Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-12-11
THREE YEARS IN A HOUSE OF BE-
FORMATION.
by MRS. SARAH u. DUREo.
lcovrISuED,l
CHAP. vi.

CHAR. vi.
Alter the excitement Of the Wedding had
passed, ell settled into the usual routine.
The Govsrnsss who had formerly been Ada's
teacher came TO spend few days with them,
and after hearing Ada play and sing, was
30 impressed with the superiority OF the
tone aid compass Of her voice, that she
urged her father TO place her under the in
s.ruotioa Of q very superior professor OF
music in q town about forty miles distant.
Alters general consultation had taken
place il was decided that she should spend
SIX months under the tuition Of the lady 10
question. She wished to be an Acoomp lshed
performer, but she regretted TO leave home
When she read from the old family bioie'
the evening before she was TO leave ana
whom she knelt at the bedside OF 1rsnamA
10 pray for the protection OF her heavenly
Father, she could scarcely SPEAK. her
heart was too fnll for nIterAnee' mo wall
read 10 YOU, dear Grandma, When | AN
zone ?" was her constant enquiry. The
time arrived for her to 90, and after the
leavelAking with cot only the family butth
servants, affairs settled into the usual dali
ness Of home bereft ofits chief attraction.
When her father WAS leaving her in the
drawingroom Of the teacher, she said to him
in an undsrtone-'l hate the eyes Of that
woman, and | know shall not be happy
here A description OF the woman who
was TO be her teacher, may give some idea
10 an acute observer Of Physiognomy wha,
ought or might be expected Of her.
She had usually six pupils at time; she
had lived in the house she occupied nearly
thirty years, aud her husband had been
dead about ten years; leaving her little else
than her home aud the furniture. She had
but one child, son then twenty three years
Of age. She was tall and slender, with q
hAwk-like nose, small grey eyes, . sharp
chin, aud thin compressed lips. When she
approached one OF her pupils, she would
rub her long, honey hands together and in
piteous tone say, ~ have seeu better days
girls. Yes, have seen better days, aud il is
hard for me to be obliged 10 work 30 hard
now" She WAS good teacher so far as
music was concerned, but her greatest study
seemed to be to find out how little she could
do and how much she could get for doing
it. She kept them as near the
point Of starvation as she could, bat her
pupils we're all Of = wealthy class and well
supplied uith pocket money. Hence they
we're enabled to supply their wants in that
line themselves. Her son WAS a wild reek
less fellow, and she had long lost al con.
troll over him. The pupils never met him
except 81 the table, ALi then he appeared
quite aHsbe and upon the whole, made 9
very favorable impression. The teacher
was cross and morose, fault finding, and
never pleased. Her son had learned tina, j
was not possible 10 make her happy, year
before, aud had abandoned al hope Of 1t
One morning she opened the viAls OF bet
wrath and made furious onslaught OF
them, spArinE none. Ada Was frightened
She had never before heard such violent
language or seen such threatening gestures
She expected every moment to be assaulted
aud lied 10 her room. Locking the door, sh,
sat down 10 think. She was nov little
more than sixteen years Of age, and prone
from her impulsive nature, TO act frat, and
reflect afterwards, aud her terror 81 the old
fury had no tendency TO make her hesitate.
She put on her travelling drsss, and walking
siealthily through the hall, hurried rapidly
toward the depot, determined o. go home,
When she neAred the cars, she met the son
who was jusi returning from the post office.
he enquired where she was going "Homel'
she replied. he told her 10 wait till be
ran 70 the house, ~ be vas going TO Angus.
Ia Snd would be company for her. Ada
was pleased 10 have some one 20 see her of,
As she had never been out Of town alone,
and was simid among strangers. She
handed her purse 70 him, and requested him
70 procure . ticket for her. They both
entered the cars together and be sat- in the
same sea, with her, keeping her ticket. He
was Ahable, aud seemed DESTROYS Of anus.
ing her. But al length Ada said with some
surprise; 81 do not see anything familiar
here. We ought 10 be at Augusta before
this time looking al her watch. "HA ha
sissy, We are more than hundred miles
from Augusta and going forty miles an hour
an the opposite direction, and you had better
Keep quiet, and moi make q scene in the
oars She replied 81 shall stop ct the next
station and take the FIRST return train for
home He knew that no return train would
oAl ~ the next station that night, as they
were on the express train, and would no,
make another stop ill evening. When
they arrived at the next stopping place, she
sprAng from the cars. BE followed close
behind her. She enquired offs man near
her what time the next train for Augusta
passed, and TO her suprSe was told five
O'Clock next morning. She went to q hotel
near the depot followed BY her pretended
friend. He called for supper for two, but
abe declined any Of his attentions. He took
hGsiy msAl, and as he returned to the
sitting room, Ada stood waiting for ser
want 70 light her TO her room. He stepped
near her and attempted to place his arm
around her. She stamped her foot on the
floor, and exclaimed "how dare you, you
william l will raise the house, if you ap-
" L..
was shown TO her room, but not to
sleep. She soon heard q gentle rap on the
door and enquired, "who is there p "a note
for Miss Field" Ada told the bearer, to
push il under the door. The note was an
apology, and the young scamp though1 il q
good Joke on the cold woman as he called
his mother. Ada did not view il in that
light, and had taken her resolution to 90
home by the earliest train. She went to
the oars for that purpose, and so soon as
they we're in the depot she took a seat, and
was soon whir!ed away, rs she supposed,
toward homo. She had neither taken food
or sleep for twenty-four hours, and was
faint and weary from the excitement Of her
situation. She fell into deep sleep from
the exhaustion she suffered, and when she
Awoke, found that the conductor had not
wished to disturb her when sleeping so
quietly. He came TO her and asked for her
ticket, when she took her purse from her
pocket and found that it had been riiled by
she young william when he took it to buy her
ticket the previous day. She gave him ell
she had left, and was informed tha, they
would Soon arrive at PhilAdelphiA, and she
could then write to her friends for fands. She
was soon in the city and bordering on what
course to pursue. She reasoned with her
self, 81 shall be misunderstood. / have
always been regarded as lover Of mischief,
and when IL is known that such scamp has
been with me. all my exersions will be Idle
70 convince them of my good intentions.
She walked about the city faint and weary.
till nearly dark, and then sat down on
bench in the Park to weep. A kindly look
ing LADY stepped up to her and endured,
"Ohild, what is thee crying about She re-
I'M aaNw l. 81