The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-16
MISS ARNOLD.
Another Story Of Love that was True,
but Didn't Run Smooth.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "Two OLD MEMS
TALES ETC.
CHAPTER VII (CoNrIxuEp).


She took the handkerchief from her
eyes, and gazed at him with a won
dering, grave sort of look, as child
might do His voice had something so
very remarkable in it.
He passed to the side where she was
standing, and said, 81 am very, very
poor man, and have helpless mother
etirely dependent upon me for support,
and if it were my last morsel of bread,
aye, and wife and children were perish
ing for want of it, it is she who should
have it,"
She only looked at him wondering
like.
"This is fearful precipice upon which
you stand. That poor creature has sunk
into the gulf which yawns beneath your
feet. May God in His mercy look upon
her! But you, beautiful as one of
heavens angels, as yet pure and sinless
as a child, must you fall, sink, perish, in
this mass of loathsome corruption? Bet
ter starve, better die--far, far better"
"Alas, alas!" she cried, with scared
and terrified look, "Alas! alas! ten hun
dred thousand times better Oh, what
must | do? what must | do"
'Take up your cross; venture upon the
hardships of poor mans wife. Discard
all prides, and pomps and vanities; the
vain, vain delusions of hattery; trample
upon the sin, triumph over the tempta-
alton. Put yourself under the protection
of an honest man, who loves you from
his soul. Starve, if it must be, but die
the death of the righteous and pure"
She gazed at him, amazed; she did not
yet understand him.
"Marry me. Come to my blessed, my
excellent mothers roof. 1t is homely,
but it is honest; and let us labor and
suffer together, if need be. 1t is all / can
offer you, but it will save you"
The arms, the beautiful arms were
expanded, as it were in very agony of
JOY. The face! oh, wss it not glorious
in its beauty then? Did he ever forget
it?
And so the contract was sealed, and so
she was rescued from the pit of destruc-
ton into which she was rapidly sink
ing.
And this it was that had excited so
much impassion, such lasting, such de-
voted feelings of gratitude to Him who
rules the course Of this world, in heart
which had only to be shown was good to
embrace it.
Fisher was all he had said; extremely
poor. His salary, as assistant, was hand
rnynrfb al TIa ,nnn,YnI
hundred a year and his board from the
gentleman with whom he was; but his
dress, which was necessarily rather ex.
pensive, and his mother, who had only
an annuity of twelve pounds year, con-
sumed it all. Still you see he was by no
means actually starving; and he
thought the young wife he was going to
bring home would be no very great
addition to his expenses, and he trusted,
if children came, that he should, by his
exertions, be able to provide for them.
In two years his engagement with the
present gentleman as his assistant would
be at an end; and he had received from
the old man, who was sort of humor.
ist in his way, several very strong hint>
about partnership, if he would be salts.
fed with reasonable share. Partner.
ship would, in the course of time, he
knew, become sole proprietorship at the
death or retirement of his aged patron
one of which events could not be very
far distant.
1t was, therefore, with great salts
fation, after having summoned thu
necessary attendance, and sent his young
betrothed to rest, that Fisher walked
home on fine fresh morning.
1t was true he had taken step most
people would call imprudent, thus te
cucumber himself with young wife al
the very outset of his career; certainly
he had never intended any such thing
He had resolved to be patient, and have
a little store of money by him before he
persuaded any one to begin the world
with him. He could not bear the idea Of
all being dependent upon his own life
and risking the chance of leaving a
widow and a young family destitute
But this was an exceptional case, for he
could not, without trembling, contem.
plate the dangers which surrounded this
young and innocent girl. His medical
knowledge taught him but too we'll the
perils to the health OF one SO fresh and
blooming, from labors in close rooms to
which she was so little accustomed
death stared her in the face, unless she
escaped it by means of which he shud
dered to think.
The only way in which he, young as he
was, could possibly help her was to with.
draw her from the dangerous scene and
make her his wife; and on that step he
had been for many days resolving. The
emotion she had shown, the timorous
Joy, the sweet confidence in his love and
honor, had given rapturous feeling OF
happiness to him quite new. He had
intended benevolently and kindly; he
had met with all the blessings of sincere
attachment.
Instead of walking to Mrs. Stedman's
to take some rest, which he very much
needed, he went to bis mothers house
or rather the house where he had taken O
snug little apartment for his mother.
1t lay somewhere out Brompton way
in which neat rows of small houses are te
be found looking backwards upon pleas
art greens and gardens. There he had
founda modest little suite Of apartments
one sitting-room, and two bedrooms, 9