The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-10
MOTHER MARION.

new discomforts 10 the weary brain and
tired nerves of poor little Marion
Mas on, as, sitting this midsummer day
on which we make her acquaintance,
she fills her part Of village school-mis-
tress over twenty or thirty boys and
girls.
The Ounce OF the town Is Andy Bruce,
and from his peculiar domain, the Ounce
block, ne looks down the dusty sunny
road and sees the Wel-known form of
the POSTWAR toiling towards the school,
house. Andy knows he will be forgiven,
so unbidden he vaults from his reign OF
vantage, and meets the agent Of Uncle
sam halt way. A second more and he is
breathless, beside the little school-marm
with two letters. There is faint glow
on the Woman's faded cheek as she
noticed the stamped envelope bearing
the names OF the celebrated law firm in
the far-off city whence it came, and the
thin fingers tremble over the bulky mis-
sive that contains-she feels-some dis
appointing sentences belonging to the
laws delays.
A year before, Marion was in a COM
Portable homa, the one child of her
father, and that father a prosperous
merchant; but business reVerses first
ruined him in fortune, and afterward in
health, 30 that, with the spring flowers
there came TO be seen along the road
side little figure clothed in black,
whose trail form and pale lace looked
utterly untitled to toll DAY in and day
out with rough country children in this
out OF the way place.
1t was not loss of father or fortune
that had bowed Marion so far earth
ward. That worse than lOss-change-
had Joined issue with her misiortunes,
and the girl now, to-day alter months
which would otherwise have lightened
her clouds, thinks sadly OF the man
to whom she was betrothed, who fell
away in her poverty, and left her alone
| to bear her grief
She had instituted some legal proceed
ings TO recover, ifpossible, mere shred
| OF ner fathers dues, but the summer
had nearly burnt itself out, and the hope
| in her heart was going with it, when This
letter lay unopened in her hand.
| The ANXIOUS scnOolmistress gave her
unruly brood half hours recess, that,
unobserved, she might give vent to the
penl-up grief the crushing OF this last
feeble nope would occasion her. So,
turning it over and over on her desk
before her till the last child passed
through the door, she did not notice
Andy Bruce, who sat quietly on the step
| before uer VIII Ine becouu AeIIeE III MS
hand.
Then Marion addressed herself to the
| lawyers communication. AS she read
| on the color came and went in her thin
cheek, and, finishing it, she laid her
head in her folded hands, and both on
the desk, crying very softly, indeed, but
tears OF gratitude all the same, for the
letter brought certain assurance OF what
seemed to The poor orphan fortune. A
mere competency, it is true, but enough
to amply provide for her few wants.
An old and forgotten lawsuit of her
father's had terminated tavorably, and
his partner in It's prosecution had
given one half its proceeds to the
orphan. SO Marion, for the first time in
many long, long months, cried at last for
JOY.
difference between tears for sadness or
| gladness? To him weeping was an eVi-
dence OF griel-usually OF pain. So his
fond, stupid heart prompted him to rise
and sneakmgly wind his dirty little
hand under tue bright hair and round
the neck OF the schoolmarm, who
started, thinking herself alone.
"Please, don't cry," said sympathetic
Andy. "Here's another letter. P'raps
lin make ye feel better than potAer
one." he suggested.
And Marion opened the offered conso.
lation, and read, halt out aloud, the
briet note from the rIcl man of the vii.
, lage.
"MIss MARIoN-Old Tom Bruce, the
father of Andy, having just died of
sunstroke, my wife thinks best the boy
shouldn't come back here, with no one
, to look after him. His body has beer
sent to the town Tor burial; and, as he'll
be hereafter the parish property, he maj
as well go right over to Mrs. Portlock'i
| where he'll be kept hereafter.
II "1ours, etc., JOHN HASTINGS.'
Perhaps The sudden orphanuage o
Andy gave him some distress, but tn,
mention OF Mother Portlock's nam
t completely prostrated hlm with grief
, Portlock was only another name fo
ogre. When Andy and his father ha,
first come to the little town, their HON
had been until The elder Bruce ma,
= found work on Hastings 1arm. at th
town home, kept by mother Portlock
To 60 back to inis hard, tiery-laced, oil
Yirago was worse than all to the friend
/ less BOY, and his expressions OF wo'
Y touched the tender neart of the suffer
ing schoolmarm.
she cheered and comforted the poo
: child; ana for that night, at least, too
1 him nome to her boarding place wit
f. her.
Andy was not prepossessing child
Neglect had roughened his face, and eX
, Iposure 10 The sun had bleached his hal
a shade or two lighter than his Skin
He was awkward and shambllng, with
r sinking carriage of his bullet head, con
tracted by the frequency Of blows an
The cleVerness win which he dodge
them, and he possessed no charm but
. voice which was music itself.
Andy's father had not been much of
man. He was farm hand during th
i summer, but in winter he hung roun
v the tavern and picked up the precariou
penny as he could find il.
, Andy had occupied corn-bin in on
, of the Hastings barn the winter pre-
q ceding, and looked forward to som
! such provision if cold weather eve
!, came again. But here he was with tn
q portals of Portlock alone open to him
. and as the melancholy slate root OF tn
: awful building locmed up over tn
trees, he lifted his voice again and fail
: ly startled the echoes with the vIoleuc
\ of his emotion. Marion gently squeeze
the warty little hand and marched hir
a by the hated gate. Andy raised hi
tear-stained face to his escorts, anG
+ seeing other views for his dispositio
: therein, incontinently tell on his knee
amid the dusty burdocks Of the roadsid
and thanked his preseryer.
,lr fhon