The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-23

1
stancy, she resisted her grateful and
piOus child's representation 81 have told
Edgar, dear as he is to me, strong as are
the claims his generous affection gives
him over me, that ] will not, can not
forsake you"
"You must not call it forsake," said
the mother, gently. "My love, the Lord
of life himself hath spoken it; There
fore shall a man leave his father and his
mother and shall cleave unto his wife "
"And so he is ready to do" cried
Catherine, eagerly. eyes, mother, he
desires nothing better-he respects my
scruples-he has offered, dear Edgarl to
abandon his profession and come and
live here, and help me to take care of
you and my father Was not that beau
tiful% and the tears stood in her speak
ing eyes.
"Beautiful!-generous!-devoted! My
Catherine will be a happy woman;" and
the mother smiled. A ray of genuine
pleasure warmed her beating heart. This
respect in the gay, handsome young Off
Ger for the filial scruples of her he loved
was indeed beautiful! But the mother
knew his spirit too well to listen to this
proposal for moment.
"And abandon his profession? No,
my sweet child, that would never, never
do"
"But he says he is Independent of his
professionalism his private fortune,
though not large, is enough for such SIM
pie, moderate people as lie and are. In
| sl,nrt tb,,t hn hal h., ,lo ,,,,tb
me, and all that charming stuff, mamma;
and that he loves me better for what he
calls, dear fellow, my piety to you. And
so, dear mother, he says il you and my
father will but consent to take him in,
he will do his very best in helping me to
make you comfortable; and he is so
sweet-tempered, 50 reasonable, so good, so
amiable, am quite sure he would keep
his promise, mamma" And she looked
anxiously into her mothers face, waiting
for an answer. The temptation was very
strong.
Again these domestic spectres which
had so appalled, her poor timorous spirit
rose before her. A desolate, dull firesde,
her own tendency to melancholy, her
poor, MANNED, suffering, and, alas, too
often peevish partner; encroaching, un-
manageable servants. The cook, with
her careless, saucy ways, the butler, so
indifferent and negligent, and her own
maid, that Randall, who in secret tyran-
nized over her, exercising the empire of
fear to an extent which Catharina, alive
as she was to these evils, did not suspect.
And again she asked herself, if these
things were disagrceable now, when
Catnarine was here to take care of her,
what would they be when she was left
alone? And then such a sweet picture
of happiness presented itself to tempt
hcr-Catherine settled there-settled
there forever. That handsome, lively
young man, with his sweet, cordial ways
and polite observance of every one, sit
ting by the hearth, and talking, as he
did, to the general of old days and mill
tary matters, the only subject in which
this aged military man took any interest,"
reading the newspaper to him, and max
ing such lively, pleasing comments as he
read! How should she ever get through
the debates, with her breath so short, and
her voice so indistinct and low? The
general would lose all patience; he hated
to hear her attempt to read such things,
and always got Catherine or the young
Northumberland to do it.
O! it WAS sore temptation. But this
poor, dear, good creature resisted it.
"My love-" she said, after little
pause, during which this noble yictory
was achieved-laugh if you will at the
expression, but it was noble victory
over self-"my love-" she said, "don't
tempt your poor mother beyond her
strength. Gladly, gladly, as far as we
are concerned, would We enter into this
arrangement; but it must not be. No,
Catherine; Edgar must not quit his pro-
fession 1t would not only be very
great sacrifice, am sure, now, but it
would lay the foundation of endless re-
grets in future. No, my darling girl,
neither his happiness nor your happiness
shall be ever sacrificed to mine. A life
against few uncertain years! No! no."
The mother was inhexible. The more
these good children offered to give up,
' for her sake, the more she resolved to
: suffer no such sacrifice to be made.
Edgar could not but rejoice. He was
an excellent young fellow, and excessive
ly in love with the charming Catherine
you may be sure, or he never would have
, thought of offering to abandon a profcs
? sion for her sake in which he had distin
i, gushed himself highly, which opened tc
him the fairest prospects, and of which he
e was especially fond, but he was not sorry
to be excused. He had resolved upor
r this sacrifice, for there is something il
= those who truly love, and whose love il
b elevated almost to alteration by tn,
i moral worth they have observed in thu
T. chosen one, which revolts at the idea o
= lowering the tone of that enthusiastic
h goodness and self-immolation to principle
: which has so enchanted them. Edga
h could not do it, He could not attemp
a to persuade this tender, generous daugh
;. ter, to consider her own welfare and his
Is in preference to that of her parents. ii
r could only offer, on his own part, t
j. make the greatest sacrifice which coul
n have been demanded from him. Rattle
5, than part from her what would he not dc
r Everything was possible but that.
8, However when the mother positivel
If refused to accept of this act of self-abnC
cation, can not say that he regretted j
f. No; he thought Mrs. Melwyn quite rigi
IS in what she said; and he loved and r'
If spected both her character and unde
9r standing very much more than he ha
ID done before.