New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-11-24
Then your father shall give you halt his


income"
'sOh, no; he can not spare us dollar,
| Phoebe and ] have some property OF our
own, and depend on you to smooth our
| going away to his mind"
''You have such high, Roman way of
doing things that suspect you really mean
| to disinherit us both, and never see us
! again"
1--WE will come to see you every day if
you like"
Il wish / might have been your own
mother" said my fathers wife, kissing my
| cheek. We both laughed at this absurd
sentiment, and parted very good friends.
Father actually made no objection to our
| departures in fact he had no thoughts for
any one but his wife. Before the end of
! the week we were settled in our new home.
"If We make believe very much" said
Phoebe when we sat down to our first cup
| of tea, eve might be newly married cou-
| pie just beginning housekeeping"
That's the way / mean to look at it, and
(being the busbandj will go out to-mor-
row in search of work"
"And the weaker vessel will stay at
home and wash up the china"
| NY stepmother's hint about private
school had leavened my thoughts, and
went out next day in search of scholars. /
| found poverty very hard indeed TO bear.
| Those who had children to send thought
my terms too high-those who had none
were quite sure they were too low.
Ny long morning walk secured only two,
and those on condition of my finding others
| a. I dragged myself home, tirod and dis
| pirited, the most ancient of widOwers would
| have found me an easy prey.
| Phoebe had made two yards Of exquisite
| tatting, which was worth fifty cents, and
this, with a cup of hot tea, revived me so
much that | went on another tramp in the
afternoon, and almost by force secured a
promise OF three more scholars. Five
would do to begin with, and | did begin
the next Monday. was wholly ignorant
Of the ways of children, though | shared
with all other old maids certain theories as
to their proper treatment. ] have % natural
love tor them, and got on tar better with
the children than with their parents, whose
unreasonablenebs is past telling. My nam
Der in the course Of six months rose to ten,
but never exceeded it. 1t was good dis
Sipline, and doubtless a means Of grace, but
Phmbe's tatting brought US more money.
My stepmother would have supplied our
table entirely if I would have permitted it,
and in the face of my absolute refusal to
take anything from our old home she some
times struggled in loaf Of bread or cake.
It was very hard to make both ends meet
i'll the beginning Of our housekeeping, but
before the end of the first year, by severe
CalCulablOn, we uhu compressed our &A-
ptnses within our income.
We dined in the old home every Sunday,
and no one save ourselves knew that We
tasted meat but once in the week
What queer sensation a new dress
would be p said Phoebe when &e were
making ready for church.
" / Have given more thought 30 original
sin in the last year than in ali my lite before
If Eve had not make that little mistake,
;,,o 11yDu1I he oil c1tff9 oio
" Yes, we got married too suddenly for
you to have the usual outfit"
"I'm afraid I'm not meek enough vet a
new suit might puff me up too mach, but I
should like to look well in the eyes OF her
brother
Her brother" vas DIR. Winter, she only
one left Of our stepmoTher's family. She
always spoke OF him with the most admir-
ing Affection and praised his skill in his
profession, which he had used SO little for
his own profit that he was still o poor man
with fortune always within his grasp.
He had just returned from Paris, where he
had been volunteer surgeon in the hos
pitfalls, and we were invited to meet him.
There vas nothing in the LEASE formidB
Bile about him he was a pleasant-Iooking
man of forty, with o peculiarly soft touch
in his hand, as if he found a patient in every
one whom he shook GLANDS with. He
included us all in conversation with the
simple ease of @ man of the world, saving
nothing that one eould carry away and re-
peat as wittieism, but making the eve
ning's hours 60 by on wings. He walked
home with us, and Phoebe asked him to
call He promised to do so, But he will
never think of it again, said Phoebe.
However, he came next day, and entered
into long conversation with her about her
lameness and the possibility of it8 cure.
u have given up all such hopes long ago."
said Phoebe, YEARLY. II suffered fortunes
yhen l was young from the many expert
ments of doctors, and the last disappOint
ment was always worse than all the others.
! have grown TO be almost content rs
am
"PIease persuade her, he said to me, "to
let me undertake her case. Like the quacks, |
/ take no fee without a cure, but new pa |
tient is too fascinating tor me to resist. My |
trade is my passion; it has taken the place |
of wife and children"
held night vigil with PhPbe, and she |
to submit to one more trial. |
After this he came to our rooms every day, |
and soreiy interrupted the tatting business, |
his first direction being to avoid the small |
est wear and tear of muscle. | was some |
times summoned to assist at certain mes
meric operations, but otherwise | saw very
little of DIR. Winter. Ny. work was nearly
doubled by PhRbes inactiOn, but did not !
liuu ~ III VIC" VA tnC pOSHAUAO CIN AG
little economies of housekeeping, of course,
became known to him. Since PhGbe's in
come had ceased we sat down three times |
D day to bread and butter and tea. Our
only variation was from white bread to !
brown, and, if Phoebe was to be under treat
nent much longer, saw plainly that the
butter would have 10 be given up. This
was q matter not worth mentioning beside
another which seemed to be growing M
Nl.06 aUf TayrihI hAfpro nv pbFaha
could not meet DR. Winter or hear his name
without sudden flush in her cheek and
in her eyes, and all the sweet
liayfulness Of her youth had returned to !
Ter manner. [ used to hear the nurmur of
heir voices for hours together as I taught
nv scholars in the next room. His manner !
% her was ever courteous, and after |
ashton, devoted, bus that fashion seemed
% be only professional. / borrowed much
rouble as | watched and magnifed all the
igns Of Phpbe's infatuati0n. Of what use
would be her cure ii she lost her heart to
aim, when he had never thought of such
) thing9 He had better have left her to
Ter 0rutches
There came day when the great trial Of
Walking unsupported was to be made. Or.
Winter had devoted the greater part Of ten
weeks to the case He seemed almost as
FERROUS as Phoebe herself, aud CLEAN of
lope dawned upon me that she might not
70 disappointed after ell; he certainly how
red about her with all the eagerness of q
over. It was genuine hope, but down at
he very bottom of my heart was % certain
y that should have been happier If had
eyer known DR.. Winter and his pleasant
g8ys.
When Phoebe wac arranged in her chair
e helped her to rise slowly and take the
rst step ON his arm; then, gently with
rawing himself, he whispered a word or