia Sed office boy whom
ell husband frequently dispatched
Ied the house with sOLis note or I
sage tor his mistress.
i'm Ihe boys bright, prompt, ri
ant manner his utiiuk tutpIii pu