Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-09-18
The Wife's Appeal.

Inc WHO appear.
The W1Se People-thsse who manage
their neighbor7s affairs in theory much bet
ter than they do their own in practice
shock their heads in solemn conclave when
Mr. HepworIh married the second time !;
hu1 an added shade Of venom was in their
councils when the village paper noticed, in
= aONery paragraph, the birth of a son and
heir n the great house
Poor Cl&rice." they said, "has no
chance now, Ii wSs bad enough when
HcpwOr1h married a chit Of girl who, of
course, cared for nothing but his money
huf now there is a son. there is no hope for
Clzricea
A young, fair woman, herself in the
very spring-time of life, vet 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
hesuTiful face nearer to the cradle pillow
upon which rested the soft cheek of her
laby bow
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 II a great sacrifice when she mar
ried a man as old as her own father, vet in
her sweet humility she only prayed to be
worthy of the love bestowed upon her.
A low knock at the door aroused her,
and rising to her feet she answered the
summons
Upon the threshold stood 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 see met" Mrs. Hep
wcrth asked, smiling upon the child.
May / come ing" was the woman's
question in return
Certainly. You look tired y
The stranger accepted chair and looked
sadly around the room.
Everything is altered, she said in a
mournful voice. Perhaps l had better
stayed away. Mrs Hepworth, you have
heard Of Clarice MandersonG
Il have not, y was the reply. 81 am
almost a stranger here We have been
travelling ever since | was married until,
few months ago
land YOU never heard of met" said
the stranger, the tears rising in her eyes.
s<Then my er-and here is indeed hopeless.
If. in his new happiness as your husband,
my father never even spoke my name, it is
useless to hope he viii forgive men
"Your father? Mr.. Hepworth your
fa1herF He told me he had lost his only
daughter
Not that / was dead; was lost to
him by my own .disobedience. You love
my father2"
Just smile, proud, happy and tender,
answered her
Then you viii understand me, " said
Clzrice, SHwhen 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 Lucien
Manderson, assuring me that he was a for
tune hunter, a gambler, and unworthy of
my love I would not believe this. To
me me was the noblest and best of men,
and for him left all to fly secretly from
home and father. / have been bitterly
punished When the letter imploring for
giveness was returned to me by my father,
with a few brief words casting me from
his heart and love, my husband proved
what I had SO fondly hoped was false. He
had married the only child and presumed
heiress of Hepw0rth, the millionaire, and
found himself burdened with a penniless
wife. spare you the history of the four
wears 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, I heard of
my fathers marriage. I returned here,
hoping for pardon, but the house was shut
up. When you came, 2 determined to
make one more effort for forgiveness, hop
ing YOU would plead for me. Think if he
was Mn oufcaS1 from his fathers love, sor-
rowing and penitent, and begging of
stranger the gift of his birthrighti'' y
If my PRAYER win keep you here,
Clnrice, You shall not leave your fathers
house again. Mr. Hepworth is in the Ii
brzry, and VIII speak TO him at once. "