Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-02

o or ragged her-told her that patience and
apI LEGATION only were necessary, AZ she showed
Yer good natural s6iiities, and would learn
that hose were virtues she ha never cultivated,
nor wen till lately deemed at all necessary.
She sssured me that could form no idea how
useh Sc and helpless she had been. She had
never liked to sew, and her mother had never
wish her TO do 90 telling her that there was
plen OF poor people who would be glad TO do
such sbOr instead. She hoped would not laugh
at some OF her 10 doubt Iiding and silly ques-
tons, as she had never even made q garment OF
Any kind IN her lfe-not even a little one for
her baby laughed good-naturedly: / could
not help 1t; and told her that she took too severe
a view OF her defciencies-that there were
plenty OF other ladies just like her; but she said
smiling q little mouTnfuliy in return, that IL
knew how bitterly she had lately begun to
uhder;tand what an uneduc ated wem IN IN use
Ia matters she was, and how announcement she
EeT dt SIRE 20 co better.
Tie fret lesson WAS succeeded BIZ Others, for
several days following, during which learned
mat sEe had been married between two and
three Year,; she had always before her m srri age
led gay and luxurious existence, perhaps b.
Cause she had never known any other, her
parents being fashionable butterflies; tn * she
Dad passed through great sorrow Deen very
SICK when her babe wss born, and n )y WAS ius
o. ginning to app eciate some OF the realities Of
IRE. She confessed that it was hen recovering
from sCk bed, and among the ne " and sirADL o
feelings taat came with the birth OF the bah q,
ina sue had awakened othe truth, aud listen ri
tlt
her more practical nature. That 1t was through
the ADVICE of q kind friend who had bsen with
her throdgh her sickness that che had purchsssI
sewing machine, the friend believing thai il
WOa!d be good beginning in her effJTts to 90
omethlDg useful.
All this ny new pupil did not tell me in -
many words, bat il was the substance of what
gathered by degrees. | was very much inter
ested (as usual), AMI one day, as she was Ieav-
ing, casually remarked that her husband was
BO doubt, pleased at her progress in mastering
the mystery. Then heard What had slmls1
before suspected, as with tears tiliug her ewes
she said she had no husband in one sense; that
she had separated from him; that it was her
own fauit-an act done by herself in hot anger
and rage, but now bitterly repented. She In
dicated that there were others 10 blame, but did
not excuse herself, but said she had sDsnt the
night previous to the day on which she b al
taken her irss lesson, in great grief from learn
Ing that he was soon to sail for Europe, and the
thought that they would then be utterly and
forever separated had nearly driven her 20 dis
traction.
felt very sOrry-never more for any human
being, her repentance was SO sincere and her
sOrTOW 50 hopeless. y dim suspicion had b en
creeping through my mind Il ITing this last re-
latlOn, that had heard a story something akin
to this before; and az she was about leaving |
reminded her that although we were well
acquainted as teacher and pupil, i had never
yet heard her name. ApOlOgi zing for her re-
mis-ness she handed me a card as she left the
room. viii not say that was very much sur
prised, for had half gussed the coincidence by
lhtultiOn,-when read on the card held Ia
my hand, "MTs. Oracle Lee.''
Yes. Il was Harry Lees wife who had bsen
my pupil! great many strange feelings were
al Work within my breast during the next ten
minutes. | had not seen Mr. Lee for some
time; lie had avoided the instruGtiOn-rOom-g
Course Of conduct for which L had been tnauk-
iul. had heard nothing Of his intention OF 20
Ing 10 EarOpe, and felt sure IL must be new
project, very suddenly thought OF: And Why?
Had my actions anything to do with il? l fsit
sorely distressed before hsc done thinking out
the whole matter; and might have been even
more go had l not possessed a resource always
90 dear to woman and chiidren-that OF doing
something.
Now me rest OF this is going to be very brief.
On my bed that night, the desire to edo some.
thing born or the necessity, took practical
shape, and / saw my way to my revenge on
Harry Lee. Dickens Christmas Stories were
then IN the height OF their popularity; had
been fascinated by them, and 10 their fnd uencs
and ID at Of the approaching holiday season per-
hsps my plans were chiefly due. / hope my
imaginary bushes may be spared, when say
myself into Mr.. Lees way (Of course by sppa-
rent accident and that within a week had
won him back 10 the instruction room and the
renewal Of our friendly chats, though at SUCH
hours (Iata in the atterDOnnI thea wa. M
chance OF bis meeting his wife. That | never
labOred harder with any pupil than that willing
but nervous Isdy, to enable her rapidly to De-
cCme not only proficient at the machine, but u
seem so. Then thai 1 had progressed by making
an appointment with Hrs. Lee, on some excuse
as 10 my convenience, at four O'Clock in tae
AFTERNOON before Christmas (Christmas Eve AZ
very early stage OF the anniversary and mean
while gained character for benevolene by
telling my companion in teaching that they h4d
tttteT 90 home early and thus enjoy the CAV
tights AMI sounds presented by the streets o.
Lat festIve seROn. And then that / Crowned
be whole ny making another appointment with
Mr.. harry Lee, for the same pl ace, half an hour
ster, having in view the necessity OF bringing
him Unexpectedly upon his wife az the very
moment when she would be sewing away at the
OF Of Ter ability.
once upon a time | kept an extraordinary
bug that had captured, Un1er glass tum5leT,
or days 10 see the change by which he would
become something else. Ii effected tas hanke
one night when could not sec It, aud was
left very little wiser than before And | know
nor much more about the nesting between
Harry Lee and his wife, over the ssyinz-ms-
chine, that evening before Christmas; as ICON
found it.) felt myself obiigeI 10 leave them
alone together just at the interesting moment,
and they had made it all up before thought IL
proper 10 return!
However had my revenge. Mr.. Lee (I wish
TO he understood and believed on this poIut)
never hlTted any more with me-howeVer
but little later, and took his wife, leaving mis-
little son with his notable New England mother,
who Was sure TO take good care OF him, though
che might not permit him To rOmp too hiIsr
iousyl. They were kind enough to believe that
had been OF service to them; and was the re-
eipient OF certain rings, one OF which Harry Lee
gave me with what thought was rather q con-
scious look, and the other Of which Grace Lee
gave NE with no shamefacedness and hearty
kiss.
saw them together, and at home again, in a
pretty, new home, over which, taught by some
mistakes in the past, the wife was sole mistress,
apparently very happy, the next Christm n;
and think that Mrs. Lee, under soma sort OF
idea that she owed her husbands recovery to
her sewing machine, looked upon that useful
article &c a species of good fairy, and her ssat
AZ II az place Of refuge, and always was 10 be
found sewing when things went at all crooked
in the household.
My after acquaintance with them, at all
events, showed that the indolent, useless aud
self-willed wife had become the busy. useful
and gentle one; and that the husband, who had
begun by Misunderstanding her, hsd come fully
back to his senses, and grown much wiser as to
the quality or the woman with whom he had
been intrusted. And something of this, TX not
all OF IL, was the result Of little Irritation
nipped in the bud, and OF Ny Christmas Re
Yenke.
A MOTHER-INLAw's EICrORY-The St.
Louis Republican relates this story: Mrs.
Mayne, stylish lady OF Philadelphia, settled in
Belle Plaine, Mimi, some years ago. She
brought with her a,pretty daughter, Annie.
The two made futter in Belle Plaine society.
They have charming city ways, and refinement
and money. They became social leaders, and
Annie hsd her pick and choice OF all the young