Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-02-11
The Woman Question
A MESS OF PoTTAGE.

"But, Marion, what can we do? That's
the question"
As had at that moment no answer ready
made none: 3: but renamed with my head
upon my sister Agnes's shoulder, looking
down upon my black dress in utter silence
1t was the very morning after the funeral
The house had not yet recovered its every
day aspect. The gloom and desolation o
death lay every where, and even yet fan
cied that tile faint odor of fresh varnish stole
out from the darkened parlor-a scent thai
to this day sickens me, from its association
with the coffin and the grave. Down stairs,
in her own room-alas we had said their
room but one short week ago!-our step
mother and her mother were closeted, talk
ing matters over, doubtless, and making ar
rangements for the future. We two-Agnes
and Marion-wcre in the cozy chamber that
our father had fitted up for us with so much
care, trying to do the same thing. But we
found ourselves to much bewildered for ma
ny words.
suppose, really, that no two young girls
ever found themselves more thoroughly be-
wildered. 1t was so sudden. Last week the
lavislfly-nurtured daughters of the wealth
lest man in the small city where We had al
ways lived. To-day-orphans; for our step
mother had never assumed, as far as we
were concerned, the duties or the delights Of
motherhood. She had simply been the lady
whom our father had married; who, coldly
kind and always courteous, had seen that
we were housed aud fed and clothed and
educated as became our station. Not only
orphans, but literally penniless. Simulane-
ously VIII. fa,hor's death came the knowl-
edge his failure-a failure that swept away
the accumulated wealth Of years, and left us,
as have said, penniless.
BY as l mean Agnes and myself. Our
step-mother, Mrs. Peyton, had an ample
fortune in her own right; SO that she and
the children-Tom and Ellcn-werc pro-
vided for.
But what were we to do, this Agnes and
Marion, who sat together before the glowing
CRATE. too weary and too excited for tears !?
They would come by-and-by, as we both
knew. Just at present we were incapable
of feeling or realizing any thing Any thing
but this-that the house and its appurten
ances must be sold that Mrs Pcyton was
to return to the distant town where her FAM
res'ue'' 'an'ns ionn anu i1'''n "''n ne''
oi course' anu 'ha' We '''us' W so'''""o'e
anu uo so'ne'n'ns'
Du' "ha.'
we hau peeh eouca'oo Us s',is l" our o',-
euiis'ahces eenefai'y aic-to Ano" i'..'c
vi c'eiy'h'ns, anu naow ho'n'"s
'norousuiy' we pa'n,eu "'',e' W. o'ow
~ as II, os o,ber ,,,I.. wo ro,a French as,or
n fashion and snoke Il s,,mmor;nglv We
lnow a ,;,,,e ~ Uro.t ,nanv o,her ,h;nas
m, oe,or al, ,ha ,,,,,a,, ,ho, h,,d hoo,, .,o,,
,nan ,,S,r odroo,;o, ,horo n,o. M ono d;roo
lion 4, which we cou,d ,ur, in ,,;s amer
cencv and saw. "Bv the mid of this accom-
nl,shment or or This knowledge can 7 earn
a.;,,, ,r.aa,
.sTbore ia ono tb;ng 81 said Agnes after n
Ion,r ,hor.,,,e,, norso al can en,hro;dor
bson,isnl,v"
stAr,oe,- 7 oxcla;mod NV cherl, Grim
eoni,o os ,;f,ed INV bead rrom her shoplder
q. vau do not nea, ,hat2 Agnes pevton
oo.~ ...,, -s--. :. ,:-;.eir
Embroidery is one of the fine arts, she
answered, smiling family, as she saw my
flushing face. "I am not at all afraid Of
lowering Agnes Peyton's dignity. dear
Marion, neither must you be- The sooner
we get rid of such notions the better. But
! could never make living in that way.
My eyes havemevcr been strong, you know,
and could not compete with the Shops
"Iam olod of II. \" SAID. "I don't know
,vbo, Won ore Thinking Of Agnes. 7 did not
s,,nnose ,hot ,vo womb ac,n,llv In couup,,ed
,or,o-."
..T. ,or,, e,r orr hro.d2 Nh, !, hoS
',s.. Monu,,n All ~, ,,,', Ill
-, ~ IT. ~, s,s.,, aa,,3
49,, ,.a,.o It'd ,n horo in tho o,d wov with
c... y Aua 1,or ,o,oo son, u :.
,a,r ,.,,,r,,,ur
=. D., - T., ou,;n h. ,, ,,o,,,
,. a;,,a oh - or;od in ,nu voa,,
nass ms e.
sho l;s.ed mn
% W. Ill, ,n, to,l, ., !, o,v ,,ore now
Il, ,r,;nr sno said uWe have n month or
] ,m.,,e, - Which 70 maLe our n,ans Wa
w" ..;,, ,a;, @ - .na ,,,;ni, RAJ ,l;s vnrl,;no doos
WI, ma' a"a.,s "as s snan : ,arr;,,lo ,h;nn ~ me Ma
lo' ''o I..', s . '.,,,... - -, ,,ra,,,,noa
ron woa'u 'a'n.' ~, ,a.aaas. an [ ,'ss. oa,,
~. n,yss.' 'nan ~ ~ epeI '.,.s sp a..a,' !,
"", a. ..a,., ~ ,,,n'ah 10 ,o,
my snou,'' o''oi "-''' '' ''' -
p'Jo"e ,,r, ,,, s,,,;oo, .,, :, as
vs. -, s e. - darS E,.,n,,,;an
-, ~ ;,n ran,od ,ra,,, N.,,;na
49, ~ - ,,' p.aaaoa 49,, ~ ,,'..,,
, "1' "aas s1''n V,ama 80. ~ W. aa.,s
sooroalv a rseI even vet that II was home M
,mrcet Our wants were supplied ms usuaI.
Tie ,oh,e wos 40 we,, f,rnisbed Tho ser.
uan,s oa ohsoor;ors os ovor some,;mos 7
u,on5arod 70 !, vas No, oil .oma /. dream n,
,,a r;r,,n sror, ,vh,o,, 7 shon,d owoLor to
sao, 20, s.,har,s L;ss orce moro unor ,ny