The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-03-19
CHAPTER Nv.
THE WRONG STEP.
NJ IA
A single deviation from the path
of human duties leads,


A single deviation from the path
of human duties leads.
1t was very seldom indeed that the postman
had letters to deliver in the village OF Wellbury.
The correspondence of the entire parish was
small, the Clergyman, who received perhaps an
average or two letters per week, conducting
| half OF it One thing was certain, letter
| bearing 0he Queens head had only troubled
Hez-kiah Boeg three times in all his life, and
| they were from Mary at school. All his rela-
| tions, friends and acquaintance resided within
the bounds of his weekly trips, and he made
and received all his own communications YER
batim, del vering ali Mary's letters with his
own hand for she knew hardly any one who
| did not reside somewhere between Wellbury
| and ST. Olaves.
But one day in the spring, only few months
before Mark Lovel was to make Mary his wife,
| the postmaa lifted the latch OF the garden
| gate and delivered at the cottage door q letter
for Mics Mary Bogg. 1t proved to be from an
old school friend OF Msry's-a girl who had
recovered from Il long illness through MGry's
| gentle care and tender nursiI 6. They had
been great friends at school, and had promised
| each other that, whichever Of the two WAS
married first, the other was to be one OF the
| bridesmaids; and, as Nellie Hazels marriage
was TO take place in June, the fulhllment OF
Mary's promise was now claimed.
| Nellie was u city girl, living in Manchester,
and old Hez had serious misgivings as to
whether he ought to let Mary go so far aud to
such great, busy place, all alone. He and
Johnny had some long consultations in the
| stable on the matter, bu it was finally decided
| that she should go.
"Tlass wants a change, johnny, boy, and
mebbe it'll do her warld o coed. Soon she's
| to marry Mark, and then she'll ha' to settle
doom to housekeepin' an hard wark. Let her
| go, lad, let her 60 1t weant cost sic deal.
| an l can spare tbrass"
So Mary wrote to Nellie telling her that on
such Saturday she would be at the Portland
| street station by such train, and that she
| meant to be there three or four weeks previous
to the wedding that she might help i'll the
preparations. And one bright saturday morn
ing in May, Mary was passenger to st Oaves
! by her fathers coach. AT the railway sta ion
her grandfather and father saw her safely into
the train; aud. just as / was about TO move,
the old man TOOK her hand to give 1t parting
| squeeZ leaving III 1t a crisp ten-pound Lote.
Al the last moment he had been afraid that
one such piece OF paper might not be SUFFICIENT
| he had an idea that money I'll pped away pref
ty fast in large cities, aid he would never have
| it said that he stnted his "iItle gjrl"-hence
| this generosity at parting
When the train was out OF sight, the two
men turned away to their everyday work, and
when they went home they missed the a1rlish
| form at the supper-table. The next day Hez
and the children missed her from the Sunday
school, and she WAS missed all through the
| day; and, when the Sabbath evening came,
and the two men smoked their pipes, with
Mark Lowell sitting by for company, hez said
ut isn't like Welb'ry, boys, wl'out her
| hey, Mark, my lad--but tnou'n gain sometbin'
and we'll lose everythin' when 'hou talks COR
| lartle gel away"
| Mary was made welcome by Nellie and Mrs
Hazel, and the two friends were soon deep
in each others confidence as ever.
| Nellie was engaged 10 a Mr.. James Rochester,
who had quite lately inherited u considerable
! fortune on the death OF his father Nellie al
mos md .syl,x
tons which she gave from time to time OF her
| future husband make Mary stand forth boldly
on Marks behalf, and the TWO men were the
exclusive topics OF conversation between them.
When Mary had been at Manchester few
! days, Mr.. Rochester himself Joined them. He
was very young-only 22-out he looked as
though he lived a far from quiet life. He was
| repuled wealthy, and apparently man with
no fixed purposes; he was excessively hand
some, having good figure anu finely -chiseled
| features, with penetrating eyes aud dark curly
| hair and mustache. Mary could not nelp
thinking for moment that he was indeed bet
| ter looking than Mark. @But then" she added,
@he cannot be half 80 good"
or course, Nellie took possession of Mr..
Rochester aud planned how his tine was to be
spent while at Manchester
Rochester took all this in good part, but to
Mary IL appeared rs though he treated Nellie
rather as a bore than rs his future BRIDE.
Any one who chose 10 take the trouble might
nave OOserveu aIter whlle, that, when Mary
and he were together, Rochester constantly
kept those fascinating eyes Of his upon Mary.
James Rochester was one of those men to
whom girls unwiuingly, and sometimes un
willingly, seem irresistaDly drawn. He could
talk we'll on any aud every subject; he had read
much and travelled considerably; he could
draw, play and sing well, and was, when he
chose, the beau ideal of ladies man"
Before they had been together two weeks,
Mary was completely enslaved in her admira-
ton OF this young fellow. He, too, found in
Mary bright, fresh, pnre girl-such one as
he was not accustomed to meet Ia city society
and ne felt that, il he consulted his own
future happiness, Mary should be his wife in
stead Of Nellie. He knew that, in less than
fortnight. the day fixed for his wedding would
BIO around. He knew that Nellie loved him
dearly, and thatit would almost break her heart
to lose him. he knew of Mary's engagement,
but, in his selfish love, he Thought not OF
others And Mary knew all this, too: yet,
when James Rochester one evening sat beside
her In the conservatory, and poured into her
ear, In passionate Language, h!s love for her,
and asked her to become his wife and make
him happy, because IL was her he loved, and not
Nellie, she forgot the manly, loving form nj Mark
Lovel, and she never thought of her old school
friend, who would be heart broken, but ac-