Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-09
MABEL CLEFTON's REWARD,
I Y z Y , EIN . y I OAl =
BY FRANCES HENSHAW BADEN.

BY FRANCES HENsHAw BADEN.
Mabel Clifton sat before one of the
windows of her fathers magnificent man
sion. A servant stood in waiting. She
was making out q list of articles wanted
for the next day. Coming footsteps ar
rested her attention. She raised hel
eyes from the paper and looked out.
The crimson flush deepened on hel
bright young face as ooh. :" in tone OF
deep regret, escaped her lips.
She turned, after an instant of thought,
and said
John, l am not just ready to finish
this list, and shall not send for an hour
vet. If you have anything to attend to
in the meantime, you can do it.
Mr.. Clifton had been reading in dis
tant part of the room. Hearing the door
close after Johns departure, he asked
'YOu have not forgotten to send fol
those wines spoke of, my dear p
''He has not gone yet, papa
"Ah, well do not make it late. They
will be very busy tonight" her father
said. turning again to his paper.
Papa"
''Well, my dear p
n =
this last day of the year, my boon.
''What is it, love-"
promise to grant it first.
Not in ignorance, my child"
Trust me, father
She had an earnest, eager, noble look
in her eyes that her father did trust in,
and he promised her
"Well, well; you shall have youI
way"
''Father, let US have no wines to-mor-
row."
"What. NO, no. 1 cannot grant
Won that. No wines, Whv. child. have
YOU gone crazy? For twenty-five years
past | have offered my friends wine on
NeW-vear's day, and never have felt that
was doing anything wrong. What has
come over YOU
ooh, father. | never have felt Just
right when offering young men wine
and Just now, when | was making ont
the order for John, | Glanced to raise
my eyes Just as Edgar Livingston was
passing 1t needed but a glance to see
he was very much under the influence of
wine. Father, his mother is a widow
he her only child. All her earthly hopes
are in him. VIII they not be wrecked,
think You. if he INDUCES in the wine
cup? Tomorrow he viii make many
calls Beautiful women viii offer him
wine He will not have the courage,
possibly the wish, to decline. To-mOr-
row night. most likely, then, he viii re-
turn home to fill his mothers heart with
sorrow l wish not to contribute one
drop 10 that bitter cup"
NV dear, whether we have wines or
not with him it viii be all the same, as
Won say he will make many calls
Father, il you had son. you would
feel differently. Think how many young
men Of the brightest promise have fail
ed, nay, worse, won truly disgrace and
early graves from the use of wine.
Il feel as if Edgar Livingston stood
on the brink Of a fearful precipice
Father, stretch forth your strong arm to
draw him back-if only one step, and
for a moment. If we do not save him,
it will be a comfort to think we urged
him not forward on his fatal course"
mabel you are very deeply interest
ed in the young man. Am / to con-
Clude-"
Nothing more than for his own and
for his mothers sake I would endeavOr
to save him, or any other young man in
his first calls. Possibly | can detain him
long enough to prevent his visiting many
places where he would be exposed to
great temptation. Oh, father, please
grant me this. "
REALLY, dear, | feel disposed to do as
you wish, but so many will be very
much disappointed. Besides, have not
the courage to make this great change,
ana cot five hundred tongues to work
speculatlng about the cause of it. Some
Will declare I'm about to fail. others
that l have grown penuriOus. AL, What
is it, JOhn?"
Just then the servant entered and
handed an envelope, saying:
GA telegram, sir"
Mr. Clifton tore it quickly open, read
it, and exclaimed:
Greatly this is too bad But I must
90. John, here :" And hastily writing
a few words for a return dispatch, he
handed it to the servant, and turning to
Mabel, said:
"My old friend Hartwell is dying, and
begs that | will hasten to him. So you
will have to entertain my friends tO-mor-
row, and explain the reason of my fail
ing to see them, the first time for so
many years. And-well, dear, you can
do as you please about the bill of fare.
AS | shall not be home, the folks will
not hold me responsible for what hap
pens in my absence"
''Oh, thank you, papa, for permission
to do as | choose. / will willingly take
any unkind remarks, if any one feels
like making them. But l feel confident
that all who have sons win give me
their kindest wishes for Withholding
temptation from their boys. And to the
young men | shall try to make myself
so agreeable, and have our cook make
the coffee so very fine, that they will go
away quite as well pleased, and with
their brains good deal clearer, than if
| had entertained them with wine"
An hour after, Mr.. Clifton was on his
way to the side of his dying friend
Mabel sat down and wrote:
''NIY DEAR FLoRY Come heIpme receive
our friends tomorrow. Papa has been
called away. l must have you with me, as
/ am particularly anxious to have my re-
ceptiOn success. Lovingly,
Edgar likes Flory, j can plainly see,
and / think she is notvwholly Indifferent
toward him. Together I think we can
and thus save his mother a great sorrow,
most likely, said Mabel.
Mabel Clifton was one of the loveliest
girls in P. Friends wondered that
her heart had not yielded to some of her
many suitors. They did not know she
had no heart to yield to any of those
who sought it.
The first season she appeared in the