Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-11-11
RACHEL'S ORDEAL.

AN -Plnchineilo.
z RACHEL'S ORDEAL, ,r,
RACHEL Bowers was far from being
happy, and yet she was mistress of one OF
the grandest mansions, and one of the
finest estates, in Middlesex. As fat as she
could see the land was hers, with the beau
tiful slopes, the shady dells, the spreading
meadows, and the distant hedge of the old
foreSt tEees. NJ istrees of the mansion, and
mistrees Of tie broad domain she sat in her
chahnnA was unhappy. And she was un-
happy because--zD
In he 6fief yeats, when. she was plain
Rachel Stevens, her father and her mother
had been the Keepers of Oakwood, as the
estate was called, apdshe had played, hap
happy child on the yelvety laWn.-In those
years Oakwood had belonged to Capt. Bar
nabX b9Yers, who owned bhips and sailed
to afdshd across the ocean. Capt Barna-
by owned the estate, and he hired. Jason
Steve1san his wife Matilda, to take care
OF it. M S IL s
jason and Matilda had not been married
unll Velladyanced in life Qhey had met
first. upon the estate, and Rachel was their
only child and when Rachel came to be
seventeen her parents had passed intv the
oSNA "hNy HAAO AOui- t4<Ab bAlb tllllC OtlDt.
BarnabyNBowers gave up the sea, and came
to settle in Oakwood He had money
enough, and he had resolved that he would
fret himself with business no more. 3 An
experienced 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, OF from
some ailment incurred during his years of
labor and exposure
But Capt. Barnaby Bowers came home.
He was fifty, and not Unlocking He was
very kipdto Jason Stevenssand his wife ),
andparticllari was he kind to Rachel.
She was the sunlight of the mansion-a
bright,,eyed, happy faced, beautiful girl,
with the purity of soul that knew no
guile stamped in celestial, brightness upon
every, ,linkamentsof fsher1 lovely features.
AsyedrpaSseH 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 associations with
They haA become too Old to labor
much, and the captain gave them
home just as he would have given it to
two little ehjldren..,eAll this made Rachel
The year passed, and Capt. Barnaby
walked out again; and out in the garden
one day in one Of the .graperys bowers, he,
asked Rachel Ito belhis wife !; and he gave
her four-and-twenty hours to consider the
matter. Ifshe woalth hbe lhswife, her pa
rents should have home while they lived,
and he would treat her tenderly. = i,s -,
At first Rachel was shocked but in
time she was able to reason calmly She
knew that she could never love Capt.
Bfpwers.- She could respect him, but as for
lova,. she could not even giVehim "a broth
er's pl.' ace. She fancied that she knew
what love- Yas,T Had she, told her fancy to
anotllef J She ,woald have been laughed at. Z.
1t was simply that of a child-a fancy
reaching back intu1tbe years when she had
romped and played upon the lawn with
Bar1abY' 'Bowers cabins6oyA. Arthur Lee.
She remembered Arthur LeeiVery well--al
strong, bold, yentdresome laoS-her beau
ideal of the sailor boy and of fthe- hero.
She remembered how she had criett when
he went away; and she remembered how
the chill of a great agony fell upon her
heart when Oapt. Bowers came home 4lur;
ing the following year, and told low \ Ar
thur Lee had been host atisea - OK 2
This was ,BaelIel's dream of love-h
ehild's dream but nevertheless, one fronA
which al ifut preN thoughts of love we're to-
take direction. The cleaning of the lovet
light had been briof9 The sailor boy}
had flashed upon her,-coming, she knewIy
not whence, only that he was bound t0A
Capt. Bowers-he had made bright and |
joyous a feM brief week ISLAND then he had{
gone from her, and she had seen him MOI
more3 BW Ais igiage had not been effaced-I
she feit tliat>A nsver' could be. Her Heart
may hayo been "a VERY childish one in
those other years, but impressions made
upon it were very deep, and some Of them
Were, We're sisPi 7 4ee ,y ,syROHth9 tablets which Rny
,Asshe had loved hersailoE boy, she could !
meyer love another, = But could she love-
Capt. Barnaby at all? She remembered
how much she owed to hjm-rhow she had (
been the creature of his bounty since she
was born-and how he had always beep
very good and KIND TONER But, above San
was ;the idnty) sha owed TO her paTBnts.
They were old and decrepit. She now had
it ia her power to give them home, and
-hearesolved tosdo itf 9 'riif ~ 4 Z
nerLsh Rachel married With Capt Barnaby
Z oners. She told him frankly that she
did not love him as a wifeV should lOye
husband but that she rather felt in the
place of am 6tedient child people shook
theiriheads, and said it was wrong; Old
Barnaby Bowers TO marry with Rachel
Stevens, and she only eighteen Some said
it was wicked and a few there were who
blamed Rachel, They nalled her mercena
ry, and said she had sold herself for Bar
nabY Bowers great swealtbs But those that
saidithis were cruel and wicked indeed
The only thought Whlch the girl bad given
to the, woalth9aof Oakwood was of the
home which would be afforded her parents.
In marrying with the owner She acted
raefier with the obedience Of child than
withaHy zd9sigpSIU -I'I(rFTIe
Two Yeats Rachel lived az, the wife of
BatnabY Bowers, Capt Bowers as hus-
band, proved not so kind as Capt. Bowers
as o. baehalnr friend and patron. He be-
cdms petldant and eXacting; and, more
over in the end he became jealous At first
he invited yoang people TO his mansion to
make his wife happy and when he saw
that their presence gaze her pleasure which,
his ipanionship could not afford, he
Thus for two years, and then Banaby
Bowers died, and was buried. His will
was read, and II WAS found TO be very sim
pie. q BY jthbl left everything Of which he
might die possessed to his "beloved wife
Rachel" for her use while she remained
EIaglel and IN the event Of her marrying