Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-09-28

time opened small school in village
a few miles from her cid home.
Fortune smiled upon Wilfred, or
rather by his own industry, energy and
application, he conquered the tickle
dame, and rose in his station. From
one clerkship to another he advanced
steadily, and by close economy ia his
private expenditure, saved gradually,
until at last he was able to 60 into
business for himself. in modest way,
but still prosperously.
Then he married. OF his wife Har-
riet heard but little, save that she was
beautiful and winning, and had ten
thousand dollars. From the day when
first he felt independent of work, Will
fred had urged his sister to leave her
school and come to him, but she pre-
ferred her independence, and steadily
refused all invitations until about a
year after his marriage her brother was
seized with a dangerous illness, and
his wife wrote, imploring Harriet to
come to her aid.
1t was soon evident to the sister that
her presence In her brothers house
would be great comfort, if not ne-
cessity, and she yielded to the entreaties
poured out upon her, gave uph her school,
and remained in b.
Maude FarqHar was beauty and a
belle. Her childlike, winning manners,
and clinging, affectionate disposition,
made her very sunbeam, and the idol
of her husbands heart, but she was
idle, too, as the sunbeam to which L
have compared her. The petted dar-
ling of wealthy parents. she had never
known care in her life. A favorite
in society. her husbands indulgence al
lowed all her gay desires full scope, aud
her home became mere sleeping and
clearinghouse, where the servants
ruled, and the mistress was a sort of
transient inhabitant.
Into this confused household Hattie
came with her quiet, orderly habits, and
it was not long before the whole house
keeping cares glided into her hands.
Maude was only too glad to be relieved
of such drudgery, and gradually, nur
sery as well as household duties became
Hattie's charge, while the mistress led
the life of careless, fashionable belle.
Upon her marriage Maude Farquar
had placed the whole of her patrimony
in the purchase of handsome house,
which Wilfred had settled upon herself.
OF course the young husbands first
outlay of furniture was heavy one,
and he soon found that il would tax his
every resource to support his wife's ex-
travagance in dress, jewels, and the
thousand expenses Of belle. Weakly
fond of her, looking upon her as a mere
child, he said no word of caution or
warning until his affairs became so
embarrassed that ruin stared him in the
face. Then, too late, he made few
faint remonstrances that fell upon idle,
needless ears.
Softly, like blessing, Hattie's hand
fell upon her brothers bowed head as
he sat before the fire musing of the
past, and the dark future.
'Wilfred, are you ill?'
He looked moment into the kindly
face, and said
| Hattie, am almost ruinedY
4 feared So she said gently, taking
a seat by his side; this wasteful ex-
travagancep
Il have been wrong he answered,
not to trust more 10 Maude. She has
been always petted playthiDg, and
now he gave low moan of pain,
thinking of denying his darling and
Joy. Now she must learn to bear
what many another as gay and careless
has borne before her time
The house is hers, and the furni-
ture, so she will not have to give those
up, though how all this style can be
kept up
1T cannot Oh, Wilfred, do not fail
again into the same error. Let Maude
know all, or she will but go on in the
same path. Tell her frankly that you
cannot afford this lavish expenditure.
There is tender, true heart under all
this careless gayety. Give it chance
to work
Tell Maude all T he unused, and
then there fell long silence. The
sweep of silken skirt rushed across
the hall, and he said suddenly, Hattie,
how can L tell Maude that her extrav-
agance has begared me?'
A low cry of pain caused brother
and sister to look up. Standing in the
door, in all the glitter and beauty OF
her rich dress, but with face pale as
ashes, Maude Farqrar stood stunned by
her husbands words.
For an instant no one spoke. Then
with quick. impulsive movement, all
her own, the young wife sped across
the room, to kneel with uplifted face
at her husbands feet. 1t was a favor.
lite attitude with her when she wanted
petting, but now as she crossed her
hands upon his knee, and raised her
white face, there was no thought OF
childish coaxing in her mind. The
sting of his words had gone straight as
an arrow to rouse the woman in hen
heart.
'Wilfred,' she said, her stiff, pallid
lips almost refusing to form the word
: Did you say had beggdred youp
No, darling, mol my own folly! my
own blindness, that would not trust
| your lovat Mauda darlipU vou orr