The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-12-25
a MAtaICIAN'S WAND.

shrill accents of dismay. s'Marry Bess
Harding. Why Joshua, you amt never
IN earnest, be you2''
Joshua Morwatt's broad, good-humor-
ed face frightened into smile.
"Well, / rather think an, :" said he.
AT any rate am engaged TO her, and
we have set the day for the Both of May.
"Without asking me2"
You are not one Of the contracting
parties," laughingly retorted joshua
"But seriously, mother dear, it was
only definitely settled last night, and I
was coming to tell you when you met
me half way, with the milk pail in you
hand"
Mrs. Morwatt screwed up her lips
like u button; her little eyes sparkled
like electric fire.
''She shall never come into this
housel" said She yenomously.
''Nother, DON'T" pleaded Joshua,
with o panied look in his honest face.
"Remember when you and father were
young"
but your father had a little common
sense sharply retorted Mrs. Morwatt,
land was hard working farmers
daughter-not one Of your dancing
frolicking gypsies who spend their whole
time in candy pulls and apron parties,
and all tnat sort of nonsense"
"And you will find, mother" urged
the young man, "that Bess will be just
US good wife as you were."
"Pshaw!" was Mrs. Morwatt's curt
rejoinder. "When you know perfectly
we'll that 1t was the dearest wish of my
heart to see you married to your cousin,
Nancy Simpson,"
Joshua Simpson shook his head.
"Nancy never would suit me-" he
said. ''She is one Of these cold, serpent
like women that go gliding about like
the ghost in the play. And I'm not
vain enough to suppose that 1 correspond
wit her ideas any more than she does
with mine.''
"Well," said Mrs. Morwatt, severely,
''you've made you bed and you must lie
OH It, Joshua. That's all I've got to
say on the subject.''
But you will come and zee her.
mother?"
mo, won'tl"
"You will welcome her to Il daughters
place IN your heart? Fcr my sake,
mother!' vehemently pleaded Joshua.
"For nobody's sake" said Mrs. Nor
watt. II don't ike Bess Harding, and
I never liked her! And if you marry
her, you deliberately separate yourself
from all your home associationst'
Joshua Morwatt turned away, deeply
panied and stung to the very heart.
"lt must be as you say, mother" said
he but If there is an estrangement it
shall be neither Bess' fault nor mine"
Mrs MOrWatt kept her word, She
never looked upon Bess Harding,
although the girl, deeply wounded at
the idea of thus being shut out from the
heart of Joshua's mother, came more
Than once to beg admittance to the house.
She sent no message Of affection, no
bridal gift-she would not even lead the
grace of her presence to the simple
wedding. "They shall see what it
means to offend moi" said she, with a
quiet vindictiyeness But pretty Bess,
u girl of twenty, with soft, gazelle-like
brown eyes, curly hair, and a genuine
''sun rise pink" complexion, was
innocontly happy In the little farm.
house which Joshua hired, where she
played housekeeping, with her china
which had once been her mothers,
gathered roses for vases, and cooked all
hi"nnor Of delicious dishes for her
husbands DELEGATION.
But hard times came, skeleton like
and ghostly, rs they came to all. The
succeeding summer was unusually dry.
Crops were parched and shriyeled in the
ground. Tho cows ceased to give rich
streams milk; the bees could find no
wild flowers to suck honey from. And,
to crown all, Joshua fell from beam in
the second story of the barn and broke
his leg.
"Send for my mother" said he, with
white lips which betokened his SUPPRESS
ed agony. "You are lot strong enough.
Bess, to endure this yourself"
Mrs. Morwatt, however, refused to
come.'
MY son married to suit himself"
she said "now let his fine lady wife
nurse him up"
Yet all tho while her heart yearned
'of ons lcok at her sons face, one
sound OF his voice. If it had not been
1or Bess-if only it had not been for
Bess--how gladly would she have
hastened to his side!
And now ensued real trouble. The
niue money which the young couple
naa saved was soon scattered. Every
tnlng went at loose ends and Bess