The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-12-17
wealthy Kentucky planter and married
Mr.. Howard, a rich lawyer, much older

Mr.. Howard, a rlch lawyer, much older
than herself, to lease her father. How
ard, they say, was unkind to her, and
a young man to whom she had been
engaged before she was married began
to pay attentions to her. There vas
something imprudent but she insisted
there was nothing criminal. Appear
anccs were against her Her husband
disgraced her. Her lover fed at the
first sisu Of exposure, and vas blown
up on steamboat soon after. She had
younger sisters at home and tried to
hive there, but she was so constantly
reminded Of the disgrace she had
brought upon her family that she ic};
and tried to get school. She advcr-
tiscd to teach drawing and French an
music, but could get no school; and
now sbc is what you see:''
How little had Margaret dreamed
that she could ever feel other than
loathins for a lost woman. She had
been carefully educated in the .Sco:ch
and Irish law which makes every wo-
'nan the guardian eff her own honor,
and that of every man so long as he
ls in her presence law which un-
sparingly lops off the corrupted MEN,
bcr from the sympathies of womanhood,
as stern surgeon ampu.ates the gan
grened limb to preserve the life of the
body-that law which dictated the ex-
pulsion from the pasernal roof of the
daughter who had brought shame to
lodge under its caves. Perhaps Pol.
lock was the frst prophet-poet who
questioned its entire justice and sought
to awaken compassion for the fallen
sister. Even he did not ask it until
she had paid the penalty 0! her crime
by dying. 1t is in death that she and
her infant, with the frozen tear upon its
cheek, comes to ask that the mantle Of
charity be converted in,o shroud. It
was therefore With sensation of weak
ness and wrong-doing that Margaret
found her heart overaowing with com-
passion for the unhappy woman, so
lately looked upon she feared with en-
Wy. For time she forgot her own
sorrows in contemplating the unspeak-
ably greater misfortunes of her she had
been regarding as one ofthe most favor
ed children of fortune.
"Poor, miserable woman ~ she said
softly. 'Ifshe could only be an orphan
beggar child, dying of hunger by the
road side, and could look up into the
face Of God for an approving SMILE
After short time spent ia compas
sionating the fate Of the beautiful and
gifted Mrs. Howard, the question re-
turned to the ways and means of her
o|n living. She was no longer alone,
but had found friend and cnnnsolnr:
and after revolving the matter some
time, this friend said :
"One of my customers, Mrs. Walters,
asked me to-day If knew of a girl who
would do chamber work and help with
the family sewing; but you would not
like to take such situation ?''
"Oh, yes, should. I want work
and am willing to Go anything. I ott-
en- did chamberwork at home and al
ways helped with the sewing, and if
you can get me the place.
"Oh there will be no difficulty about
that; but it does not uppear suitable
work for you'
"It is better than none"
The good woman called some one to
take charge of the shop, and equipping
herself for walk, they soon arrived ut
the residence of Mrs. Walters. It was
one of a handsome block of three-stor-
led bricks, in pleasant street. Tie
hall and double parlors we're elegantly
furnished. Into them they we're ush-
cred to wait for the lady Of the house,
who was at tea. When Mrs. Walters
appeared, Margaret was struck by the
likeness and unlikeuess between her
and the wretched Mrs. Howard. There
was the same cast of features, color of
hair aud eyes, aud the same complex
ion ; but Mrs. Walters was diminut,ye.
sprightly, bird-like, auttering in bright
colors, and chatting gaily without the
slightest change of expression on her
face, which was almost destitute of eye
bro~s Instead Of the varying play of
the features hers so much resembled,
they were fixed, opaque; and, except
tho lips and eyes, appeared immovable
Mrs. Walters had never erred, never
could err through any impulse Of pas
sion, never endure from the support Of
any strong principle. She was CHI
ma woman, and quite taken up with the
contemplation Of her own doll-like beau
ty. She was demonstratively delighted
to get SO respectable person as Maj
earct to fill tho place Of the wretch
who had lately left, and who, from her
account, was quite monster Of iugrat-
itude and duplicity. A bargain was
soon concluded, and Margaret was to
enter upon the duties of her station the
next morning.
At six o'clock she made her debut
at the kitchen door Of her employers
house, followed by a man with her
trunk on a wheelbarrow. Here she
was met by strapping Irish girl, with