Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1881-11-30
BRAvElY WON.


Mrs. Sylvester and her daughter
Maud lived in pretty semi detach.
ed villa in the neighborhood of the
pretty English village of Chaplain.
The good old lady was what most
people would consider comfortably
of; but she, who had once known
all the luxuries that wealth can be.
stow, regarded herself as one of the
unfortunate who merited as much
pity as the wretched pauper who
crawls into the workhouse- for a
nights shelter.
Poor Maud Sylvester's life was
rendered q perfect misery to her.
Lord Waistrill's son almost lived
at the quiet little villa, and worst of
all, Mrs. Sylvester encouraged
! him.
Lord Waistrill had told falsehoods
sufficient about his precious ne'er.
do-well to raise Mrs. Sylvester's
hopes of social ACKNOWLEDGEMENT for
herself and her daughter to the
skies, and Mrs. Sylvester had suffi
ciently exaggerated her daughters
prospect to ensure NY lords persis
tence in his sons behalf.
But his son needed no urging Oh.
He was madly in love with Maud.
The more she showed her dislike,
the more affectionate he was. In
vain she assured him she could not
care for him.
To make matters worse, her moth.
er entirely changed in her demeanor
towards her. With all her vanity,
seltishness and absurdities, Mrs.
Sylvester had hitherto been affec.
tionate towards her daughter.
But now change had taken
place in her demeanor. She threat.
eued that she wonld leave her pen.
niless when she died and let her make
her own living rs best she could, if
she did not consent to the marriage.
1t grieved Maud deeply to see her
mother stoOp to a falsehood in her
wild desire to bring about this mar.
riage.
Now Arthur Gamblers and Maud
Sylvester had 80 far kept their en-.
gagement secret from everyone
excepting her friend Lucy.
OF course poor Maud took every
opportunity to visit her friend in
Bayswater as frequently as she
could, and to her confidaut, Lucy,
oh oil hnr
"You must come as often as you
can to Clapham," pleaded Maud,
"and save me from the prosecutions
of the Objectionable creature to
whom mamma would have me sacri.
fee myself
OF course Lucy did come as often
as she could; but ere loug her visits
were put stop to by the positive
rudeness Of Mrs. Sylvester, who,
for the sake of her own wishes, de.
sired to sever Maud's connections
with her Bayswater friends.
Lucy, dearly as she loved Maud,
could not continue to visit at house
where she was openly snubbed and
insulted.
Not satisfied with having driven
her daughters dearest friend from
the door, Mrs. Sylvester at last ob.
jected to Maud's going to Bays.
water.
Maud rebelled Indignantly against
this.
"Why,r she Justly asked, "was
she to give up her friendf What
had she, Lucy, or any member Of
her family ever done to merit such
uDbeard of treatment
"Never mind what they have
done,r answered Mrs. Sylvester;
shat has nothing to do with the
matter. 1t il my desire you should
not visit them, for the present, at
least. aud you must submit to my
orders.n
81 am sorry" answered Maud,
~ can not in this instance obey
you.'
"But you must and shall" cried
her mother furiously.
Maud did dot answer her.
"Do you hear mer cried Mrs. Syl-
vester.
81 hear you" answered Maud.
Sand you must obey or -
"Or whatr questioned Maud.
"Or. l will turn you out Of the
house" cried Mrs. Sylvester.