The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1878-03-19

| '''S 'oohi "eo VI SuteuSu Ny tue prs
enee of the master. Fingers worked
more rapidly, eyes wcie fastened more
perslstently upon the looms, and every
one seemed aware Of a stern taskmast.
ter's gaze, But Mr.. Wilkinson obeyed
the mute petition expressed in the looks
of his ward, and led Mile out into the
wide passage again, to another work
room.
1t were too tedious task to follow
every step OF these two as they passed
from room to room, everywhere meeting
some assurance of Mr.. Wilkinson's own
hold upon tue hearts of the I" hands, !"
and their terror of Ormsty's harshness
| Out again amongst the squalid homes,
where her guardian had no control, bnt
bestowed his kindly charity without os-
| tentation; and hero, more eloauently
than ever, Milie heard how cruel a mock
cry were all the schemes of charity and
philanthropy that had been poured into
her ears. 1t needed no spoken words
from her guardian to tell her that the no.
BILE words uttered were those of hypoeri.
sy, which knew how it could best plead
its cause with her. One and another.
turning to Mr.. Wilkinson as to a friend,
unaware of the torture Of their words to
the kindly lady beside him, told of cruel
exactions of work. in sickness or trou-
bic, of closest calculation of time, of
small wages and heavy rents.
If we won't live here and pay, we get
no work in the factories !" one said, when
asked why he did not seek more heal.
thy quarter.
" am doing overtime to pay for my
ehild's funeral one said, :" for | lost
the wages for three days. stayed by
her to see her die, and to bury her"
I'm uneasy about the rent" another,
" for | lost a week by fall on the ice,
and it's hard making it up, again"
Not one word of kindly sympathy or
help, in trouble or sickness. The
g" hands" under Cyril Ormsby, were sim
ply human machines to do SO much
work, sick or well, or pay the price OF
an hour or day of idleness, no matter
how necessary.
There was no word spoken as Mr..
Wilkinson and Mile walked to the office
again Once there, the old gentleman
spoke very gravely. AS your guard.
an, Mile. | can speak to you no word
against Cyril Ormsby. He is a rich man,
of good social position, of irreproaeha
BILE moral reputation, and man whose
standing in business circles is the high
est. A man who is a good match in ev-
cry worldly sense SO much for your
G lardian. AS your friend, my pearl,
who loves you as your own dead father
might have loved you, who knows every
noble impulse of your pure soul--as that
friend, tell you ! would rather see you
UrrHnFs BE- byss'a" '""" m "th"' than the bro
IL came to you as a friend, as almost
a father" said Mile, d" and thank you
for keeping me from lifelong mise
ry To know my husband such man
as l now know Cyril Ormsby to he,
would, as you say, break my heart
Il would not tell YOU" srid her guar
dian, " for you knew disliked him, and
might have thought that dislike prejudic-
ed me- But. Mile, tell NE you will not
let this days work sha ow your life.
You did not love Cyril, Miller
mo. | revcrenced what believed Il
noble, generous nature. That reverence
mockery, | shall never break my heart
for man l thoroughly despise, Uncle
Mare
And so it happened that Cyril Orms-
by, coming to claim the fortune he be-
lieved to be within his grasp, met only
Mr.. Wilkinson, with Miles polite refu
sal to resign herself or fortune to his
keeping But he never knew how it
was that Mile learned the true value of
his hollow words of charitable philoso-
phV,