Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-07-15
For Richer---For Poorer

and slippery and the street lamps,
already lighted, fiared and fljckered
in the cold north wind which was
Beginning to blow. Drawing my
waterproof cloak about me, l
grasped my roll of music tightly, and
burned my face homeward.
1t was a long, dreary walk away
from that quiet, respectable portion
bf the city, to the narrow, back
Street and high old tenement house
which l called home. 4 dreary,
eomfortless home to be sure; neces-
sity was compelled to submit to
poverty, and the many ills which
Follow in its train.
l was poor music teacher, with
Rn invalid mother dependent upon
sny exertions. No wonder that l
worked away at my daily round of
lessons with a feeling of desperation
#gnawing at my heart strings. For
toll as hard as | might; save and plan
X and economic, / found it almost
impossible to obtain for my poor
mother the necessary medicines and
= the delicacies which the physicians
prescribed as actually requisite to
give her strength, and keep alive the
Il flame of life which burned so dimly.
! had worked so hard | had been
so earnest, so hopeful; but to-day my
hopes had received a cruel blow.
8 Two of my most prompt paying
ii pupils were taken from me. Some
fashionable professor, with high
Bounding name, and reputation for
3execnting all sorts of wonders on the
\ piano, had been installed in my
Eplace, and | was dismissed.
Mother had been wretchedly i'll for
the past few days; and altogether, as
l moved onward through the wet,
4 unpleasant streets, my heart was
very heavy with its load of care and
4 sorrow. But she must not see it;
she must not know or dream of the
truth, and how l was suffering, or
\ land | must face it all alone) that
the grim, gaunt wolf, starvation,
was at our very door.
1 reached home at last, tired, wet
and cold. Up the long, endless flights
of stairs l toiled to the little grim
sky parlor which mother and called
\ home.
| The sound of a mans voice fell
upon my ears, loud, pompous, fa-
miliar voice. l paused Involuntary
| and drew my breath hard. 1t was
! the voice of our landlord, and | re-
membered, with SILVER, that the
/ two months rent was due,
I Clutching the wooden balustrade
\ l steadied myself, with an effort,
while regained my composure and
4 then l pushed open the door of the
wretched room and entered.
A Mother was sitting in her easy
4 chair before the narrow CRATE, where
4 q handful of fire smouldered. l shiyi
cred again as | remembered that it
was the last fuel we possessed; and
there, before the fire, red-faced and
pompous, stood John Hartley, the
A landlord, l paused in undisguised
astonishment, for his red face was
wreathed in smiles, and his ferret
like eyes were bent kindly and ap-
provingly upon my mother
Louise" my mothers voice had
ring of despair in it, Mr.. Hartley
has done you the honor of asking
that you become his wife"
Ills wife God in heaven, l
4 would die first !"
The words burst from my lips ere
| was aware Of what had said. My
mother pale face grew CHASTITY white
and she trembled with alarm. John
II Hartly came forward and stood be-
| fore me, his snaky eyes flashing lur-
| idly.
| "As you please, Miss Louise Dun
bar" he sneered, with disagreeable
smile, "just as you please, of course.
Only since you despise me so, you
4 will not surely expect to remain any
i longer under my roof without re-
| Enumeration. In short, not to waste
i any more words or time you and
/ your mother shall go into the
street -
/ He rubbed his fat hands together
j briskly, smiling at the time. Stand
j inc there Ike the Yiner that he WAS.