Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-09-03

emily upon on the looms, and every
one seemed aware of a stern task
masters gaze. But Mr.. Wilkinson
obeyed the mute petition expressed
in the looks of his ward, and led
Nellie out into the wide passage
again, to another work room.
1t were too tedious task to follow
every step of these two as they pass
ed from room to room, everywhere
meeting some assurance of Mr.. Wilk-
inson's own hold upon the hearts of
the 'shands," and their terror of Cy-
ril Ormsby's harshness.
Out again among the squalid homes
where her guardian had no control,
but bestowed his kindly charity with
out ostentation and here, more elo-
qpently than ever, Nellie heard how
cruel mockery were the schemes of
charity and philanthropy that had
been poured into her ear. 1t needed
no word spoken from her guardian to
tell her that the noble words uttered
to win her were but those of hypocri-
sy, which knew how it could best
plead its cause, with her.
One and another turning to Mr..
Wilkinson as to friend, unaware of
the torture of their words to the lady
beside him, told of the cruel ~eXac-
tions of work in sickness or trouble,
of closest calculations of time, of
small wages and heavy rents.
''If we won't live and pay, we get
no work IN the factories" said one,
when asked why he did not seek a
more healthy quarter.
81 am doing overtime to pay fo1
my child's funeral,' one said, ''for
lost the wages for three days I stay
ed by to see her die, and to bury
her."
"I'm uneasy about the rent" an
other said, "for l lost week by a
fall upon the ice, and it's hard max
ing it up again.
Not one word of sympathy, of help
in trouble or sickness. The ''hands''
under Cyril Ormsby were simply
human machines to do so much work
sick OF well, or pay the price of hour
or day of idleness, no matter how
necessary.
There was no word spoken as Mr..
Wilkinson and Nellie walked to the
office again. Once there, the old
gentleman spoke very gravely. GAS
your guardian, Nellie, I can speak
to you no word against Cyril Ormsby.
He is rich man, of good social po-
sition, of irreproachable moral rep
utation, and a man whose standing
in business circles is the highest. A
man who is a good match in every
worldly sense. So much for your
guardian. AS your friend, my pearl,
who loves you as your own dead faith
er might have loved you, who knows
every noble impulse of your pure
soul-as that friend, tell you l
would rather see you lying beside
your mother than the broken-hearted
wife of such man as Cyril Ormsby."
81 came to you as friend, as al
most father" said Nellie, ''and 1
thank you for keeping me from a
lifelong misery. To know my hus-
band such man as / now know Cy-
ril Ormsby to be, would, as you say,
break my heart
81 would not tel you," SAID her
guardian, ''for you knew disliked
him, and might have thought that
dislike prejudiced me. But, Nellie,
tell me that you will not let this days
work shade your life. You did not
love Cyril, Nellie?"
"No, l reverenced what l believed
a noble, generous nature. That rev.
erence a mockery, [ shall never
break my heart for man l thorough
ly despise, Uncle Mare
And so it happened that Cyril
Ormsby, coming to claim the fortune
he believed TO be within his grasp,
meet only Mr.. Wilkinson, with Mel
lies polite but distinct refusal to re-
sign herself or her fortune to his
keeping.
But he never knew how Nellie
learned the true value of his hollow
words of charity and philanthropy.
Lake George has had five distinct