The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-18
The Wife's Appeal.

sH fAs
The wise peoplc--lhosc who manage
their neighbours affairs in theory much bet
ter than they do their own in practice
shook ,thcir heads in solemn cOnclave when
MIR. Hcpworth married the second time :;
but an added shade of venom was in their
councils when the village paper noticed, in
II llowery paragraph, tlr birth of son and
heir at the great house.
"Poor Clarice," they said, "has no
change now. 1t was I'D enough when
Hcpworth married Il chit of Il girl who of
course, cared for nothing but his money :;
but now there is Il son, there is no hope for
Clarice"
a young, fair woman, herself in the
very spring-time of life yet having already
taken the holy ties OF wife and mother into
her pure heart, knelt in one of the rooms
of the great house-knelt to bring her
beautiful face nearer TO the cradle pillow
upon which rested the soft check of her
Mby boy
The child of wealthy parents, she had
married the man she loved and who loved
her, and had gone from one home of luxury
to preside over another
She was very beautiful, and many had
thought 1t great sacrifice when she mar
ricd man as old as her own father, yet in
her sweet humility she only prayed to be
worthy of the love bestowed upon her.
A low knock at the door aroused her,
md rising to her feet she answered the
summons.
Upon the threshold stood a woman, a few
years older than herself, who led by the
hand handsome boy who had seen two
summers only. +
The woman was poorly dressed, in a
shabby mourning suit, but the child wore
dainty white garments
"Did you wish to sec mc2" Mrs. Hep
worth asked, smiling upon the child.
"May come in2" was tic woman's
question in return.
"Certainly. You look tired
The stranger accepted a chair and looked
sadly around the room
Everything is altered" she said in
mournful voice. "Pcrhaps l had better
stayed away. Mrs. Hepworth, you have
heard of Claricc Mandcrson
81 have not" was the reply. "I am
almost q stranger here. We have been
travelling ever since was married until,
few months ago
"And you never heard of me2" said
the stranger, the tears rising in her eyes.
"rhen my errand here is indeed hopeless.
If, In his new happiness rs your husband,
my father never even spoke my name, il is
useless to hope he will forgive me-"
Your father2 Mr.. nepworth your
father2 He told me he had lost his only
daughter"
"Not that I was dead; was lost to
him by my own disobcdicncc You love
my father7"
Just smile, proud, happy and tender,
answered her.
"Then you will understand nc" said
Clarice, "when tell you Loved my hus-
band better than father, home or duty.
Father would not hear of our marriage,
and sternly forbade me, to speak to Lucicn
Manderson, assuring me that he was for
tune hunter, a gambler, and unworthy of
my love. would not believe this. TO
me he was the noblcst and best sOf men,
and for him / left Nh to fly secretly from
home and father. I have been bitterly
punished. When tho letter ;imploring for
givcncss was returned to me by my father,
with q few brief words casting me from
his heart and love, my husband proved
what had so fondly hoped was false He
had married the only child and presumed
hcrcss Of Hepworth, tho millionaire, and
found himself burdcncd with a penniess
wife. spare you the history of the four
years of married misery that followed,
Then my husband and eldest child died of
contagious fever. Three months later, on
the very day this boy was born; heard of
my fathers lnarriagc. I returned hero,
hoping for pardon, but the house was shut
up. When you came, | determined to
make one more effort for forgiveness, hop
ing you would plead for me- Think il he
was an. outcast from his fathers love, sor-
rowing ard penitent, and begging !of d
stranger the gift Of his birthright y *
f''If my prayer will keep you hero,
Clarlcc, you shall not leave your fathers
house again. Mr.. Hepwortli Is in tho liz
brary, and I will speak to him at once"
She waited a moment to bathe the traces