Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-11-26

departure III lne stage coach That morning
But this impulse Dorcas conquered. Sht
conquered II as she did the care and frct
which were transforming her young face
into the face of age, and care and fret with
drew the tokens Of their triumph. The face
regained its composure; it became calm as
that Of a marble image. The counlenanct
that had been pleasing became impressive,
and the form of the woman, as if inspired
by new spirit, commanding.
Seven years she stayed on the farm, and
snc justified her boast that she conl.l make q
fruitful and productive place of il. The sea
sons as they passed away saw the fields one
after another increasing in value, the fences
"lo0ked up all over the farm; every ndi.
cation was given OF watchfulness and thrift.
No wonder the woman occasionally felt al
most pang of desire that Hosea should re.
turn and see what she had done. But that
lie should cross her threshold for her own
sake ceascd, almost with his departure, to
be her wish. Yet had lie come for her chill
drens sake, she could have welcomed him
and spared her rcproaches, Clearly, the
marriage had not been of Heavens willing.
And yet, in spite of her reluctance before
the persistence of the suitor who. finally con
qucred her will, she had begun to believe
that it was. If Hosea had wooed Dmcas
for any other reason than because she was
the best match in the region, and was her
self not favorably disposed toward him
with any tenderness, with any faithfulness
oi spirit-hc could have proved it to have
been verify match of Heavens making.
AT the end of thDse seven years, Joseph
being twelve years old, and Julia nearly
eight, Mrs Bcntly determined that the time
had come for her to act upon the impulse
which she had before reprcssed, and 90
where the best advantages might be secured
for her children. But She could not bring
herself to sell the farm; accordingly, she
rented it to good advantage. Iii making this
change in her place of residence her object
was no secret. She spoke freely about il to
her old friends and ncighbors. The people
who rented the place could, at any time,
give to any onc who desired it Information
MS TO where size was TO be found. Dorcas
Bcn,ly went away from Manchester, feeling
that she had nothing TO conceal from her Old
companions. If Hosea should ever come,
there should be no difficulty in his way to
squaIing their reckoning.
so she went to New York, hired two
rooms in decent quarter, and promised
herself that she would toll for her children
until the great object of her life should be
accomplished, and Josephs name be known
as one of the ornaments of the legal profes
sion. The hoy shared his mothers ambi-
tion he had her spirit--hc was noble tel-
low. Perhaps ii was the knowledge that
the law Ind taken coguizancc Of such
"ronas as hers that induced her to dedicate
her son to the profession. Thus she would
pay her debt OF gratitude
A woman wa ciful of her children's
growth, their varying wants and needs, is
happily unconscious of ,hr flight of time
In lin i,nk M.
grew, and IN every direction Dorcas had
Il busy lime following them and answering
to their needs.
When Joseph Was about To enter college,
she was tempted 10 sell the farm, and she
made a journey 10 Manchester with this in
tent. but She went alone. On that unlal-
lowed ground neither of these young lives
should ever tread again. She stayed at the
old place but single day, and in that time
had decided to re.let the farm to its tenant.
Nailroads .. had shortened the distance ,.. be,
she started, fall Of applchensinns, with her
children, for the world. II had taken her u
week 10 perform that jourIey---a day and
night now restored her to her to her family.
She returned with u sotencd heart to her
boy and girl, 10 tell them that somehow
they would get on, but the old pla o must
not be sold. Did she still think Of a domes-
tic life renewed there of Hosea returned? =?
Vas ii possible that for him she would keep
those doors opencd:
The rent of the farm had by no means paid
their way in town. Joseph and julia work
ed with their own hands to help deiray The
expenses Of their education, and these were
constantly increasing. They must work
more diligently then, their mother decided,
when She had resolved to keep the farm.
Mr. Trpll tup punI.iypr xpht, hnI rnpp,c
un the floorabove them, had instrusted Julia
in etching, and secured for her many prof
liable job. Joseph usually spent his even
ings copying law-papcrs or in posting books
for the firm with which MI. Troll was asso-
ciatcd. Dorcas herself WAS not idle, and she
knew there was Ho end to employment given
to women in the lcady-nadc cloihing cstab-
lishmtnts, in onf of which she had already
proved her skill. SO she might well go back
to Cottage Place with her mind unclouded
by doubt Of ,hpif ability II 90 through
college triumplantly.
she had matte no mistake in these calcula-
tions In her twentieth year Julia was look
ing forward to the diploma which was to
crown it. Joseph in the Law School antici-
patcd the chancellor's commendation and
both We're of course making friends, as well
us plans for life.
Mrs Bently was beginning to be some
what concerned about Mr.. Enos, who was
in Mr.. Mauns oilicr, where Joe spent SO
much iimp; and indeed watchul all round
For Julia was not u girl who would escape
or avoid observation. AT present she was
absorbed by school duties, and much taken
up by school companions; but who could
tell what an hour might bring forth?
Already the stout nerves of the mother
had been shaken b. the romantic attach
meat Julia had formed at Mrs Burnham's
sclo j with young girl Of her own name,
Miss Clara Bently, the daughter Of rich par
en,s, who had cuuntiy-seat somewhere up
the river. '.We have had enough of that
name already, she thought, and she regret
ted that she had taken Julia from the
Twelfth Street school merely that She might
graduate from Mrs. Burnhams f,shin-
able establishment. Joe was astonislit,l
that She did it, and she would not have lkpi
TO own why the transfer was made BIZ,
the fact was, that Mrs. Dorcas was as am
bilious for her daughter as she was for h.f
son. Julia, too, had her way in the warid
to make, ard polish of manner and grace of
ace omplshment any woman, not a mother
even, could see would greatly help her in
doing it.
When Julia would sometimes speak about
this child Clara, so rich, beautiful, bewitch
ing her mother would look about her and
think That girl seems to have had her
own way pretty much. | wish she would
insist upon coming into this house. Iwould
give great deal just to look at her.
This wish was answered in remarkable
manner--not at first literally, but thus: Julia
one day informed her mother, "Claras
father is an iron merchant He has iron
mines, and supplies half the railroads in the
country with iron he must be very rich
And, mother, his name is Hosea"
Now, was il likely that there was more
than one Hosea Benlly in the world Dor
cas- Bently thought not And il she thought
correctly, should she attemp to defeat Prov
idcncc by taking her daughter from Mrs.
Burnham's school while her hand was
stretched out for the diploma? Dorcas
thought her way through jungle of kissing
serpcnts, and swan through sea of fire: at
last she landed on a lonely rock, on whose
bald pinnacle never spear of grass grew,or
even shell was tossed from the dark deep,
and there she sat and waited From that
height she could scan the horizon round;
not u sail could spread, not cloud could
gather, but She the watcher, would know.
Miss Clara Bently had been entrusted to
Mad. Burnham's care, when her parents
went abroad, with many injunctions. Look
Al. -