Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-05
GaIes arro Sketfkes.
sIsl's TRIAL.
BIZ FRANCES c. spxnHAwK.

BIZ FRANCES C. sPxRHAwK.
Nina Nichols eve rested upon her
mother who. poor lady. sitting upright in
the chair in which she habituallv lOunged
and endeavoring to face her misfortunes
with bravery. looked 50 disconsolate and
20 helpless that the daughters perplexity
hardened into courage at the sight. For.
somebody must find out what to do and
do it, and it was not to be Mrs. Nichols.
Here. rs If to emphasize this last point,
the mother glanced up and her faded eyes
wavering little between the window and
her daughters face, fixed themselves at
last upon Nina.
..What shall we do? ?" she asked.
81 will see, mamma. I" returned the girl.
and with the answer took up the burden
of responsibility that had fallen from Mrs.
Nichols grasp. or rather. that had never
been in it. 1t was heavy burden for
girls shoulders. and Nina was not quite
nineteen. But the children could not wait
for food until she grew older.
THAT was always your fathers way"
the lady pursued, "ups and downs, but
never 81 bad as this. Now. Nina, don't
think it's good way Of living to have
ups and downs"
"iou don't object to the ups. mamma,
do you?''
mo" said Mrs. Nichols. without the
faintest CLEAN of humor. II don't object
to being well off. OF course. But your
father goes like swing. declare. it
makes me dizzy. One day he's in splen-
did business. making money hand over
hand, he tells us; the next everything has
smashed up. and he's nothing left. And
now that he's gone of to get another for
tune, | dare say we shall never see him
again. II we do. he'll have 80 many debts
to pay off. we shan't get any good Of the
money"
Mamma
..Oh, stop, Nina. You know we'll
enough what mean. I'm just as honest
a. you, but we must have something to
live on. And now there's not a dollar in
the house of the hundred your father lett
~, and our quarters rent is due next
week; we can't stay here.'' And the
poor lady looked round sadly upon the
handsome furniture hired with the house.
and all to be given up in a few days.
"What shall we do?" she repeated.
This time Nina did not answer. She
was thinking Of still harder problem
which Mrs. Nichols had not met vet. and
should not meet finer daughter could help
It, They had had no servant since Mr..
Nichols failure, and Nina who did the
work and cooked as skilliully as she could,
knew that the -four barrel was empty.
That very morning she had scraped down
the sides OF it faithfully and tipped out
every particle, She had made two loaves
of bread with what this gave her. But to
say nothing of her mother and herself.
there were Alice. and Harry. and John.
who always came home from school cry
ing out that they were so hungry. Poor
Nina did not want their appetites less
healthful; she only felt that two loaves of
bread would satisfy them for q short time,
especially when she bad only the bones Of
yesterdays mutton to exc out with.
II was past the middle of the Septem-
Der afternoon when she sat silent, q COM
mittee Of one on ways and means. In
deed, most things accomplished in the
world are the result of some single will
There may be the safety of quiescence in
. multitude of counsellors, but when it
comes to action. q hydra is monster.
The family could not live upon credit.
hoping for money from MIR. Nichols
Nina had found that out. when. in answer
to some timid hint of the kind, the pro-
vision dealer from whom the family had
bought literally for good while. for the
period of prosperity had lasted longer
than usual, and the downfall been proper
tionably greater. said decidedly. that his
terms were cash. Nina supposed that she
could teach after fashion. but it often
took long time to find school. and at
this rate it would not be long before they
would keep u fast day not proclaimed by
the governor.
She sat and pondered until, As the
children's voices sounded at the door. she
started up with stifed cry at a sugges-
ton that had come to her. The cry was
the protest of her instincts aginst neces-
sity that she knew would bend her
to itself. She rose and went swiftly up
stairs TO her own room. There with her
door locked she fought battle with her.
sell that she never forgot. There was
nothing really humiliaiinR for her to do.
only noble thing that was disagreeable.
But she had not learned great strength of
reason. perhaps she never would. for she
had no more power to throw aside the
opinions and cOnventionalities in which
she had been educated. than have other
charming girls who love dainty ways.
pretty dresses. and good time. There
was q possibility also, which if it were
tue, would make the duty almost beyond
her. Not quite beyond her though; for
one feeling. love for her family. was
stronger than her vanity, her disgust, or
her fear, and when ut last. she lifted her
head from the floor where she had knelt
in her humiliation and pain. this love had
won the day. The children must not be
hungry; she felt almost ~ if they were
her own. She put on her things hastily.
and went out without speaking to anyone.
II did not seem to her that in any sense
she had conquered, only that she was be-
ing driven.
To Nina It was right. that the next
morning should be cold and grey, that
there should be no more of sunshine over
head than in her heart. as at an earlier
hour than she usually rose, she fell into
the ranks of men and women with faces
but half washed at best, with shabby
clothes, redolent of machinery oil, counte-
nances of WEAKNESS and detection. or more