Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1880-05-08
An ERROR IN JUDGMENT.

Her life had made her what she was
"A cynic. She had always seen her
mother deprecated, snecred at, trodden
on. as the weaker vessel. Her father
had brought up her only brother to
glory in the fact that he was boy. and
if he lived. would one day be a man:
when child, if asked how many chill
dren his parents had. it had been his
habit TO answer, "one;" he generally
added: =" 10 be sure there is a girl; but
then girls don't count" and people
laughed At him for bright lad. She
had taken a secondary position always;
even in baby-hOod had been forced to
yield every wish TO the will of this in
cipient lord of creation. In childhood,
girlhood and early womaphood, she.
with her mother, had been constrained
to serve and bow to these two. She
did this under mental protest always
at first she was unconscious that she
was protesting; but at length this took
form and shape, and broke into open
rebellion. She despised her father and
brother, and hated all mankind. Was
1t narrow and contracted for her to
judge all, by two? Perhaps it was, but
1t was natural. They were the only
two that she knew intimately. and we
are apt to judge the unknown by the
known. She had heard. women rallied
at always, their mental capacity scorned,
their physical strength laughed at; and
she, woman. was angered, insulted, en-
Filtered. She did not stop to consider
shat Knockers of women are always men
of Ignorance and conceit; men inflated
with themselves, pulled up and bloated
with self-pride: did not stop to review
the growth of intellect, and to discover
that in Nations of most refinement and
culture and education women met with
honor and esteem; but in barbarous
Nations where the order of intellect
was low, where men were dcbased, and
brute force prevailed, she was least
regarded. These two men, with AFRO
gance absurd in itself, assumed to know
all that WAS TO be known upon every
subject, whilst she constantly found
herself in possession of fund of knowl-
edge which TO them was a closed book.
She met them at every point with sulcn
silence; WIS bitter, hard, unsympathe..c
to every one but her mother. She be-
lieved that all men considered women
made to- serve them, to make their
lromes orderly and pleasant: believing
thus. her position, as we have said, was
but natural.
When she vas twenty-four her mother
died. In her last hour, the crushed,
though latent strength Of her character.
revived; she demanded a lawyer, and
in the very presence of her husband and
son. willed her somewhat considerable
property wholly 10 this. her only
daughter. and appointed as her sole cx-
ccutor Observation-Disclosures. one whom
she had scarcely met dozen times, but
whose face she trusted. Standing on
the border of the spirii-land, she had
had the courage given her to do this
thing. The daughter sat holding the
hand growing steadily colder. with a
look OF despair; the husband stood with
a slow red creeping up to his white
forehead, then dying away. and leav-
ing him pale in the presence of this
rebuke; whilst the son, a coward in the
presence OF death, shivcred and left the
room.
That was year ago. In all that time
she had devoted to her father may,lifi-
cent home all the conscientious care
that her mother had bestowed upon it
during a lifetime; had treated these
two with 4 coid politcness, the chill of
which had penetrated even their self
They were not comfort
able in her presence, and she only
woman. lii that year she entertained
their guests for them. Their meals,
when alone. were silent and cmbar-
rasscd; hence, for relief, they had con-
slant visitors. Among these she won
the name of being a brilliant woman,
bat cold IS an iceberg. In that year
she even had offers Of marriage; she
declined them each with the horror
and scorn that freed slave would feel
Tor reviewed vassalagc. This very
,corn. this very bitterness, had its
eagerly sought her society, charmed by
her wcll-stored nIind. her ready wit,
and the underlying vein of disbelief
and sarcasm that continually cropped
out. At length, when her mother
had been in the better country a
whole year-such respect did this
man show to custom and her menu !
)ry-he announced ut the dinner
able, in the presence of his son. rs
+ he had lacked courage to tell her
when alone, that ne pirposed bringing
home a bride. She did not make a
comment; for few moments there was
of miserable discomfort.
Her face was thoughtful and quiet. like
nc who considers before making a
then she said, and there was
lot even a tremor in her voice, 1.-The
lousc will be prepared and at your dis
,osal."
They both understood her rs well as
/ she had explained her plan. The
anne deep red that had crept up to his
prehead at the making of his wife's
ill did SO now, and the same pallor
olIowed, but he said nothing. The
on. whose manner until this past year
nd been a perpetual sheer. WAS silent
leo. and handled his fork nervously-
hat evening Mr.. HOLSTER. her execu-
n, received a note requesting him to
ali the next morning, Ms she wished TO
"a him on q matter of considerable i'm
ortance to herself; she was sorry to
,ouble him and would make point Of :
cling rs brief as possible.
Her father had invited this gentleman
, the house continually. They both ,
IL the embarrassment of the position.
ID sought to cover it over with good i
iii hence the invitations were
as given. To Mr.. Hollis
r the circumstance in which he found ,
imself was unaccountablc. Why a
.dyin diving should have appointed him. ,
stranger. 70 fill the place Of tho mat '
rel guardians of her daughter pug