The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1872-11-13

70 he apqYe i9hoF-to see you con
1T is the very thing I am urgin,
you To dc. child. 'f@esE7a
'sAnd at what price =
Mrs. Mason. was, at heart,
thorough woman Of the world. Sh,
was an invalid. Edith had just re
turned from a morning walk and hat
found her mother sitting up in bed
when the above conversation has
taken place.
Like a majority of such conversa
tions It was long continued and end
| ed without any definite result having
been arrived at The gii1 saw the
/ full Soree of the reasoning Of hel
mother, so far as throwing Off the
shackles Of poverty was concerned,
even though she ignored the shallow
pretence that love had no longer
anything to do with marriage. She
hooked at the matter in a far more
holy light, and if her IDEAS were
(like 7thers or her age) somewhat
roulE ie, fhey were true IN the
Inail -
But what had She 20 ofTer AGAINST
becoming the wife of John Erskine
No man stood more high in the com
munity-was more GENERALLY res
pected. II was true she might OBJ
jeet to his age--being double her
own. Still he was not more than
forty and was in the very prime Of
life and manly yigor. There was
nothing aged or decrepit about him,
and though not handsome not even
good looking--in fact, very plain.
yet there WAS something noble IN
his face and carriage. and more than
one action told Of his heart being IN
the right place and moving from
right motives and tenderness.
That his birth had been lowlv was
not fault: that he had worked
himself up from il TO place, power,
and honor, was his glory; though
unlike tho great mass of 80 called
.self-made men, lie was never blazou-
iug j, 10 the world and rendering
himself obnoxious by bis egotism.
His manner might Re brusgUe, bat
it was sincere, and the one love Of
his life would he honest and faryent.
That love was Edith 8Iason.
And when her conversation With
her proud. worldly and unscr0pulous
mother was finished IS she lad re-
tired to the little chamber she cali
ed her own, she sal. seriously consid--
c-ing tie matter and weighing well
her own heart Hal she been alone
interested. the decision would have
been firmly and instantly made
She would have refused the profier-
ei hand even though il hal been ex--
tended to her filed with diamonds
But the plea5ings OF poverty. the
almost elimination her mother Lad
INDUCED in; her natural t4sse- for
art and the beautiful, weighed Aeayi-
iy against aer own inclination as
well IS tie natural ambition Of Lc-
sex 10 shine i'm society.
But there was another and far
more potent motive than aIv she
had openly advanced against her be-
coming tae wife OF john Ersi-iuc,
and that was q secret passion Size in
iulLg5 ina love uuspJ-ea and uII-
confessed tog one who had tAus far
shown only ~ his actions that he
cared more for Le- than al tie rest .
gf the world.
She thought Of Frank Roylston as
size arrorej herself in snowy gar .
ueuts for the night. and -combed out .
Ter long siIkea hairof ripping chest
lut. and felt her face btaming with +.
bushes: thought Of Lim in her
lreams, and fancy painted bright
and glowing future But the day
light dispe.iel all illusions. She
net Lim and lIe passed her coldIy by,
With firm lip and 4 frowning brow
ma her heart sank within her.
lie had heard for the mother of
Edith surmised that lie stood III the
way OF her daughters decision and .
forged and circulated the
story, that the girl he loved WAS
lbout TO throw herself away upon
Iohn Erskine; that she had. in fact.
agreed to banter youth and beauty
nd love. for gold. and he crushed
Town al Of affection as with an iron
leel. and almost cursed her for a
worthless changeling.
But this was not all. There was
lso a story fabricated for her ears. T
nd. in the mad jealousy of the mo-
nent, she believed il. Her false
mother took care that it should he
whispered to her that him she loved
ad only been triting with her af-
ections that he had said she might
10 to pass an hour with, but not to
Ted-was too poor for that; and
hat he was soon to marry Mabel
q rich and vulgar woman
7hO was known TO have been sharp
V angling for him. And this his
ctions appeared to attest. for that
cry afternoon Edith saw them riding
ogether. and the girl. at least, was
II smiles and honey.
Stung to the very quick by this.
.dith forgot her better nature, made
ot another effort to battle against
that she considered fate, but when
Ohm Erslline came. and, in manly
erms, told of his affection and prof
cred his hand and his heart, she did
OF refuse them. And yet she was
lore honest than most would have
cen.
81 thank you, Mr.. Erskine." she
eplied, 'fCr the honor YOU have
one me. 1 accept your offer and
ill try and make you s good wife
nd deserve your kindness. But it
,ould be Unfair, even deceitfuI in /
le, to have YOU believe that I now
I'VE, no matter how much l respect
ou." /
That 1 viii teach you, my dar- !
ng,' he answered as he folded her
l his strong arms and took the first
iss from woman's lip. since child
ood. - (