Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-06-16
Learning Her Value.


ing for about seven years. said
Miss Pauline Worthington looking
from an open letter in her hand
with a frowning brow.
"a "Is not your letter from Her
bert, Lima Z" questioned Mrs. Wor-
ellington, tiny, silver-haired old
lady with gentle expression.
1kL eyes, mother. Essie is very i'll
with low, nervous fever, and they
want me to come and stay till she
is better. The carriage will be
sent at three o'clock, MOTHER" and
Miss Pauline's eyes snapped. al
think it is about time Bert's tyrany
over that little martyr ended. He
Is killing her," e.
alma! He is your brother"
Z 81 can see his faults if he is"
81 never heard Essie complain"
"She never would. But look at
her. Nine years ago, when she
married, she was living sunbeam,
so bright and pretty. Now, pale,
quite and reserved, her voice is
seldom heard, her smile seldom
seen. A wintry shadow of her
former brightness Now she is
broken down. You have never
seen her at home, but surely when
she is here you see change p
ayes, dear, she has changed ;
but family cares"
"Has Louie changed so! She
has been twelve years married"
Mrs. Worthington was silent
Louie was her oldest child and pre-
sided over the home in which her
mother had been a crippled pris-
oner for fifteen years. She took
all the household care and had five
children, and yet Louie had gained
in beauty and certainly in cheer
full happiness since her marriage,
even if the merriment Of girlhood
was gone.
"Henry appreciates Louie !" said
Lima; "there lies the difference be-
tween her happiness and Essie's
detection. If there is any domes-
tic trouble Henry and Louie share
it, while Herbert shifts it all upon
Essie. He is an hibitual fault find
en-"
perhaps, dear, Essie is not as
good a housekeeper as Louie
Herbert may have cause to find
fault"
"Once in ten times he may. /
never saw faultless house or
housekeeper; but Essie and her
house are the nearest approach to
perfection / ever did see."
"You never spoke so before,
Lima"
because Louie and / thought
it better not to worry you with a
trouble beyond your help. But
firmly believing, as / do now, that
Herbert is actually worrying his
wife into her grave, l intend to
give him a lesson. That is, if you
can spare to have me CO."
"You must go, dear. / shall get
along nicely"
g So when Herbert Worthington
sent his carriage Lima was quite
ready for the fourteen-mile drive
to her brothers house. 1t was
most unlike house wherein any
evil spirit of repining or fault find
ing should have found an abode.
Spacious, handsomely furnished,
with well-trained servants, and all
Che comforts wealth could furnish,
it seemed a perfect paradise on
earth to visitors. But a demon
lurked there to poison all, and this
demon Lima had come to exercise.
For the first fortnight Essie took
all her time and care, the gentle
spirit lowering very near the eter-
nal home. There was babe, too,
six months old, and its wants filled
all the spare moments. Herbert
snarled and fretted over domestic
shortcomings, but Lima peremp-
torily forbade all mention of these
in the sick room, having the doc
tors authority for saying the pa
tents life depended upon quiet.
But when convalescence COM
menced Lima sent Essie and the
baby to visit old Mrs. Worthington
and took hold of Herbert, the two
older children and the household,
fully determined to show her bro
ther how far he carried his habit of
absurd fault finding. With all her
severitv she did believe he was