St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-06-23
Roger FaithfuTs Invention.
BY LOUISE CHANDLER MoULTON.
From the Youths Companion.


three-ever since Maggie's mother died.
| said they had Tired together but one
of the three was not alive, and yet was
by far the most expensive member of
the family. This silent member of the
trio was The Invention.
So far it was dumb and seeming dead !;
but to make it live, move and have
being was the one object of Roger
Faithful's life-the object to which he
sacrificed everything else, himself and
Maggie included. Ever since he was
thirty years old, The Invention had
possessed him like fate.
He was IA master machinist and made
extremely good wages, until he began
to think that it was in his power to do
something much better. Maggie was
only seven years old when he came
home one night, another father, as it
seemed to her, from the one who al
ways petted and played with her and
hindered her careful mother from put
ting her to bed.
This night he came in with bright
color in his cheeks and strange sort
of glitter in his eyes. She ran to meet
him as usual but he kissed her care
lessly and set her down hastily, and
then said to his wife,
'Get the child to bed as early as you
can Mary. | want to talk to you about
something that will make our fortune"
SO Maggie was hurried into her little
bed, and it seemed to her that her
mother kissed her with double tender
ness to make up for her disappointment
in her father.
The bedroom door was left open a
IL. .,l,
that she might hear the faintest call
from her little one and lying there
the child heard her father say, "NO,
don't have supper yet, Mary. | can't
eat till I've told you. Do you under
stand | am going to make our fort
unes.n
And then Maggie heard a great deal
that she did not comprehend, about
motor powers and screws and wheels
but the very last thing she heard, little
creature as she was, she comprehended
but too well, even then.
"And, Mary, we must live on just as
little as we can. | want to get along
by working half OF twO-thirds' time, so
that | can have chance to do this
thing. We must be content to struggle
and want and wait now, for the sake of
the glorious success that is sure to
cOme-Sure, Mary"
Maggie went to sleep with those
words i'll her ears ; and it is no wonder
that she remembered them, for they
were the keynote of the family life
from that day forward. There were
never more any oranges or candy i'll
her fathers pockets when he came
home never any pretty ribbons or
new books for mamma. Nothing came
into the house but what was absolute
ly necessary, as far as she and her
mother We're concerned.
Her father fitted up for his work
room chamber that had been used as
il sort of stOre-rOOm hitherto. A sec
ond-hand stove was put up there, and
into that room mysterious parcels were
constantly being carried. Maggie soon
got to understand that that room be
lOnged to The Invention, and when
her father was there he was never to
he intruded upon.
If | believed in evil fairies, | should
think that one came into that house
, with The Invention but | think it
was only the evil spirits that enter
into every man who seeks, first, and
above all, his own honor and glory, his
own SelnSh success.
| suppose Roger Faithful would have
denied that this UaS what he sought
He liked to fancy that he was working
in order, some day, to be able to make
life easy and luxurious for his wife, and
bright and beautiful for his little
daughter.
And meantime his child's youth was
robbed of all its natural rights of light
heartedness and small and simple
2 pleasures and also, year after year
his wife was fading gradually out OF
this world, and he never knew it.
l. The Invention had been installed III
the spare-chamber six years before
Mary Faithful died. She had grown
J. used to seeing it absorb the whole heart
and life of her husband, and all his
time, except just what was necessary
barely to earn food enough to put il
a their mouths and keep Il roof to cover
them.
: If he had been a less skilled work
d man, he might not have been able ther
to get work to do at his own will ant
pleasure sometimes working steadily
n for week, and then not going neal
# the workshop for days together. Bu
he understood machinery in its nices
E. details so thoroughly that there wa.
IS always plenty of difficult and protta
/ BILE work awaiting his coming.
Maggie grew old before her time il
% this quiet house. She loved her moth
! er with IA passionate intensity of feel
ing which happier children wOulC
hardly understand. From the tim,
The Invention took up its abode will
them, the child had felt in some duml
way, that her father belonged to 1t
- and that she and her mother were al
the world to each other.
When her mother began to get NOR
and more feeble, Maggie strove, almOs
beyond her childish might, to help he
H. to bear her burdens. By the time sh
IN u was twelve years old she had learne,
y to do most of their simple cooking, an,
at she even helped to wash and iron tn
or clothes.
Il. Then came year when almost every
thing fell upon the girl. Her mothe
ul had frequent fainting fits, of which the
'd never told father" lest it should dis
turb him in his great work. Poor Mrs
VI Faithful grew weaker and weaker al
1f the time; and all the time Maggie shu
OF her eyes to the truth and refused t
see what the end must be.
or At last, one November afternoon
sss Roger came home early. He came i
ls full of excitement.
in "Wife," he said, "while | was a
in work a new idea came to me. | mus
try it at once, while it is fresh in m
mind. Do not let me be disturbed
- don't want any supper"
He started then to go up stairs, bu
he turned back to say
:, "Mary, you don't look well to me
You seem strangely pale. Poor girI
rnn,. 1rirl I this Innn waiting has hea