The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-19
by the bedside where lay poor

mother, sinking fast. She had no par
ticular ailment, but had literally pined
and wasted away. The bird had lost Its
mate of many years, and when at Last
she kissed me and said "Good-bye," it
seemed to me to be in quiet, rest seek
ing spirit, and she spoke like one look
ing hopefully forward to the meeting
with him who had gone before.
But che could think of me even then,
and almost the last whispered words
were:
Only-eleven months, Grace, and
theuhe will be back to fetch you"
Poor mother she would not have
passed so peacefully away it she had
known that which withheld-namely,
the news that came to me from our law
yer. For, through the failure of the
enterprise in which my fathers savings
had been invested, and which brought
US q little income of EGO a year, 1 was
left penniless-so poor in fact that the
furniture of the cottage in the little
town, to which we had moved when we
left the farm, had to be sold to defray
the funeral expenses.
It was very hard to bear, and for a
month I was terribly depressed; but
there was that great hopeful time ever
drawing near-the end of the three
years, when Jack would come to mako
me his wife.
It was now for the first time that re-
member feeling particular about my
personal appearance, and l studied my
glass to see if Jack would find me look
ing careworn and thin, and my glass
told me truly-yes.
= But I had to be up and doing, and be-
fore another month was over, through
the kindness Of people whom we had
known, I was placed where I could
work contentedly for the bread must
earn till Jack should come to fetch me
away.
1t was at q large West End dress
makers, and it was hard to get used to
the hurry and excitement of the place,
where there were twelve girls living in
the house and as many more came every
day.
There were all kinds of petty pieces
of tyranny to submit to at first, and /
suppose some of the foolish girls we're
Jealous of me and my looks, so much so
that I found they nicknamed me "The
Beauty" Poor girls If they had only
known how little store I set by my
looks they would have behaved at first
as they did later on.
The first thing that won them to me
was when Mary San iers was taken Ill
with terrible fever. Nine. Granger
was for sending her away at once on ac-
count of her business and the infection,
but the doctor who was called In, q
young, impetuous, but very clever man.
told her that it would be at her peril If
she did so, for Mary Sanders life was in
danger. So the poor girl was shut up
in her bedroom without soul to go
near her except a hired nurse, and after
the first night this woman stayed away.
No one dared go near the poor girl
then, so I timidly asked leave to nurse
her, for I felt no fear of the infection,
and it seemed 30 hard for her to be left
there alone. .,......
I obtained leave and went up stairs,
staying with her until she recovered ;
and from that day there was always a
kind look, for me and kiss from every
girl in the place.
What was more, oddly enough, per-
haps because I was SO quiet and re-
strained, first one girl and then another
came to make me the con6dant OF her
love secrets and ask my advice.
gave it, such rs it was, though heart
sore myself, for Jacks letters to me had
suddenly ceased. r.. We had corresponded
80 regularly; but it had struck me that
his last two letters had been formal and
constrained; they were full of business
matters, too, and he had limited at its
being possible that he should not be
able to keep time about the three years
in consequence of come contract.
I did not think this when first read
these letters, for then I had kissed and
cried over them; but when no reply
came to my last, I reread them, and
the coldness seemed apparent.
But I waited and waited, and then
news came from the country. Jacks
father, a widower, had died suddenly ;
and said to myself, with throbbing
heart, as / longed to be at his side to try
and comfort him in his afhiction: "Poor
Jack, he will come home now"
But he did not como, neither did I get
any reply to my last two letters. Auo b.
er month aud the three years would be
up; and as I sat over some work one
spring morning by the open window,
With bunch of violets that one OF the
girls had brought me in glass, the soft
breeze that came floating over the chin.
ney pots and sooty roofs waited to me
the scent of the humble little blossoms,
and my eyes became full OF tears, for in
an instant the busy workroom had
passed away, and I was down home by
the river side listening to dear Jack as
he asked me to be his wife.
Only a month only month! my
pulses seemed to beat; and as it hap
pened we were all busy upon a large
wedding order, and I was stitching away
OF the white satin skirt intended for the
bride.
tried so hard to bear it, but I could
not; the rush of feelings was too great
Another month and he was to have
fetched me to be his wife, and had moi
had an answer to my last two fond and
loving letters.
As T said, T tried hard to bear it, but
could not, and sitting sob I hurried
out of the workroom to reach my attic,
throw myself upon my knees by the bed.
and burying my face in my hands sob
bed as if my heart would break.
For terrible thought would come
now, fight against it as I would" Jaca
has grown tired of waiting, and has mar
ried another" g..
I fought 80 hard with the disloya
thought, but it would come, and was
sobbing passionately, when I felt a soil
arm steal round my neck; tender cheel
laid to mine, and l found my poor tear
dewed face drawn down upon the bosom
OF Mary Sanders. who had stolen out O.
the workroom, and come up to try ane
comfort me.
"Pray, pray, don't fret, my darling,
she whispered. MadaI.e will be 81
cross. Those wedding things must b.
in by tonight, and they want you to hell
try them on"
I don't know how I got through tina
day and night, but I believe I did sucl
duties as were expected from me me
chanically, or as if I had been in
dream, and at night lay wafeful ant
weary, with aching eyes and heart
thinking OF that dreadful idea that wa
trying to force itself upon me.
ho1 nv