The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-11-03

now we can compromise, now we can
do with as little as possible of what
we want, so as to satisfy the others.
| always thought that was the good
way, the nobler way" he said, with a
flush coming over his pale face.
Have we been making a mistaken"
Il fear sol think so; yes, | am
sure" [ cried. Yours would be the
nobler way, if-if there was nobody
but yourselves to think Of
He looked at me with a wondering
air. Il think [ must have expressed
myself wrongly" he said; 1T was not
ourselves at all that we were thinking
Of"
Il know; but that is just what I OBJ
ject to-" [ said. ''Vou sacrifice your
selves, and you encourage the other
people to be cruelty selfish, perhaps
without knowing it. All that is vir-
tue in you is evil in them. Don't you
see that to accept this giving up of
your life is barbarous, it is wicked, it
is demoralizing to the others. Just
in so much as people think well of
you they will be found to think badly
of Them
He was little startled by this view,
which, I confess, struck out on the
spur Of the moment. not really seeing
Fow much sense there was in it. |
justified myself afterwards to myself,
and became rather proud of my arga-
ment; but for a woman to argue, much
less suggest, that self-sacrifice is not
the chief Of all virtues, is terrible. |
was half-frightened and disgusted
with myself, as one is when one has
brought forward in the heat of parti-
sanship, thoroughly bad, yet, for the
moment, effective argument. But he
was staggered, and [ felt the thrill of
which stirs one to higher eff
fort.
II never thought of that; perhaps
there is some truth in it," he said.
Then, after pause, II wonder if you,
who have been so good to US all, who
are fond Of Ellen-I am sure you are
fond of Ellen-and the children like
her,
"Very fond Of Ellen, and the chill
dren all adore her," l said, with per-
haps unnecessary emphasis.
"To me that seems natural" he
said, frightening. 'But yet what
right have we to ask you to do more?
You have been as kind as it is possi-
BILE to be-"
"You want me to do something
more? | will do whatever | canon
ly speak out"
ut was this" he said, ''if you would
ask-you who are not an interested
party-if you would find out what our
are Ellen does not want to
escape from her duty. There is moth
ing we are not capable of sacrificing
rather than that she should shrink
from her duty. [ need not tell you
how serious it is. If [ don't take this
in case it is offered to mel may
never get another chance again; but,
if | must part from Ellen, | cannot
accept it. I cannot; it would be like
parting ones soul from ones body
But [ have no confidence in myself
any more than Ellen has. They have
such strong wills. If they say it must
not and cannot be-what can Ireply?
know myself. [ will yield, and so
will Ellen. How can one look them
in the face and say, Though you are
her father and mother, we prefer our
own comfort to yours ?"
"Do not say another word. I will
do it," [ said, half exasperated, half
sympathetic-oh, yes! more than half
sympathetic. They were fools; but |
understood it, and was not surprised,
though | was exasperated. Il will go
and beard the lion in his den," [ said.
Perhaps they will not let me see the
lion, only his attendant. But remem-
Der this I said vindictively, ''if Ellen
and you allow yourselves to be con-
quered, If you are weak and throw
away all your hopes, never come to me
again. I have made up my mind.
You must give up me as we'll as all
the rest. [ will not put up with such
weakness" John stared at me with
alarm in his eyes; he was not quite
even when [ laughed at
my own little bit Of tragedy. He
shook his head with a melancholy per-
plexity.
Il don't see clearly" he said; II
don't seem able to Judge. To give in
is folly; and yet, when you think
it were duty-suppose her
father were to die when she was far
away from him?''
'If we We're to consider all these
possibilities there never would be
marriage made-never an independent
move in life" I cried parents die
far from their children, and children,
alas! from their parents. How could
it be otherwise? But God is near to
us ALL If we were each to think our
selves so all-important, life would
stand still; there would be no more
advance, no progress; everything
would come to an end"
John shook his head; partly it was
in agreement with what | said, partly
in doubt for himself. "How am [ to
stand up to them and say, Never mind
what you want-ace want something
else? There's the rub" he said, still
slowly shaking his head. He had no
confidence in his own power of self
assertion. He had never, I believe,
been able to answer satisfactorily the
question, Why should he have any
special thing which some one else
wished for2 1t was as natural to him
to etface himself, to resign his claims,
as it was to other men to assert them.
And yet IN this point he could not
give up-he could not give Ellen up,
come wlat might; but neither could
he demand that he and she should be
permitted to live their own life.
After long deliberation | decided
that it would not be expedient to rush
across to Pleasant Place at once and
get it over while John aud Ellen were
4,I,,nr tbaiy ,1C,,al avonipo. ,,roII-