Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-08-07
The Lovers Sacrifice.

space of lie, she felt that she
would not care TO live the years
over again.
Her childhood had been as
sweet and bright as love and
wealth could make it, until the
good father had died SO utterly
ruined financially that nothing
was left for his widow and only
child except small, but pretty
and p easant residence, and ex-
ceedingly meagre income derived
from certain property not for
feitable by his many creditors.
Since the death OF that loving,
indulgent, but most incompetent
parent the girl had known almost
every vicissitude of trouble and
privation possible to the expert
ence of the young, the sensitive
and the refined.
Fortunately the elegant, finely
educated and accomplished Mrs.
Rivers was competent to instruct
her child in scholarship as well as
in the subtle lore of etiquette af-
fected by the social CIRCLES from
which she had been ostracised by
her pecuniary circumstances and
misfortunes And the daughter be-
ing dutiful and tractable, as we'll
as sensible, had profted by this
gentle but thorough home tuition.
AT twenty Vassarite might al
most have envied Tessie Rivers
for her erudition; and many
pampered favorite of wealth and
aristocratic pretentions might
have coveted her unaffected grace
and dignity of demeanor more
than her rich, vivid and beautiful
loneliness.
But she was not at all satisfied
with the station to which fate had
assigned her. She was sick to the
soul of this perpetual struggle be-
tween hidden want and ostensible
modest comfort. She ionged for a
life, not Of utter Incidence and
clogging luxury. but of perfect
freedom from prosys cares-a life
filled with sWeeter possibilities
and broader purposes, and that
might bring few seasons OF rest.
s., ~ should not care TO live my
twenty years over again" she
averred mentally, as divesting
herself af her becoming black
cloth cloak and prettily plumed
black velvet hat, she entered the
cheerful room where her mother
was rather eagerly awaiting. her
coming. n "a --s- a. =
"Are you tired dear 2" ques-
toned Mrs. Rivers, tenderly, as
she poured the tea she had made
ready an hour before. 6
"Not at all mamma" answered
Tessie, taking seat at the coy ta-1
BILE. when ones task is inter-
esting, one does not become IA
tigued easily; If I had nothing
less pleasant to do than to arrange
Lucille Carrington's flowers and
founces. should be happy, l
thiuk." 'N''%A ~ 1@ltttA
"Ah, Tes.ie, = smiled the moth
er. "the most humble labor would
never be distasteful to you as long
as you might find an element. of
the aesthetic in it," fl rf1 So
"And if might always serve a
lady as consideratep and gracious
as Miss Carrington," she added.
"She never patrOniZes me; she
treats me as she might trusted
friend. And yet am In a rebel
lious mood tO-night-l am, In
deed, mamma. Why should she
be given so much and l so little?
The lace that Grapes the rose silk
p, dress she wears-the single dia-
mond she wears on her white
hand-the pearls that CLEAN on
her bosom-if mine to transmute
into money, would lift the mort
gage from this dear old home and
the heavy burden from our
hearts"
Mrs. Rivers sighed as she sip
ped her tea silently, choosing
neither TO contemplate or discuss
an impending trouble unless 1t
might be averted. %
~ do not care to speak nor
think of a misfortune that cannot
be prevented, my DEAR she OBJ
served, after a sorrowful pause.
"To grieve in prospective is but
folly. Heaven has proportional
our strength TO our trials; and 10
rebel against the Inevitable IL un-
wise; beside, Tessie, am sure
that Monreith Darlington Is mach
too kind and generougto distress
us about that mortgage. {9Gtk
"But should prefer not to ap-
peal to Mr.. Carrington's generosi-
ty, mamma, and If you love me
you will not do SO" returned the
girl quickly. as she blushed before
the tender inquiring eyes turned
toward her.
"You fancy he would think you