The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-03-15

| rtAs NghAahVs AN0lh Wuh GEuhlGu W
the family tevenes; was forever iretttni
Tor lost luxuries and position; was sur
that Margaret could never be 50 brave 1
abe felt as treadfulIy as she did; was ever
confident that Margaret had not loved
Ralph W SO very much, OF she would
\ not have "got over il so easily"
lauras housekeeping would not have
been OF the most comfortable nature, had
not Margaret found time, amid all her man.
Hold duties, TO lend q, helping hand, and
finally TO pay for increased hired help.
But oh, how patient Margaret wasl And
after q time, when LaurR's health began 10
fail, she Showered upon her every atten.
lion, bringing into the house, too, Gdistant
relative OF whom Laura was fond, to wait
on and give her companionship when she
must be away.
Laura ncverQuestioned about Margaret
health, and yet, although naturally strong.
er as well as energetic, she was greater
sufferer than Laura. Many times she has
sat for hours, giving lessons, perchance, TO
her least interesting pupils, when her body
was rNcked with pain. Just before her
death, she once told me that for years she
had never known what II was TO be
wholly free from pain, not to be at
least conscious Of some one OF her organs.
All were weak, lungs and heart giving
her especial trouble. She died Of 4
distressing form OF heart disease, Yet she
was never known 10 complain; even when
Mt times compelled to keep her bed for
few days, she maintained such cheerful
serenity that those who did not know her
accuses, her OF fancying herself i'll.
nnnn ukau nal,n1 -, IA ~.
all her trials she had so rarely shed tears
she said: There was a time in my life
when | wept almost necessarily, but no
one knew II. Had any one else ever seen
me as cowardly as | have seen myself, Il
would have robbed me Of the courage
was fighting for. Iwept all my tears away
then"
She took great pride in the education Of
theboys, Hal and Frank. They loved her
devotCdly too, andyct many times thought
them exacttng and selfish In their demands
on her. Certainly, they did not fully re.
aliIe the manifold sacrifices she made for
them, nor the varied hardships OF her lot.
Like Laura, they leaned OH her, and be.
cause suffering had made her so strong TO
endure, they, all believed her incapable Of
us much feeling as the rest OF them. Mar.
garet was proud rs well as sensitive, and
then none OF them knew how often they
wounded her to the quick.
They are a selfish set, every one OF
then" | one day impetuously exclaimed,
us some little family incident brought il
forciEly to my mind that Margaret was not
us fully appreciated by her family Us she
ought to be; land, Margaret, You will lust
ruin those boys II you indulge them so
muCh."
The tears came into her beautiful ewes:
she flushed little. 10 no, she said; 81
don't believe kindness every ruined any
one. And tho poor boys can only be
young once. think they will be better
men for having had happy childhood,
such as try 10 make for them"
She had the greatest happiness OF seeing
Them both turn out well; both become
honest, trustworthy men, and especially
ltalgrew, more and more in sympathy with
her, us he grew older When she died he |
was twenty-five, Frank twenty.iour years OF
age, they had been for some time making
their own way in the world, and would |
have gladly had her cease her lessons, To |
this she would not consent. She let them
contribute their share to the housekeen.
ing, and insisted upon their LAYING BY all |
else they could spare from their salaries,
that they might early establish homes Of
their own.
For herself, from the duy the boys ccas-
ed to be an expense to her, she began 10
put by money for Laura, that the latter
might be independent in case Of her death,
~ could not bear 10 think, she once said
to me, THAT Laura should be wholly de-
pendent on either OF the boys; because il |
they were married, and she could not DO
happy with their wives, il would be very
sal" '
The result OF this careful iorethouvht
WINS that she actually succeeded in
leaving to Laura a sufficient in
come TO supply all tho absolute neces-
saries Of tie; and she wax periectIy
satisfied that the boys, whether mar
rIed or single, would always add some
thing every year to her income.
1T was very good in Margaret" Laura
said to me, in speaking OF it long after.
"Shc was not in the least sensitive her
self, she could get along everywhere and |
with every one; but she knew how differ.
ent was"
"ies, yon are different" thought. Yet
! tOrbore, even as Margaret herself would |
have done, from making any comments.
or what avail? II Laura had not compre-
hended her sister while living, how could |
! make her do so? -
No one but myself ever knew that Mar
garet had had several quite desirable Of. |
iers OF marriage; and she would never
have told me, had ! not myself observed.
In one instance especially, demonstrated
With her for saying mo"
VI have never been able to love but one
man" said Margaret, "and without love,
| cannot marry. Mr.. R is, rs YOU
say, good; he has offered to take care Of
Laura for me" the boys were then doing
for themselves) "but, my friend, it is of no
use. cannot"
o., what noble heart Ralph W
tramplCd upon! What noble, brave life
he put away from his own. A very differ.
ent man he would have been had ne been
true to her. Perhaps 1t would have been
impossible for him to have been in any
way worthy of her. Yet there was
some good IN his nature, certain possible.
ties which he himself crushed, else wo.
man like Margaret p could never have
loved him as she did. | often wonder Il
the thought Of her does not MI him with
pangs OF remorsc. ] think It surely must.
Well, her sorrows are over, her fight Is
fought, the noblcst OF victories by her was
won. ! often think Of the expression Of
perfect peace on the beautiful face long
gazed on before she was borne away for.
ever from our sight. And every day, in
those boys Of hers, | see the fruits Of her
brave efforts. They often come aud talk
to me about her, and ! find that the older
they grow the more fully they profit
by the memory OF her example and teach.
ings. Especially Hal seems 10 be arriving