The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-08-30

larger part Of which they rented to others !;
and for the rest they did sewing, nursing,
clear-starching, whatever came to hand.
But needy as they were, Bessy always had
on clean print, though she had to rise be-
fore day to wash and iron it; she always
had bright ribbon for her throat she al
ways looked as perfect as rose.
And old Margarets pride and JOY lay in
seeing her so. She wore her own brown
gingham till it fell apart, so that Bessy
might have bishop SHAWN for summer
Sundays. She pretended dire dyspepsias,
and lived on crusts, so that Bessie might
keep her blood sweet and rich with the lit
tie milk and meat there was. Long after
Bessie had come home from her moon lit
stroll with the handsome and worthless
James Falconer Margaret sat over her nee
die or her Italian irons abridging the NOR
rows work, that Bessie's pretty shoulders
might learn no stoop or else turning an ex-
ira penny, that she might surprise Bessy
with the bit of trimming for which she had
heard the girl longing. Poor Margaret !!
she little knew the crop she sowed, nor re-
cOgnized the fact that Bessy was becoming
to herself as we'll as to her mother the chief
person in the drama she failed to see the
springing and ripening selhshness in the
girl, the willful spirit, the deadly love OF
fnery, the lack of reason. She only saw
her standing in the light and looking at her
with her fathers eyes-those burning blue
eyes that seemed at once to revel in the
brilance of the world and scorn it too-
and she felt that all she could have was not
too much for her.
| Still as she glanced from the window
sometimes. and saw her by moon-beam or
stars CLEAN leaning against the gate post,
with James FalcOner across the little wick
ct, as tall and dark and glittering as Lucifer,
misgiving would cross Margaret as to
whether she was right in letting the thing
go on as to whether it was possible for
young Falconer to stoop from his ancient
degree and his fathers place to marry this
pretty cear-starcher. But the child looked
so bright and rosy and lovely as her moth
er gazed at her that she could but fold her
hands above her beating heart and whisper
to herself that all might be for the best,
for stranger things had happened.
But the years went slowly wearing by,
each one of them taking degree OF Bessy's
bloom with it, and Bessy was old enough to
know better, and still James Falconer fol-
lowed her and did not marry her. and 9th
er lovers had fallen away, and the mother,
through some hidden sense, was half aware
that Bessy's name was spoken lightly. And
one day Falconer had disappeared leaving
a defacation behind him, and Bessy had
gone too.
No search was made for the defaulter a
little of his fathers wealth could repair the
breach in the bank. and for his fathers sake
20 suit was entered against him. Indeed,
there were those who half excused him,
and laid the blame on the shameless girl
who had allured him, as they said, to his
ruin. And certainly no search was made
for Bessy. What could one feeble little
old woman do? Nothing in the world,
by day and night " What am crying for y
she would say, dashing away her tears.
God is on my side, and with Him on my
side, am | going to lose? No; Bessy will
come back"
And so for FIVE years she toiled and moil-
ed-not for herself, but that when Bessy
came home there might be something laid
by to let rest and comfort greet her. And
every night she swept the hearth and
frightened the lamp for her, and every
morning she made the place spotless,
thinking it might hold Bessy before night
And her eyes longed and her heart ached
and her hands trembled to see her. Her
expectation was almost at fever heat. She
hardly knew that the tears wet her pillow
at night, such comfort was there in the
thought that Bessy might come home to-
morrow.
Five long, lonesome years If old Mar
garet were sick, there was no one to soothe
her; if she were cast down, there was no
one to cheer her. But she clasped a sure
faith; her hope frightened her days; and
one night, as she had forefelt. Bessy came
home A weary woman got down from the
stage, and tottered up the yard, and came
in, and fell upon the floor, and in the night
her boy was born, and in the morning con-
seriousness seemed to come back an instant !;
for she looked up into her mothers face
with those blue eyes, and half smiled-Mar-
garet always said it was a smie-aDd died !;
and all without one word And if she could
but have spoken for there was no ring on
her finger!
Five long, lonesome years-and just for
this! Poor Margaret had no tears. A
fierce, dry anger with her fate burned them
away at their source. Now, indeed, she
was wretched In those five years she saw
she had been happy-happy with her hope.
She took the child, and cared for it mechan-
ically she laid it down between whites as
she went about her work, and suffered it to
cry if it would. LET it cryl" she said
. 1t is James Falconer's child. Crying is
too good for it." But once, as the little
thing was sobbing she went to it, and saw
the great tears shining in its blue eyes.
"Ah, it is Bessys child - she cried. Il
have been cruel wretch" And she
caught it up and warmed it at her heart,
and anger and grief went together; and
/ thenceforth she was bound in the child.
would have treated an outcast BETTER she
sobbed at last. "Ah, my poor lad, with
such life before him ]"
And so she lived and strived, and no 9th
er end in view than the well-being OF little
Steve, as she had named him. For hun
now she sat up at night, as she had sat up
for his mother for hun she denied herself
as of old. That came natural enough. 1t
seemed to her, she said to herself, as if she
were doing still for Bessy. All she had
laid by during the FIVE years went in Bessys
burial- Anxious to have something before
hand again, in case of her own illness, or in
PREPARATION for little Stoves future jacket
and trousers or schooling, she spared her
self no pains. Her eyesight had failed SO,
what with years and what with tears, that
she could no longer do fine sewing or starch
ing She was obliged to 90 out to the rough
er labor OF the tub, and another old woman
from the other part Of the house-too old.
Indeed, for anything but to hinder the baby