Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-12-21

", Il
"call" to locate here. My practice
soon became large, If not lucrative. On
all sides [ found the most squalid
poverty.
In my visits among these poor crea-
lures, I had come to be familiar with the
name of a certain Miss Carter, who, to
marvellous extent, filled the need of
competent, willing, tender woman's work
in these domestic lives. Almost every
time I visited their wretched huts L
found traces of this good woman's minis
trations. Little glasses of jelly, loaves-
of wholesome bread, bottles of strength
ening wine, and clean, fresh linen, [
would often see upon the tables of the
sick people as [ passed about Iii their,
midst. Invariably these could be traced
back to Miss Carter, and I felt myself
moved toward her with an ardent adml-
ration. / ascertained upon inquiry that
she lived some miles away, and as they
said she usually walked on her missions
about the country, | surmlsed that She
herself was poor. These unselfish,
nobly generous people always are! L
pictured her old, and perhaps unlovely
in appearance, no delicately nurtured
youthful person would impose such tasks
upon her strength, but whatever she
might be, [ felt anxious to meet her, for
as yet I had constantly missed her. /
had tried myself, in small way, to re-
Iieve these creatures sufferings, but it
amazed me to see how Intellectual my eff
forts were, compared to the work of this
kind woman. Even when I supplied
them with money for their wants, the in
discrete uses they made of it continually
defeated me; and yet here was this quiet
woman, who, without half the outlay of
money, perhaps, accomplished what |
vainly aimed at, and succeeded where [
only attempted.
One evening, as L rode slowly down
the road, feeling somewhat the worse
physically for q morning among the
mountaineers, l fell into fit of despon-
dency and WEAKNESS which was usually
too busy to allow. That day my mind
refused to find interest in the schemes
and projects that had absorbed me lately,
and turned persistently to other events
and times back in my past life. IN
doubtedly, although other demands of
my nature had been more fully supplied
here, there were still some features of my
old life that [ missed intensely at quiet
times like this. And chief among them
was music Until now [ had never been
quite beyond the pale of it's influence,
nor was [ altogether SO at present, for
by merely going to Mrs. Wynne's, whose
house lay at the side of the very road
along which was now riding. / might
hear music OF a most superior order, for
Miss Roland had played for me and her
performance had surprised my highest
expectations. She was thorough
musician and played with the subtlest
delicacy and taste, and the deepest feel
ing. The temptation was very great, al
though / knew that in my present frame
of mind an evening spent In the compan-
ionship of Miss Roland, under the spell
of her music, would be dangerous. I
reflected seriously and resolved to forego
the pleasure my soul thirsted for, and
was about to spur my horse resolutely
past, when a certain strain of Faust,
played in marvellous way, fell upon my
ear, and before [ knew what was doing
| found myself mounting the steps Of
Mrs. Wynne's house.
It was q mild climate, and although
November was far advanced, the low
French windows going on the porch were
open, and the song came to me clear and
sweet on the evening air. When the
delicious strain of melody was ended /
entered and announced myself. Miss
Roland received me very kindly, and
when asked for more music accorded it
promptly. She fell into the very vein of
music for which 1 felt particularly re-
ceptive, and before she had finished
playing my determinations of prudence
and caution had been thrown to the
winds, and realized that had seen Miss
Roland once too often for these to hold
sway longer.
After that evening [ was a constant
visitor at Mrs. Wynne's, and Miss Roland
and I would play duets by the hour.
There was q delicious sympathy In our
musical tastes, discovered, and we
spent many charming evenings in devel-
oping it. 1t was delightful change
from the squalor, the pain, the degra-
dation of many of my experiences around
Redmere to enter the elegant reposeful,
intellectual atmosphere of Mrs. Wynne's
home, and yet SO strong hold had the
miseries of these people taken upon me
that I could not always put them out of
my mind even there. 1t disturbed me
that sympathetic as we were in other
things, Mrs. Roland and I had nothing
in common here. Of course she would
have pitied these poor people in vague
and gentle way, but she was as unaware
of the extent of their sufferings as if she
had lived upon another continent.
Coming down the mountain road one
morning [ encountered Miss Roland in
a small pony chaise with two of her
sisters children. [ wanted to stop for a
long chat, but the day was cold and her
horse very fresh, and she either would
not or could not held him in. The few
remarks she did make were spoken with
her most marked society air, and were
mere conventionalisms on the weather,
the scenery, etc. To my inquiry as to
where she had been, she replied lightly
that she'd been giving the children an
airing, and when I lightly reproached
her for attempting those rough noun
tain passes without an escort, and asked