Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-02-18

this sitting hour after hour, with cramped
limbs, strained eyes, and weary fingers.
Soon there were little debts that she
couldn't meet; she grew discontented, be-
came irritable, the children's noise crazed
her; she gave them push. sometimes,
in her hurry and anxiety to finish her
task.
About the middle Of the following win
ter her tenants moved. and the house lay
empty. She spent much time in showing
the rooms, and in talking to applicants
but as time passed, and nobody was suit
ed, Susan's heart sank. One Saturday
night, at the end Of most unfortunate
week, her grocer pressed her for the pay
mcnt of his bill, and almost refused to
trust her for more goods. 1t was the first
time in her life that such thing had hap
pened to her, and she was ready to sink
under the humilation-though thankful
that one drop of bitterness was spared
the middle-aged clerk, who usually waited
on her, was not by she could not have
borne that. Yet when, an hour later, a
large package was brought to her door by
the pleasant-faced boy OF the establish
ment, and she was asked humbly TO accept
it. Susan did not send it back. rs she had
done things from the same quarter before.
The children's necessities, her own jaded
discouraged state, prepared her. when
this hour of temptation came, to yield.
What was the use of pride while her
children wanted bread; when soon the
house that their father worked so hard for,
would refuse them shelter? And could
she ever earn enough to pay rent. and
feed and clothe them alp So before sum-
mer she was married To Mr.. Powers, the
middle aged clerk at Mr.. Ransom's; and
the old life became thing of the past.
Mr. Powers paid off the mortgage on the
house he bought new furniture in place
of the broken, disabled stuff; but he let
some rooms. instead of having all to them
selves, as Susan had hoped.
No two persons could begin life to-
gether with less realization of what each
Was 10 bear and forbear The husband,
now past forty, had been a bachelor,
waited on rs person OF consideration in
the house where he had boarded for fifteen
years. Susan's first husband had treated
her with tenderness and consideration,
much rs if she were child. Now these
two had come together, one because n
sweet face. made inter csting By its black
surroundings, had charmed him; the
other because she wanted provision for
her children. When the hard places
came. they were the harder that neither
had any stock of experience to draw from.
Mr.. Powers had no thought OF recon
struc,ing his habits to suit a house with
three young children in it. Susan had
no intention of keeping her children from
noisy play. or of sending them to bed
early, TO suit his whims. II he had
always spoken. and it was done, then u
little change would be we'll for him. He
thought little discipline. in the way OF
suppression, would be good for the young
ones.
In halfa year there was open warfare.
Mr.. Powers had learned 10 dislike, almost
to hate. his step-children; they to dread
and 10 dislike him; their mother to COM
pare her lie with what 1t might have been,
had she struggled on alone, or. more dar-
gcrous still, with what il would have been,
had Henry lived. And one day, in the
course Of some dispute, she said the bitter
things that she had thought. From that
day they lived over smoldering volcano ;
Jealous sense of wrong on one side; self
assertion, in spite of shame and humilia-
ton, on the other. Susan affected to be
fighting her children's battles, when she
opposed what she considered tyranny ;her
husband ielt that all which he had tried
to DO went for nothing. and that the chill
dren, whose bread he earned, were taught
10 despiso him. This was not the truth ;
for Susan, though she was unjust. never
said word against her husband, save to
him or before his face: there was lett this
little spark of truth and honor yet. There
were occasional truces and attempts at
peace until the little girl was born; then
the worst of this divided house appeared.
The father was constantly on the watch.
and the thousand little nameless ways in
which own parentage shows itself, awak'
ened Susan's jealousy for her fatheriess
ones. And once, when Mr.. Powers struck
Harry because the baby was hurt in their
play, the mothers anger famed out
what, is she better than my boy ? wish
that she had never been born" Andnever,
in her fathers sight, would she bestow a
caress upon his child; when he was out ol
the way, she made up for all.
At fifteen months old the child fell i'll ;
il was bad summer for babies, and she
was teething; it was only a weeks sick
ness, and she died. AS they were putting
her into the little cas&et, her father turned
to his wife, and said, This is rs good as
what YOU wished" Susan dared not ask
if the grave were to be made in her lot,
but she hoped, till the very moment when
the carriage turned to the opposite path.
and the whole breadth of the cemetery lay
between.