, 1876-12-08

longing SO for the face OF her only
daughter. Can't John spare You for
little while. Nellie, TO the mother
who ha4 not heard your voice for so
long =" wrote the trembling hand, and
Nclies heart gave n bound at the
Thought Of the dear old home and the
mother sho had not seen for year.
Mrs. Eaton sat and thought until the
anger was all gone from her heart, and
she felt only great sorrow and pity for
the girl that had gone out from that
old home. as if she had been another
than herself, full of glad anticipations
and sweet hopes for the days to come.
How soon the DAY had darkened And
must the light go out in utter blackness?
Was this the end of it all only strife
and anger to be in the home to which
she had gone with such undoubting
faith? Could there be no change eX-
cept that of hearts growing colder, and
tones more unkind as life dragged by?
She would try aye, she would stake
her all upon the one chance, and if she
suoceeded-she found that love and
hope were not quite dead in her heart,
at the thought of it; if she failed it
could not be much worse" she said bit
| terly. Then she went on the street for
4 few moments before she began her
preparations for a journey. With ner-
vous fingers she packed her trunk and
wrote a little note to John. By that
time team was at the door to carry
her to the station. She gave one quick
glance at the room that had been hers
so long. Hers, when life looked so
bright and sunny, and hers when she
wept away some of the bitterness that
came afterward.
Here her one little child was born !;
and she had held it in her arms in the
very chair, when it drew its last suffer-
ing breath, and only the fair white
form remained to the desolate mother.
Should she ever, ever see it again
God only knew, and she went away
with heavy heart, half repenting that
she was going at all.
A little later she was on board train
for the North, bound for the home of
childhood, with hopes and fears strug-
Cling wildly in her heart. In the even
ing, John Eaton went home. He had
talked and worked until his vexation
was gone, and was dimly conscious that
he might have been little hasty at din
ner-time. He determined to be mag
unanimous, and treat his wife as if moth
ing had happened, and she had never
when she had one bonnet, like Oliver
Twist, made that audacious demand for
more" He found everything in its
usual order, even to the slippers, ready
beside the chair he liked best to occupy
of an evening. But he did not find his
wife. 1t was an almost unheard of
thing, but he thought she would be in
soon so he calmly proceeded to look
over the evening paper. When half an
hour had passed he concluded she had
gone to her room ''grouty, to wait till
he should seek her there. Determined
not to be moved by such a feminine
course of action, he continued his read
ing for few minutes longer.
The absolute stiffness of the house af-
fected his curiosity, and by and by he
went up stairs. He found her note, and
with vague idea of something wrong,
he sat down to read it.
John: The pitcher went to the well
once too often, and / asked you for
money and was refused most unkindly
once too many times. If we cannot
live in peace together we had better
live apart. I got letter from mother
this afternoon she is sick and wants
me. 1 have borrowed money on my
watch and am going home on the next
train. Now, perhaps you can have
" some peace of your life and not be
bothered eternally by woman, want
ing some new tangled thing or other.
I trust can earn enough to buy my
clothes and furnish me with food be-
sides; but if 1 must he dependent on
charity grudgingly bestowed, I will go
to the home the public provides for the
destitute. You said you were foolFo
marry, so need not fear you win be
sorry that have gone away for lit
tie while if you wish it. or for always,
as you will
Did his meek-eyed Ellen write that
letter? Was she really gone? Non
sense it was some trick Of imagination.
But when he had read her letter once
more, he began to realize its truth.
For days, anger, dismay, and sorrow,
all were in his heart; but the anger
held way at last. How dare she take
such a step f? Perhaps she expected
him to come humbly and beg her to
come home, but that he would never do.
They we're dreary days and nights that
came and went so slowly, and he found
that taking his meals at restaurant was
neither pleasant nor profitable, His
house was SO empty and desolate he
could not stay there, and as he had
loved his wife and his home in spite of
his fault-hnding, it was hard. When
he had read her note, he had said, Let
it be for always" But by and by he
began to wonder if she would be glad to
l. .Ln..Il nornlr,In q An IA