The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-09-10
MY MARROW ESCAPE.

was no less serious q crisis than this
l was or fancied myself TO be in love.
and on the ave of separation from my
lover.
Young Arthur Elton. He was in re
atty five years my senior. but for some
reason people always called him
young" greatly to my annoyance:
for q spirited girl. when she has made
up her mind 70 take . man for s.hei
lord and MASTER" doesn't quite like &c
see other people looking down on him
and condescending to him, as IL to some
foolish boy.
II wasn't Arthur's fault. He was Of
that gentle, loving, yielding nature.
that other people invariably either
slight and .'put upon" or patronizs
and caress. Very handsome, in q some
what effeminate style; something of an
artist, poet, dreamer, and an enthusiast
in everything, the very latest OF his
many enthusiasms being his love for
me. 4
Really. he was SO earnest, SO almos,
desperate about il, that he quite took
my heart by storm. I had known him
all my life. but / had never even thought
of FLEEING in love with him until q fen
aaN1 1LAoA6 W. HO4O CAkakGQs
And Just at that time he had become
. sort OF hero in our little country
world. by the choice he had made Of .
career in life. He had been, in q de.
sultory sort of fashion, educated foi
the Church; not that he had any special
fitness for the calling, but because-an
old friend Of his fathers being q cler.
gyman-his ideas had Glanced to take
= turn in that direction. Now, he had
suddenly developed an ardent anxiety
for the heather, ana resolved to 20 to
India as 4 missionary.
Now. Twas an enthusiast, too. When
he pleaded to me to accompany him.
to devote my life to him, among savage
tribes in far-off lands, l never paused
to consider what a one-sided arrange
ment this would be, or how far from .
bright or happy life was this he offered
me. He pointed out to me the grand
career for which Heaven had designed
us. We should pass our lives in the
service of God and our fellow-creatures,
and mutually sustain each other on
this narrow road which should lead 80
many heathens to heaven.
So my imagination caught fire. How
great. how infinitely more noble was
such : fate than the quiet domestic
happiness of vito and mother, that
was the ordinary, commonplace wo.
mans lot! So We were engaged. and
| offered no objection to Arthnr's ear
nest entreaty that I should marry him
at once, and-he was to sail in three
weeks-go with him.
But here the matter fortunately pass.
ed out Of our control, and became sub
ject to the consent of our families
Need I say that it met with opposition
from the start
Mother said she .'would sooner Law
mo In the graver' In vain I talked
'.high and holy ends" and ''calls from
She declared that the high
est and truest aim and end Of . wom-
ans life was to do her duty in the g.
cred sphere of home, and raise nm
children In the love. and fear Of Heaven.
Arthur, on his side, had no bsttsr
lortune. His father. having q largo
family, hadn't q shilling to spare, and
the old Clergyman, who was paying for
his outfit to India, laughed in his face,
and asked him how he proposed to
feed and clothe me when he got me
therep Feed me! Pretty language
from a minister. We were willing to
devote ourselves to the service Of
Heavens savages, and nobody would
extend to us q helping hand.
''If John were only here" l sighed;
for I began to feel very much in ear
nest under all this opposition. and to
feel that Arthur and l and the poor
heather were all martyrs together
John has got lots of money, and is SO
good-natured. I've almost q mind to
write to him, Arthur, and ask him for
the means to 60"
/ had been o long time making up
my mind to say this to my lover, sup
posing that, as q matter of course, h
would shrink from taking me on sue,
terms, or being laid under such obligs.
tons to John Hayden. l expected {
see him shrink sensitively, and declar,
with proper manly independence, tina,
/ should not appeal to John. Notliin
of the kind.
"Why not?" he cried, quito eagerly
Hayden has lots Of money. as 20;
say, and it won't DO giving it to you o
to me, but to those unhappy heather
And if-as l used to suspect, Lizzie
John wanted to marry you himself
what an opportunity are we giving hin
to exercise the virtue of sclf-sacritice!'
don't know how l felt as l hear,
him. Startled at tho GOODNESS of tina
last idea-thrillcd at the very though
lit had never occurred TO me) that dea
old John Hayden had admired me-
and curiously disappointed in my lover
How could he so contentcdly consen
to my receiving money and servic'
from another mans hands-especiall,
when the chief benefit of such servic,
was to accrue to himself in the end?
But 1 kept my disappointment, it wa
but vague and half-understood. locke,
in my own heart. 1t was too late nov
Tor there to be any possibility of m
accompanying Arthur. but l agreed t
write to John, and-if he would Civ
me the means-follow the fortunes O
my lover.
So Arthur departed for London. Gu
plan was for me to join him there. an
be married before sailing for India to
gether. l bade him goodbye, weepin,
very decorously, but secretly feelinI
! much surprised that l did not feel MOI
real grief Of heart. Then I went HON
ana WroGo inc WnOle sbory uO Jonn.
had begged him to answer at once
as there was no time to spare, but til
day which should have brought me
letter brought me disappointment only
Not very bitter disappointment, eithc'
1 took myself to task for that.
John is not so foolish as to help yo
in such mad follyr my mother ha
,o;d ~,-;umphantlv when no letter cam
1 made no reply but strolled off mi
the woods close at hand to think
over.
The idea occurred to me-had m
mother written to influence job
against me.
Presently q quick footstep came rus
ling through the grass. and, recogni
ing 1t, 1 started up in . curious emba
rassment. John Hayden stood befol
me.