The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-23
woMAN's BLINDNESS.
WHY Tom Ferra,s Went to New Zca'
land,

Wby Tom FerraIs Went TO New Yea"
land. ...
Little Mrs. Conway sat by the fire IN
her cosy druwing.rOOm At 4 o'clock, one
december afternoon. Darkness and log
were hiding all the world outside, but the
glowing freight danced merrily in the
POLISHED steel CRATE, and the flowers
bloomcd in the jardinicrc, and the place
looked u thorough nest Of warmth and
comfort, all the more homellke for Tue lar
face and graceful figure OF the young wild
owas,with a book in her lap, she sat gazing
into the fire, her thoughts flown far away
from the pcrplcxites Of Mr.. Trollope's
heroine. She was the only child Of u
Colonel in the Indian army. Her mother
died when she WIS q baby, and Colonel
Ferrars, fondly attached to his little girl,
kept her with him in India, hoping by
lhc most devoted care and frequent jour.
news to the hills, TO shield her from the
effects Of the climate. But when she was
four years old terrible illness made him
reluctantly own that the English surgeon
at Cawnpore was right in saying that II
he wished little Laura TO grow up he
must send her to England rs speedily as
mssible. She was put under the care Of
A brother officers wife and consigned 10
their only relative, Colonel Fcrrar's older
brother, q London barrister, widower
with two children, Tom and Margaret;
Margaret Just Laura's age, Tom just five
years older She never saw her father
again. lie died Of fever the year after
she LETT him,
Until she was eighteen her lie was
passed chiefly at boarding school, where
Sue was sent with her cousin Margaret.
They both looked forward with delight
10 tue holidays when they were home
from school, and Tom was home from
Rugby, and then from Oxford, and they
were all so happy together. At eighteen
the girls lett school, and at twenty they
were married on the-same DAY, Laura to
General Conway, an old friend OF her
father, Marguerite George Fenwick, % Lam
cAshire county squire. Idolized, petted
and protected from everything rough and
Troublesome by her kind and chivalrous,
htherly old husband, Laura Conway's
married life OF ten years lay in very
smooth, green meadows OF happiness, and
when the General died, leaving her with
one little girl, she felt rs unable to take
care OF herself as child. She was sin
sulArly lonely, Tor there were no Conway
relations, her uncle was dead, Tom Fer.
nrs had been in New Zealand for years,
aud Margaret seldom left her country
home and large family. So this evening
she sat thinking sadly of old times, until,
being naturally cheerful and sensible lit.
tie woman, she shook herself out of her
rVeriC, besOught herself of her many
blessings, and OF her Jessie, and was going
0TIDg ind send 10 the nursery for the
child, when she was startled, as women
Always are, by the arrival Of n telegram
Mn George Fenwick, which ran thus
3D. llilbcrs thinks Margaret is dying |!
Can you come 10 hcr?'
TWAS u terrible shock, but no time
could be lost in lNmentation, for the even.
lnseXprCss lett EuSton square at $50, and
twas then $50. She could safely con
llC little Jessie 10 the care Of good old
Evans, who had been her own maid Tor
len years, and she was soon on her way
10 lhe station. "0nly just in time, madam,
lhB way, please" and she was hurried
into a carriage, the door was locked and
Tue train moved on. Faster, faster
through the log and darkness, the only
Thing to be seen IRON the window the
great wreaLhes from the locomotive.
Quietly ensCOnSed In her corner, Laura
had time for her own thoughts. Her
cousin was as dear to her as Il sister, and
ler death would leave great blank in
lIer lie, and then her poor child! From
leFalXlous musing about Margaret her
thoughts passed TO Tom, and she won.
IrFed why they had not heard from him
iOr so long, and when he was coming
lack, and then she remembered how
amazed they had all been when he had
Zealand.
at was just after Margaret and were
engaged, too," she thought "and how
Suit was and how unlike herself, that he
wouldn't wait for our weddings" Poor,
Sear Tom, he was horribly cross those
.A lew days. l have always wondered
Nace II he could have been IN love with
% nm girl who did not treat him kindly.
Who could It bcg"
Aetried to think for whose sake among
Art slr! friends Tom had run Off to the
sMup0dcs, but could not recall any ono,
ua.SSS, indeed, it might have been Fan.
!! AalCrlOanks, and just then it was that
1 " heard she was engaged to Captain
VOtHon' Yes, that must have been H.
S'T poor Tom could otbear TO remain
II England and see her Mrs. Gordon
a "o" stupid that neither | nor Margaret
"yt thought Of Il before"
=. was time now that she should have
a a.S answer TO the letter telling him of Gen.
I IM S,9aways death, How poor Laura
% lug, as she satalone in the railway car.
dy OtOll. AWAY 50 re"'
lie used 10 be such u kind, tender.
"vnt|eI fellow, so manly, too, just the
" "''n WG0ma woman would trust and lean
G Sv How could Fanny AIaioribankl
Go, Gave preferred " TINT ioppish little Captain
az, az last Laura reused herself with q sigl
E ,Ia @San to collect her traps, for they
, "Te passing the last station before -
S Su ~ ll'leen minutes more her Journey
"ll would DO at an end. Justas she
o \" gathered herself up, all ready 10 gcr
s %Slel !hG train stopped, there was {
S SSsIat whistling from two locomotives, {
NJ ',oIe jar and crash, even above which
sS, aeatG 9gonlzing shrleks, and then {
~, ny o. darkness, horror and suiEocation
h, .u. Sllh a cry or"0 my poor little girl,'
N'WvES VA quite lost all consciousness.
j,, uaen she awoke as from horrid
T T,,in, she was lying on a soIa>qh tht
IS%HnS room Of The little station which
l Ss I 0s,1, had just dashed passed whcI
TSm SU'!slon occurred, and the youhl
.nS Sau ron the relreshment counter wa
kiS SIns over her with q look OF womanlv
iva T ;SS and concern identifying he