The true northerner., 1883-06-01
Loss AND GAIN.
BY MRS. A. r. FERRIN.

Its of no use talking about it any
more, Percy. The necessity is laid upon
us, and all that is left for us to do is to
take up our separate duties and do
them bravely for the Masters sake. If
/ had remained free from other tie',
Heaven knows how willingly i would
have become your wife. But as it is"
90, Mercie, how can / ever give you
up? For two years it has been the one
absorbing dream of my life to call you
my own. And now, within few days
OF the consummatiOn of my hopes, to
have that dream so rudely broken.
After ALL Mercie, she was not your
mother. The ties you speak of are
more imaginary than real. Has she no
relatives or friends with whom you
could place the children until they
shall be old enough to take care of
themselves? ?"
Not that 1 know of, Percy. Her
parents are both dead and her sister,
too, think. She had one brother liv-
ing in the State of Illinois, from whom
she had several letters after her mar
riage with papa. But j have never
seen him. And besides all that, Susan
Browne was just as true q mother to
me as if l had been her own child. She
came into our home when / was a Wild
neglected, untutored girl, and what 1
am to-day, her love and kindness made
me. l shall try to be just as true a
mother to her children as she was to
me. / shall never give them into the
hands of strangers while l have health
and strength to take care of them"
Mercie Browne lad down her knitting
work, and, opening the oven door, took
out a couple of pies and set them on the
cleanly-scoured kitchen table, while the
firmly. drawn lines about her mouth,
and the decisive set-look in her eyes,
convinced her lover of the earnestness
OF her purpose.
"And this is your final decision,
Mercie?"
MY final decision" she answered.
Percy Harrington arose TO his feet,
with bitter, cynical laugh. Il had
hoped, Mercie, that you cared more for
me than for any one else. But I see
have been mistaken. OF course you do
not expect me to wait for you until these
youngsters are grown?"
NO, Percy, do not expect you to
wait for me. Here are all the presents
you have ever given me, all the letters
you have ever written to me. / shall
expect similar return on your part"
With low, mocking bow, Percy
Harrington passed out of the wide
kitchen door, while Mercie, unable
longer to restrain her feelings, fell upon
her knees by the lounge, and burying
her face in her hands, sobbed aloud.
But, what was done was done; and,
like the law Of the Medes and Persians,
unalterable.
Heaven help me to be patient and
true" she moaned in her distress.
Mercie Browns father had been dead
two years, and now the gentle step
mother had been laid by his side in the
quiet church yard, leaving three small
children to be cared for by somebody.
Mercie had ut once concluded that this
somebody" meant herself, and quietly
ignoring all other claims, had set reso-
lutely about the test.
The reader has already CLEANED that
she was the promised wife of Percy
Harrington. But, while that gentleman
felt perfectly willing, nay, anxious to
assume the responsibility of Mercies
maintenance, he did not, as he said, feel
called upon to take upon him the
care OF her step-mother's children. Mer-
Gle reasoned that they were her fathers
children also, and, as such, entitled to
her services. The consequence, as al
ready seen was rupture of their en-
gagement. Six months later Percy
married Elsie Hawkins, a gentle, fair
faced girl, and moved away into an ad-
joining county.
While David Browne lived, he had
found his small estate, by careful man
agement quite sufficient to support his
family comfortably. But since his
death, debts had accumulated, and
Mercie found that when the estate was
sold, and these debts paid, there would
be but comparatiyely-small amount
left for the support of the children.
This she must invest as judiciously and
economically as possible, and for the
rest she must depend upon her own
labor.
Being q neat and rapid writer,
she, with the aid of few influential
friends, at length obtained situation
as copyist in respectable law-ofice in
q neighboring city. As the pay was
good and the children old enough TO be
LETT alone during the day, she thought