The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-22

'IAm SO sorry. Iwish could help you.
Dear Mrs. Manders, always make me
sit with you when YOU are lonely"
Mrs. Manders fled when ] entered.
Amina remained. l began to apologize
and said had come to find yesterdays
Galignani. Amina was looking out the
window and made no remark. | was just
going when Amina turned around, and
one could see in her face that she wished
to say something and was hesitating how
to put it. | tried to save her from the
difficulty.
"Can I do anything for you in the
town."
"No, thank you"
was again going. Amina stopped me.
"Mr Massinger, I wish to speak to
you"
| was SO taken aback that / could
really make no answer at all. l merely
looked in wonder.
"Mr. Massiuger, you must do me a
favor. Be kind to that poor woman who
has just left the ROOM"
'To Mrs. Manders? l don't know if she
would care at all for my speaking to her
even."
ooh, yes, she would. She is very sad,
she wants sympathy; she is very silly,
but she has suffered terribly. DO try to
listen to her gently; one makes her a lit
tie happier by doing it. Hers has been
hard lot. 1t makes its easier for her
when she tells it, think; she is SO CRATE
full to kind listener. | think she knows
how people shrink from her. Do try not
to, Mr.. Massinger; try to like her."
81 will, certainly" | was going to
add, for your sake or some such phrase; |;
but look in Amina's. eyes stopped me,
"Promise!'
'T promise"
found Amina was perfectly right
all that Mrs. Manders desired was that one
should "listen to her gently" To any
one who did this she was only too ready
to pour forth her whole history. Old Mr..
Robinson had occasionally forgotten his
study of the direction in which the wind
was blowing, or meant to blow, to listen
to Mrs Manders, and he had heard all
the story. The father of my lively
schoolgirl friend, Jeanne, had heard it
all too; so had grim gray-headed Scotch
man, who was kinder than one thought.
Mrs. Mauders usually began by talking
about her health and her continual suf-
fering; then she would explain the cause
and dilate on her cruel hardshins. She
was the elder of two daughters, and the
ugIier, or in her words, 81 was not
pretty as Caroline was." The father was
well-to-do solicitor and gave each of
his daughters $4,000 when they married.
The younger had married first, and her
husband disliked his sister-in-law and
would not allow the sisters to visit one
another--no great loss to either, as they
had never been very good friends.
A year after the pretty sister had mar
ried a suitor appeared for the other Her
home was not happy, for her father was
grumbler (there was Nc mother), and
was not very fond of the plain daughter,
the mistake Of the family, as he called her.
So the suiter had an easy wooing.
He was an oldish man-that is to say
about fifty, He died one year after the
marriage. Four years later the second
husband, Mr.. Manders, appeared on
the scene. He must be a very handsome
fellow, we thought, when Mrs Manders
showed us his photograph, and we all ad-
mired hisgreat brown mustache his deep
seteyes, and hissplendid broad chest. But
we all remarked to one another after
wards how much younger he was than
Mrs. Manaers.
"We were SO happy" Mrs. Manders
used to say "so happy for two years, and
then he had brain-fever."
She nursed him through the fever, and
at the end of the nursing when he was
convalescent, she was III from fatigue
Her doctor recommended change of all
and scene, and she went alone to the sea
side.r<~She had letter from her husband
the day after she arrived, then another
4 letter week later. Then none came fol
fortnight. She wrote imploring hin
to write again. Then the answer at length
arrived. shall never forget Mrs. Man
ders' face when she described her receip
, OF that answer ~ am WE'LL" the con
valescent wrote: 81 am much obliged tt
} you for your inquiries but stop where
, you are, Do not come back-I can no
bear the sight of you"
That was his letter." said Mrs, Man
ders,' "and as l read it a shoot of pail
> went through me, and my left leg grew
stiff, and have never been able to wall
well since" Curious details these. On'
could scarcely help laughing; and yet th'
story was sad enough. .t-
The husband had in time come dowl
to Southea to see her. But he had sale
very little. He suggested that she shoult
60 to Havre, where an aunt of hers wa
then staying, and she-weak idiot tina
she was s-consented. Having once set
tied her there, Mr.. Mand RS thought HI
did his duty sufficiently by sending he
f6 a week. pointed out to Mrs. Man
ders that the law might mend matter
for her eyes, yes" Mr.. Mackenzie hat
told her the same, she said. But she daret
l not go to law; she feared the publicity
. though she had nothing to be ashamed o
e and this we could not help believing
s she did not want to proclaim how sh
: had been hated and despised. A grea
and noble thing is the public nature o