The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-06-02
However, it was no smiling matter.

| However, 1t was no smiling matter.
Between her struggles for life, against
wind and tide, the care of her invalid
mother, and her separation from the
man she loved, Annette's cup was full.
Z" will 90 and see your mother, IN
nette-see if there is anything | can do
for her, any little necessaries | can pro-
vide and as for Gabriel, if he is of any
account, he can support himself and you
too. Brighter days will come. Cheer
up and be of good courage
The next day. in pursuance of my de-
sign of helping Annette in her trouble,
| went over and assailed her mother.
found her thin, dark, little French.
woman, with keen, black eyes, and q
hard look about her face. On her head
was neat French cap, and everything
about the clean, deftly.arrang9d room
showed the marks of Annette's tasteful
fingers. In one corner of the room was
shrine covered with spotless white,
and surmounted by plaster statue of
the virgin, before which burned two
wax candles, and bloomed few fresh
flowers from the boxes in the window.
Here the young girls told her beads and
sent up her guileless prisons to heaven.
Under cover of bottle of old sherry
and pound or two of butter. crackers.
united to the tenderest expression of re-
gard for her health, | made my APP
proaches to the old woman, listening
sympathetically TO her long account of
one of those cases CT woman's suffering.
which seem to battle the skill and
knowledge of those men who call them
selves physicians. She repeated TO me
how Annette, during three years, had
been her sole support.
When | alluded to the heavy burdens
thrown on Annette's young life, the
mother shed no teas she had grown
hard i'll the worlds hardest school, pow
erty, and | saw that Annette's youth,
energy and talent We're regarded by the
mother who bore her..simply as so much
stock, in trade, to be turned to the best
advantage.
"She could marry, madame, and
throw off the burdens you speak Of
There is one fine young man good and
industrious, that will marry Annette and
take care of me But the girl is per-
verse. | cannot manage her She
thinks of nothing but that good.for-
nothing Gabriel Bernard"
Is Gabriel, then, 50 good for.noth
ing?"
What else is he, madame? Is he
not out of place thes six months What
got him off the police but his own bad
conduct Let her do what she will, she
shall not marry him?"
"But if she loves him p ventured.
ooh! love, madame, love is a girl
| ,,l ho,,.o lraon, /
Pierre Lorn," (candid) thought |
but we got along we'll enough, and he
made me comfortable living while he
lasted. That was better than love and
starvation in garrett"
1.-The worlds logic" | thought dis
consolately, as | rose and babe adieu TO
the implacable parent. | visited her
afterward, but found it in vain to try to
soften her. ! told Annette 10 send
Gabriel to me, that | might Judge for
myself what material he was made of.
One day he presented himself. He was
better looking than his portrait, and
there was q certain air of self-respect
and courtesy in his manner that liked.
lie was well dressed, too, and | saw but
little essential difference between him
and men far above him in rank. No
where but in America could you have
found such gentleman.like, selfpos-
sessed young man in his station. | was
glad, because | should have been too
sorry to have seen the young girl, whose
beauty, misfortune and lovely character
interested me so much, ally herself to
one much her inferior.
1t was evident Gabriel was not a bad
fellow at heart. He was one of those
natures without great moral courage or
heroic force, but generous, impulsive
and open-handed-the very sort 10 90
to the bad when driven thither by any
outward pressure. He confessed his de-
votion for Annette, and declared it
was the trouble he'd had about the
girl that drove him to dissipation"
promised that, if he would pledge
himself to me 10 do his duty like man
and a Christian, would see some
friends of political influence, and en-
deavor to have him reinstated.
He gave me his pledged word, and
had scarcely departed when, in that
singular apIopos way that things some
times occur, Judge H, a lawyer,
who was transacting some business for
me, was announced.
Knowing Of his great influence, and
thinking of the young lovers, | wei.
coined him with such impressement
that the old gentleman was quite aston
ished.
Il have no very good news for YOU"
he said hesitatingly. Il find the Ninth
avenue railroad business is all in a mud.
die, and the suit for thirty thousand
against the P bank has gone dead
against you
For moment sat silent under his
news. thought of my lost husband
of his hard labor and toll far into the
night; of the cases wan for this bank
under the greatest difficulties. the ablest
opposition | thought of the INSULT
cient fees, the long waiting, and now |
was robbed Of that which | knew in
justice was my due.
At last answered bitterly: . might
have known it would be so, as justice is
administered in New York. With