The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-03

her benumbed spirit; they can scarcely, ehe
thinks drearily, even add to her pain.
Mr.. Chandler is a man Of great-he cails
it frmness, strength OF character. whist
say, stand byI" is q favorite remark OF
his. Returning at night from business,
some weeks later, he lays an opened letter
in his wifs's lap. She takes it in tremen-
dous haste and reads:
sDEAR MorHER:-I know Fred and |
have done wrong, but can't you forgive usf
l am Just dying with homesickntss. o, |
mother 1 can hardly keep myself from
starting out, on foot and alone for the Gear
old home, but don't know what father
would say. We have rented q room and
Fred has been trying to find work. think
we shall not stay here much longer; Fred
money is almost gone, and be will be Obliged
to go where he can earn more. A man here
offered him thirty dollars a month to take
care Ct his horse and garden, but Of course
Fred would not do such hard, dirty work as
that. And he wants to earn higher wages.
wish father could give him some employ.
ment. Dear mother, won't you please coax
him7 don't know what we shall do ii
Fred does not find work pretty soon. l
wish could see Artie.
Your adeetionate daughter,
JENNIE"
As Mrs. Chandler lifts her eyes, ts- husband
smiles-if that can be called smile which
holds neither mir,h nor ienderness-a SIM
pie conlortion Of the mouth bringing out
every hard and unyielding line which life
has traced upon the countenance of man
who prides himself on being "set in his
way" And his wife utters no word of en-
treaty. 1t is twenty-five years now, since
she learned the meaning OF that smile.
you need need not WRITE he says to her
tie next day. al will say all that is neces-
sary"
"Need not" means that he viii be bitterly
sngry if she does so; and Mrs. Chandler,
who is no longer the active, energetic being
| of past YEAR,, but wan-fsce woman with
fast-whitening hair, creeping about her
household tasks in tired, splIitless way,
Obeys.
|
Last year woman died at q hospital in
one of our Western cities. Her years
might have numbered twenty five, and her
worn, old. young face was not devoid OF
certain delicate beauty. A city daily made
mention of her death sft,r this manner;
"a SAD HISTORY"
"Your reporter made his way
Yesterday morning to st. Andrews
Hospital, for the purpose OF inter.
viewing the unfortunate young woman, o.
whose story some short mention was made
in yesterdays Trumpet She was lying al
most at the point Of death, but rational and
able to answer questions satisfactorily F,
though she at first showed some reluctance
10 talk OF her past history. But after reply
ing to q few questions this aversion gave
| WEy; the instructive desire Of the human
heart for sympathy, combined with the
weakness of approaching death, led her to
talk freely, though 1eebly, of her sorrOwfu'
past. She came TO this city about two
months ago; is twenty-four years old. Ii
appears that she made a runaway match al
sixteen with worthless boy, three or four
wears her senior. Her father, whose name
she refused to give, as well as her own and
that of her husband, disowned her in con.
sequence of her rash act. Twice she wrote
asking forgiveness and begging to be al
lowed TO return home,-once few weeks
after marriage, and again two years later,
when her husband left her for two weeks
alone and penniless just alter the birth of q
babe, but was, on both occasions, hardly
repealed by her inhuman father. A year
or two after this her husband lett her, go
ing, she thinks, to the far West, with gam
bling associates; and since then she has
heard nothing from him. Her child sick
ened in the foul atmosphere to which she
was driven in her restitution. "He was all
had, !" she said, land could not let him go
IL found place to work in q cheap eating
house, and had o leave my boy all day
He could creep sId used to tie him 10 the
etove.leg-it was in the Summer. After
. while he got so weak that would lay him
on the straw and be would stay there all day
Every lime 1 went homo 1 thought
should fnd him dead One of the regular
customers Of the restaurant offered Just then
to take care OF me and my baby. He was
8 married man, but l did not know it then
He took US TO another town. where passed
as his wife. But my baby died only q week
after l went to live with him, and / felt
that had given all and gained nothing.
hated him and after year or two he left
me. But there was something good about
him. He worked at the carpenters trade
, all of the time We lived together. and when
he went away, he left fifty dollars in my
, pocket and a note, saying that he would
have stood by me as long as we lived, if
had been good to him. Just after he went
away heard somehow, and think 1t was
true, that my father was dead and my moth
er was searching for me, but it was too late
then would have thrown myself into the
river sooner that to 60 back sol Well, since
then / have sewed some and starved more
tried Homework because i coughed sc
hard when sewed long, but l wssnr
strong enough, and then didn't know how
very well besides. The last year / cam
tell anything about. am glad the end hal
come at last wish had died when
was little baby
At the time your reporter left her bed
side she showed symptoms of the rapid ap
proach of the "King OF Terrors"
We learn that the unfortunate woman
Q died at $50 p. m. Nothing about hel
: gave any clue to her identity, though 9
small handkerchief tied about her mech
5 bore the embroidered name, Jennie"
So blaek-robed Sisters of Mercy prepare
for burial ell that is mortal of Jenni,
, Chandler while in distant home an ole
2 woman-older in heart than in years
l watches forever for ono who shall come nc
! more.
, She takes Kste's little girl on her knee
stroking her hair with trembling, toll mis-
shapen hands.
"Mother, you'll spoil that child" SAYS
! Kate. busting about her work in anxious
haste.