The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-10
RACHEL'S ORDEAL,


grandest mansions, and one of the finest
estates, in Middlesex. AS far as she could
see the land was hers, with the beautiful
slopes, the shady delis, the spreading
meadows, and the distant hedge OF the old
forest trees. Mistress of the mansion, and
and mistress OF the broad domain, she sat
in her chair and ~was unhappy. And she
was unhappy because
In the other years, when she was plain
Rachel Stevens, her father and her mother
had been she keepers of Oskwood, as the
estate was called, and she had played, a
happy child, upon the velvety lawn. In
those yesrs lakewood had belonged TO Capt.
BarnabV Bowers, who owned ships, and
sailed to aud fro across the ocean. Capt
Barnaby owned the estate, apd he hired
Jason Stevens and his wife, Matilda, to take
care of it,
Jason and Matilda had not been married
until well advanced in life (they had met
frat upon the estate), and Rachel was their
only child and when Rachel came to be
seventeen her parents had passed into the
=" scar and yellow leaf" At this time Capt.
Barnaby Bowers gave mp the sea, and came
to settle a. lakewood He had money
enough. and he had resolved that he would
fret himself with business no more. Anex
perienced physician, however, could have
told him that his energy was dying out
that he was growing old before his time
either from some Inherited disease, or from
some ailmen: incurred during his years of
labor and exposure.
But Capt. Barnaby Bowers came home.
He was fifty, and not ill looking. He was
very kind to Jason Stevens and his wife
and particularly was he kind to Rachel.
She was the sunlight of the mansion-a
brght-eyed, happy-fsced. beautiful girl,
with the purity of a soul that knew no guile
stamped in celestial brightness upon every
liueament of her lovely features
A year passed and during part of the
time Capt Bowers was sick and he would have
no nurse but Rachel. As for Jason and
Matilda, they were like two family relics,
held for the association with the past, but of
little present value. They had become too
old to labor much, and the captain gave
them home just as he would have given it
to two little children. All this made
Rachel very grateful. Alas, that it should
have been so!
The year passed, and Capt -Barnaby
walked out again and out in the garden
one day, in one of the grspery bowers, he
asked Rachel to be his wife and he gave
her four-and,twenty hours to consider the
matter. If she would be his wife, her
parents should have home while they lived,
and he would treat her tenderiy.
At first Rachel was shocked but IN time
she WAS able to reason calmly. She knew
that she could never love Captain Bowers.
She oould respect him, but as for love. she
could not even give him brothers place.
She fancied that she knew what love was
Had she told her fancy to another, she would
have been laughed g.. 1t was simply that
ola child-s fancy reaching back into the
years when she had romped and played upon
the lawn with Bsrnaby Bowers abin-5oy,
Arthur Lee. She remem bered Arthur Lee
very well-a stout, bold, venturesome lad
her beau ideal Of the sailor boy, and Of the
hero. She remem bered how she had cried
when he went away and she remembered
how the chill of great agony fell upon her
heart when Capt. Bowers came home during
the following year, and told how Arthur
Lee had been lost at sea.
This was Rschels dream of iove-s
chld's dream but nevertheless, one from
which all future thoughts of love were to
take direction. The cleaning of the love
light had been very brief. The sailor boy
had flashed upon he--coming, she knew
not whence, only that ne was bound to
Captain Bowcrs-he had made bright and
Joyous few brief weeks-and then he had
gone from her, and she had seen him no
more-but his image had not been etfaced
she felt that it never could be.-Hsr
heart may have been very childish one
IN those other years. but Impressions made
upon 1t were very deep, and some of them
were stamped upon the tablets which only
death can shatter.
As she had loved her sailor boy she
could never love another. But could she
love Capt. Barnaby at. all She remem
bered how much she owed to him-how she
mad been the creature of bis bounty since
she was born-and how he had always
been very good and kind TO her. But
above all, was the duty she owed TO her
parents. They were old and decrepit. She
now mad it in he1 power to give them
home, and she resolved to do it.
So Rachel married with Capt Barnsby
Bowers She told him frankly that she
could not love him as wife should love
husband, but that she rather felt in the
place OF an obedient child People shook
their heads and raid il was wrong. Old
Barnaby Bowers to marry with Rachel
Stevens and she only eighteen And few
there were who blamed Rachel. They
called her mercensry, and said she had sold
herself for Barnsby Bowers great wealth.
But those who said this were cruel and
wicked indeed. The only thought which
the girl had to the wealth Of lakewood was
Of the home which would be afforded her
parents. In marrying with the owner she
acted rather with the obedience of q child
than with design.
Two years Rachel lived as the wife of
Barnaby Bowers. Capt. Bowers as g hus.
band proved not so kind as Capt. Bowers as
a bachelor friend and patron. He became
petulant and exacting; and moreover, in the
end he became Jealous. At first he invited
young people to his mansion to make his
wife happy; and when he saw that their
presence gave her pleasure which his com
partnership could not afford, he drove them
away
Thus for two years, and then Barnaby
Bowers died, and was buried. His will was
read, and it was found to be very simple.
BY it he left everything of which he might
die possessed to his 'beloved wife Rachel"
for her use while she remained single; and
in the event of her marrying again, the
whole property. without reservation of any
kind, WAS to go to his sister Prudence. and
through to her heirs
At frat Rachel cared not for this. She
did not think she should ever wish to marry
again. She was able now to give her aged
parents q home and with the great wealth
Mt her command she felt that she could em
ploy herself in doing good among the poor
and needy around her. She remembered
Capt. Bsrnaby's sister, Mrs. Prudence Mar
shall, as tall, gaunt woman, well advanced
in life, who had visited lakewood several
times in the other years, but whose family
duties, III distant state, had prevented her
presence since her brothers. marriage. She |
believed, however that Mrs. Prudence was
now a widow, with one or two grown up |
daughters on her hands.
Capt. Barnaby had been dead year,
when one pleasant day in June, gentle
man called at lakewood to see him. The |
stranger was Young nan-not more than
tive and twenty-tall. robust and handsome
his oarh and hronuoI foata-oa e.;-;.s. A.