Fair play., 1874-04-02

then there were other things to he cOnsjf
cred: life wasn't all sentiment and pOetr
and moonlight walks. Father, you know
was only cashier in the Farmers Bank. !:
salary Of fifteen hundred. We owne
the house and land. to he sure; but il an,
thing should have happened to him.
would have been all day with us girls. W,
hadn't any especial gifts; We hadn't bee,
educated to teach and almost every on,
thd her own sewing ut our place. W,
were calletll handsome family. you know
and beauty constituted our entire fortune
Now it was different at the GlOvcrs'; the,
had bank stocks, railroad shares and mort
cages, and what not; they had "A f,lnil,
tree that would have put the Banyah /,
shame; they had services of silver as OLE
as the hills. cut glass and ISres
den china. family portraits and bro
csiteilc. and real diamonds IN the Lanl
sale. They kept tktif carriage. too
and it was all enough to inspire the imag
inatiOn Of any girl whom I,cius smils
upon. The Glover women always had the
best Of everything-silks that would stand
alone. gloves and hats from Paris. gown,
made in the city; while we had to fashion
our own bOnnets. cut our own clcaks, tiirrl
our dresses, and dye ctr gloves; hem.
stitch our hahdkechiefs. patch our carpets,
uphoistef our easy y-cllairs, aud rub the fur
nlfure with hartshOrn and oil; We had to
economize in lights and fires too, and could
afford roast only twice week! I re-
member visiting some rich cousins Of
fathers in the city once; and all the time
! had a consciousness that they. hated to
have their friends see me on the front steps
in my, shabby clothes that looked well
enough At home and when we were in
vited out one evening, | overheard them
disputing As to who shouldn't 90 with me,
- in that Old-faslliOned blue silk. :" which l.,
in my ignorance, had thought quite sty-
| lish. And coming out of a dresSnlakcr's :
room one day with one of my cousins,
''Dc:lr mel" said she; that hair-clOth
furniture just gave me the blues; it's worse
than any nightmare; it's so vulgar and
bar-rOOmy!" Now We had nothing hut
hair-clOth in our larlcrs, and had felt very
lucky to get 1t; but never offered chair
to caller after that without a qnalin.
Ou shall see what style is, one Of these
days, my friends, - promised them. men,
tally; "y0n will not be ashamed Of me
when Pm Mrs. Lucius Glover !" for. upon
my wOr,l, was weak and foolish enough
to make up my mind Oh the way home
that would marry Lucius if he asked me.
and let John Jordan take care OF himself.
Well, when | reached home, found that
father had taken John to board with us.
and we were having a roast every day, and
dessert; but fOrall that, the hair-clOth fur
nlftirc was heavy Oh my heart; was such
wrctched little materialist in those DAYS.
I wondered if John thought as meanly Of it
too; though of course, | reasoned, he
hadn't been used to anything better Mrs.
Scrutiny said it looked as II we were going
to make MIR. Jordan one Of the family
and John smiled, and twisted his mus
tache. and said he wished we would
About this time Lydia Glover was attack
ell with sudden friendship for me she
really seemed to prefer our hair-clOth sofa
to her own velvet cushions. Lucius usu-
ally came with her. and while he occupied
himself with me, Lydia naturally fell to
flirting with John; and more than once I
caught myself answering Luci,ls absently,
because was trying TO hear what John
was saying to Lydia. Sometimes lydia
declared she could stay no LATER, and III
cius insisted that 1t was only the edge of
the evening; and then John would get his
hat and walk home with her. know
had a queer sensation the first time this
happened, which didn't improve as 1 wait
ed for him, lowering oyer the falling EN-
bers after Lucius had gone. on preteilse OF
ioChluS up tIC uOuscs StclllS lO llle IL
takes yOu some time to walk up to the
GlOvers' and back" said l, when he came
at last.
..Oh, you needn't have waited for ME ~
he vOuchsafed; IL couldn't get away be-
fore. The GlOvers have a fine place;' af-
ter a pause, in which l couldn't think OF
anything disagreeable enough to say, ~
wonder how shall bear it when 90 there
to see Mrs. LuciuS 50
That can't bc the person you 90 there
to see nOw,' assured him.
lie laughed, and hummed the Old-f:lsh-
iOnetl round,
"' Go to Jane Glover and tell her love her;
her.
That's what they call catch. isn't it?''
lighting his candle. Don't sit up for me
again when go to Miss GlOver's. Sleepy
Eyes, for may stay late!"
''It's small thanks you give me for keep.
ing the fire alive for you. complained.
He turned back. with his hand Oh tine
door. all the mischief fading from his face
81 give YOU instead,' he answered.
- that which naught enriclles you. hut
makes me poor indeed! Why should |
thank you for keeping the fire alive. when
yOu mean that it shall die out untendeti ut
lastg'
Come, YOU are waxing sentimental! ~
cried, rakingup the Goals. you've mis-
taken your listener. Good night
Seeing that nothing had come OF his
dancing attendance ut our house, folks be
gan to whisper about John and LYDIA. as
they must have something to worry over:
used to hear them, coming out of church,
between comments on the sermon; and it
M oh hs,sp,
sinking sort of sensation. that must have
been akin to dying. that was bliss and
pain. as the poet says, all at once. But I
would have died first, indeed. before Civ
ing sign. When they turned to me. rs
one who should know. being intimate with
Lydia. and Johns landlady. smiled indif-
ferently. and answered.:
II girls will marry. they must take
such husbands is are going" The trouble
was. coveted Johns love without being
able to renounee the good things Lucius
had to offer.
Well. about this time father hal his
stroke. you knOw-not exactly stroke Of
lnck-and was away from the bank for
three months. with every prospect of be-
ing laid up the rest of his days: and l
can tell You. If it hadn't been for John
Jortian's board. we should have had short
commons indeed. l began to be mOrc
convinced than ever that it was my duty
g marry Lucius when he should ask me-
we weren't able to have any new gowns
that year. because the money all had to go
ior doctors bills and drug stuffs; and l
was so worn out with watching and wOr-
ryins. and the unending struggle to make
both ends meet. that was losing all nv
good looks. and growing wrinkles across
my forehead.
"l'm sure it's enough to prevent any
body in her senses from thinking of mar
rying poor man." l reflected ou. loud.
one twilight. believing that had the par
lor to myself.
Were you thinking Of it," .=ketI John