The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-07-09
CHAPTER II.


CHAPTER IL
DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER I am assistant
teacher in the High School of this place am en-
gagged for a year. A maiden sister of Mrs. Car
roll, your old neighbor, is Principal. | am
boarding with her. | have the use of her
piano [ take two lessons each week from a
good music teacher, and find time each day to
keep up my drawing. / crave your forgive
ness. You will not forget my struggles to enter
the life for which felt myself born. found
nothing but disappointment, until in flight I
made way for liberty" and you must feel
for, and doubtless blame, your loving daughter,
HELEN
Thus read the letter that came to the
half-crazed Mrs. Woodruff in one month
after their daughter was among the
missing driven from home" the an
guished mother would have said, had
she not felt that she must comfort, not
accuse, the sorrowing. Never before
had she known the depth Of her hus-
bands love for his children. Bafded
and broken as his spirit was now, true
to his nature, he could not forgive and,
for all his days Of grief, his sleepless
nights of suffering, he still protested
that his hayward child must be pun
ished, and accordingly he wrote;
HELEN: You can justly claim nothing from
the home you SO foolishly deserted. If you re-
main away it must be in silence that will not
be broken by your FATHER.
"Cruel cruel!i' sobbed Helen, as
she read and re-read the words that
seemed to freeze her heart and shut her
out of the world Her childhood had
known nothing but the yellow leaf, but
the sadness of autumn had not rendered
her cold or misanthropic. The opening
bud of love, watered by the dew of
faith, was trembling to blossom in her
pure young heart. She sought strength
and consolation in prayer for the loved
ones she had deserted. A sad, sweet
picture she made as she sat in that capa-
cious old arm chair by the little parlor
window, in the cozy home of the school
mistress. She was simply and neatly
clad in an evening dress of pink muslin,
with white bow of lace at her throat
one ring, plain gold band, that encir-
cled the forefnger Of her left hand, was
all the jewelry she wore. 1t was a gift
from her mothers father, who prayed,
as he placed it upon her finger, that if
she inherited any Of her mothers talent
she would also inherit, in an equal de-
gree, her fathers will power Her CLOS
sy brown curls were fastened carelessly
back with spray of white lilac. It was
sunset, but the lingering beams of light
that kissed her fair young face revealed
the bitter tears she could not keep back
as she unfolded again and read aloud
her fathers icy words. The wound was
opened afresh, and in her agony she
cried:
"Oh, my dear mother, why did you
not say just one little word to me? It
would have been kind, and kept my
heart from breaking. But, oh I know
my father would not permit you sweet,
patient mother, dear little sister and
brother, and with all your faults my
dear, dear father. how can I live without
you! What, oh what shall do?'
No audible answer came to the strick-
en- young heart, but rest and love and
home awaited her, for Mark Maynard
had seen, heard and recognized his own,
and had silently withdrawn from the
TOOTH uo udO 0ubOI0u UuSo0ll, dIlu SdlO 10
himself as he walked away
"Dear Helen, thou art the fresh,
sweet spring in the desert of my lone
life. I can scarcely believe in special
providences, but surely Gods own hand
has led her to the heart that has ever
loved her, and when the wave of sorrow
that is now sweeping over her goes by
lover shall claim his own. "
Brief and to the point was the court
ship that ended in the union Of two con-
genial spirits, and Helen Woodruff was
duly installed mistress of the superin-
tendent's home that the town people
had named Bachelors Button" be-
cause Of it's round, smooth-cut appear
ance The modest little building lay in
the center of an eight-acre lot just out.
of the corporation Of the city 1t was
surrounded by the choicest fruits and
flowers. Four rooms had answered
Mark Maynard's purpose, front and
back room above and below, with bay
window below and above thai looked to