The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-08-04
THE TRIAL BY FIRE.
BY BERTHA ALLYN.

Little Mrs. Manning was as dainty
bit OF womankind as it would be possi-
BILE to find. Petite and graceful, charm
ing in figure, face and manner, she was
the light of ber own home, All we'll as of
society.
AID yet, pure, innocent, lovely as she
was, the breath of envy did not pass her
by. Disappointed rivals declared that
she was selfish, heartless, and recklessly
extravagant, and that, ere long, Horace
Manning's vast wealth wonld be stas
water spilled upon the sand,'' through
her vanity and wastefulness.
But the gentleman in question did not
appear to be troubled with any OF these
misgivings, for he was seldom long alb
sent from the side of his sparkling little
wife, and his tender devotion was the
subject of remark wherever they went;
while the loveligkt which danced in her
eyes, whenever they chanced to meet his,
was not to be taken for anything but
genuine love for him personally, and not
for his fortune.
But was she 'sselfsh, heart'ess, and
recklessly extravagant ?" Certainly
not "selfish and heartless." sExtrava-
giant ?'' Perhaps some who only looked
on the surface might think so. But ex-
travagance is a relative term. She did
love jewels and fine laces, and spent
great deal of money on them. But then
she had splendid allowance, and could
afford to do it. Her husband not only
encouraged her in such ontlays, but was
continually making her gifts, unasked, of
rare diamonds, or priceless old point.
What would have been folly in poor
man was not so with him. He liked to
see her adorned like a queen; and he
wropged 10 one in SO adorning her. Is
it not, moreover, as much the duty of the
really rich to spend, as it is of the poor
To economize? How can the poor live
at all if the rich live meanly :?
They had been married, now, five
years, and in all that time they had new
er exchanged hard word. Prosperity,
too, had continued to smile on them.
Only on her last birthday, her husband
had given Maggie superb necklace of
diamonds As she kissed him for the
gift she had said, ssAh, though love the
giitterIng things, love you, Horace, a
thousand times better"
The ninth cf November, 1872, will
long be remembered i'll Boston. In a
single night hundreds were made home
less, and hundreds more were ruined in
fortune. In that terrible confagration
Horace Manning was one ofthe princi-
pal sufferers. Nearly all of his worldly
wealth vanished III few hours, while
hundreds, who were dependent upon
him for their daily bread, were thrown
out OF employment with their months
wages unpaid.
For thirty hours he neither slept nor
tasted food, but stood and watched, with
aching heart and reeling brain, that ter
ami broken. he sought his home, and
there groaned out his agony, which he
could no longer control.
''IIorace, husband, why viii you give
way thus ? All is not gone while yon
are lett; and Mary and | will help you
bear It,"
So spoke his fond wife, drawing his
throbbing head upon her bosom, and
kissing with quiyering lips the deep
lines which those long hours ofsufering
had stamped upon his brow.
'tWhat is the loss of our wealth. she
continued, compared to what the loss
of health, or the love we bear each other
would be 2
tAh, but you don't know, my darl-
ing, how dreadful it is to be poor. You
have never knowna care. What could
these little white hands do toward earn
ing your daily bread %
''They can do great deal. And
begin to think that their very wEiteness
is shame to me. They ought to have
known, long ago, how to wash, and iron,
bake and brew, and sew, and have made
ready for such an emergency as this.
Your anticipated poverty does not daunt
me in the least 1t but draws me closer
to you with a feeling that, perhaps,
can now be to You a trne helpmeet, in
stead of the idle, almost useless plaything
I have been. / doubt not that the les
son will be hard to learn at first, but |
am ready to beglp; and with cheerful
willingness, / think can surmount eve
ry obsticle. While / have your love
and confidence, I am happy. Take
these away from me, and | shall be
crushed. So do not gricvc for me-"
And that strong man could only gath
er that brave comforter IL his arms, and
weep as only strong men can weep.
''Bless you 20 ne said, when he could
speak. "But though you have comfort
ed me more than can tell you, yet my
heart is bursting tor my people. h.
my poor people! payday is at hand,
and have not dollar with which to
pay them"
"Ah! your people! For the moment I
had forgotten them,o murmured Mag
gle, with an expression of dismay.
Then, suddenly brightning up, she
asked, eagerly:
GLOW much do you owe them, uor-
ace ? How much would it takc to pay
them all ?''
From five to eighgehousand dollars.
How small sum that seemed to me
three days ago! And now l would al
most give my right hand for 1t. For
know that some of these poor fellows
must go hungry, unless they are paid
Oh, Maggie, it is almost more than
can bear. 1t nearly drives me mad p
"Horace," returned his wife, solemn.
/ ly, though she was as paIe as death