The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-07-02
MORNING, JULY 2, 1869.

side down % that Il looked like nine. I tried
not 10 listen Il was enough to know that Ben
had not cheated, a. I did about the shawlboIes,
and I felt worse every moment
How grandly you sailed up the street ? said
Rose, meeting Ms at the door with laugh
quite my Lady Beautiful, dear George /! But
now hurry TN as fast as you can, for teas just
on the table,
Nell and carefully folded up our Grape
shswls as we took them of, and laid them back
In their perfamcd cases. Il seemed TO me that
was In the very depth Of wrctchedncss, and !
almost hated the exquisite lavender tint. for had
II not sct me worlds farther apart from Stove
than I ever was In my old pink and grey'
Then could not eat any supper. and Rose
noticed II and would not let me alone. She did
not like to have her dainty faro slightcd, her
light whitO rolls, her honey in the comb, and
her marvellous little cream cakes. II was dread
full to be looked at and commiserated, and l
feeling all the while like the wickedest little hy-
pocrite that ever lived. began to ask myself
what would Ben Gardiner do ifhe were In my
place, and had got the handsomest shawl Of all
unfairlyf It did not take very long to answer
that.
We went back into the parlor, and, Of oil to-
pics in the world, Steve and VIII began talking
about neighbor Of ours, ship-owner, who
had been wronging his employees and dealing
deceitfully with his firm.
'He was always tricky said win. why,
when the innocent farm-boys from up In the
country would come down to ship from this
port, he would put on the smoothest face, and
make them think life before the mast was Para
disc. Hobart he would say to his clerk. in
their hearing, 'havc You seen to putting the bar
rel Of raisins on board for the sailors plum
puddingsr But once hired and of at sea It was
different story.
1T runs In the blood said mother, complac-
entity; 'there Is q streak Of knavery in the fam
lily, and his father was just such man before
him.
knew she was thinking to herself that nc
such spot had ever stained the honor Of the VIM
throps, and felt bascr than ever. Then stop
ped listening to their talk, and thought Of what
lay before me.
For did tell you had resolved to confess \
all had made up my mind to II after had
folded the shawl and put It away, and aftcr
thought what Steve's friend would have done
II meant goodbye to the lavender Grape, o'
course, but that was only triac now-it meant
goodbye to Steve Belden, too, and that was the
misery Il, for he never would think Of caring
for any one who had fallen so fur short Of being
honest and noble. This one short day had
crushed me 30 completely But must tell them
that was certain, and throw the shameful bur-
den of. and then maybe I could begin life all
over again In quiet, humble little way, and
bs better girl.
.None o; my children ever deceived me ! said
mother. finishing the conversation, and rising
In her dgnifed way. Come. George II Is get
ting late. We must 90 home
There don't know what said, but told
them told them all, and my own voice sound
cd clear and strange to me as pushed the law
cndcr shawl-box towards Nell, and implorcd her
never to let me see IL again. Then somehow
rot into mothers arms, and the tears and sobs
came as II they meant to kill me; for 1t was all
over-so much was oil over
think never should want to look back Ia
that strange. troubled day II Il had not ended
30 beautifully. For when they had NIL forgiven
me, and Rose had said good-naturcdly that she
should have felt like doing the same thing her.
self ifshe had had a chance, and Nell had whis.
pered that she too saw the dent, and was glad
her turn came at last that she might not bc
tempted (though dear Nell never would have
been tcmpted), and mother had gravely told me
Il was lesson l must never forget-aiter all
that we started for home, and viii walked with
mother, but Steve Belden walked with me. And
during that very walk 1t was all settled for he
loved me, you see, and It did not seem to make
so very much difference about the shawl after
all. Indcci, everything happened to me better
than deserved about that, for when Nell and
changed shawls Steve told me he always liked
the white ono best. What Is the use Of fighting
against the great principles Of right! 1t Is kick-
ing against the pricks' in real earnest. If had
only been good and true in the matter Of the
shawls should have had the one that pleased
Steve most from the first, and been spared all
the error and shame. But, us mother would
say, it was a good m oral lesson.
When uncle Jack came home from his voy-
age, and knew about Steve and me, he said his
charm had worked to perfection, and II was In
that very box he did II.