Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-12

as bis selfish. shallow nature would per-
NIT. He had little heart. and that little
was thickly encrusted with vanity and con-
ceit. He was In debt. and Squire Arden
had been mentioned to him as man hav-
ing a large property and a very pretty
daughter. He thought the old gentle
mans none would be a nice thing to have
aud be hadn't serious objections 10 having
the, pretty daughter thrown in. There
must be some slight drawback to every
thing he had soliloquized. land every
rose has its thorn" The girl is pretty and
i might do worse" He had no doubt of
winning her; be was too vain to imagine
refusal. Perhaps if the courtship had
been longer he would not have met with
such signal success. Agatha might have
seen through The superficial outside. into
the shallow. selfish heart. But things
were ordered otherwise, and she married
in haste to repent at leisure-and a long
time was given her in which to do her re-
pentance.
Damon had thought of course. that the
Squire would forgive his only child the
step she bad taken; that after few DAYS
OF approaches and abuse, he would like
the fathers In three-voume novels, call
them TO him. ask their pardon for his
harshness. and end with an affecting tab.
leau BLESS you my children" When
the few days passed, and no answer was
returned to Agatha s pleading letters i'm
ploring forgiveness, the young husband
grew moody. and reproached his bride
for being so ready 10 elope with him. He
had expected the old Squire's money TO
be flowing In at this time, and his debts
were increasing.
ADatha poror on,,cto;aoJ CT .ror,lJ
give her husband a smiling welcome even
though the tears stood in her hazel
eyes.
He will certainly forgive US soon, and
take us home. Damon" the poor young
creature would say. Don't be discour-
aged, dear, | am sure it will all come
right" .....
.'And Tn sure I've made a precious
fool Of myself" would be the answer,
land heaven only knows how am going
to support you"
But she was supported somehow. and
went from one garrison town to another,
to Canterbury, from Canterbury to Folke
stone, from Folkeslone to Aldershot, from
Aldershot to Portsmouth. What a con-
slant drag IT was on her. She had no
home. no privacy, no rest, but no one
her face, though it was often weary, and
sometimes sad
s''For Damon's sake | must bear up"
she would murmur. II have been such
a disappointment to the poor boy, and |
must always be cheerful with him.
Even to her own heart she did not ad-
mit that the poor boy had been disap-
pointment TO her. Once year she sent
a letter to her father, begging pardon for
her iauit. and imploring him to be recon-
clied but she never received any answer.
Her heart often or sick for sight of
the dear old homestead, for look OF love
IRON the fathers eyes. o, how she long
ed to rambie once more in the gardens,
where the birds sang as they seemed TO
her to sing no where else; where the
winds sighed among the elms and whis-
pered peace to the tired heart. Should
she ever see her girlhoods home again
Much as she longed for it, she never
spoke OF that longing to Damon. 1t
might have worried him. Poor soul she
could not see that his only worry regard
ing u was that no money from IL ever
reached him. He looked upon his mar.
Rage AS bad speculation, and neglected
his wife. Perhaps it she had fretled or
stormed she might have reused in him a
sense ot his duty. But | cannot tell. |
think the sense OF duty lay so dormant in
his heart that NO one could ever have
touched It much less pale, pretty Aga
tina. e.aef
She had two daughters, Genevieve and
Ruey. Genevieve was like her father 10
form and face, and Ruey was Agatha's
secUnd self.
1t was sad fact that inheriting her
fathers faultless face, Gcnevieve also in
herited much vi his character. But Ruey
was 30 gentle and sweet that sh. came
ike dove OF peace aud rest to her
mothers tired heart.
g wish we did not have to bring the
girls up Ia The garrison" she said once "
her husband
II wonder if you think / am rich
enough TO buy you a Richmond viIla,n
was The sarcastic reply. Just ask tor il
OF course you will get it. think 1t about
time thatIather OF yours shelled out some
OF his money to us. He's nothing else
but wrctched miser, anyway"
There are 50 many, many ways in
which husband can make wife's heart
ache.
Agatha cherished no hard feelings
axaiust ner ialner. She considered that
ne had been greatly wronged, and she
could not blame hun Tor not relenting
toward her. She knew that now she was
mother she Understood how mothers
could pardon any otfense in their children,
but fathers were made OF sterner CLAY.
She brought her daughters up to respect
ana love tneir unknown grandfather. That
Is, she tried TO do SO, tried TO tell them
only Of his goodness his unval wing kind
ness to her III his childhood and girl-hood,
and poiaied out to them her own error in
leaving his root without warning. In
glowing terms she described the old
Manor House with its fir and elm tree
walks the babksias and marigolds, the
woods and lake. Ruey listened and
drank IN every word
Il hope he will some day forgive YOU.
Mama. ana let US 60 there" she would
say.
Il feel sure we shall, my darling. :"
Agatha would reply.
He should have overlooked the match
long ago" said Genevieve. Father saws
he Is q miser, and wants TO horde up all
hismoney.n
Poor father feels bis poverty very
npIS A. /.