Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-02-10
A MOTHERS STORY.

A MOTHERS STORY.
Mother and 1 were sitting by the
fire on Christmas, night. Twenty
happy years we had spent together,
almost alone, for father died before !
knew him; and we had never been
rich, and were perhaps a little selfish,
for we loved each other So heartily
that we could scarcely spare time
from each other for the few of our
own class whom we came across, who
being better off than ourselves, and
holding themselves rather higher,
seldom seemed to need our help or
sympathy. We had plenty of poorer
neighbors whom we loved and who
loved us, but they in no way inter
ferred between us, or made the hap
piness we felt in being together less
complete.
1t was only in the last year that a
new, strong interest had come into
our lives, and this Harry brought;
and on New Years Day he and l
were to be married. From the first
moment he brought me home to
mother, having picked me up from
the muddy pavement, where 1 had
fallen bruised and helpless in the
midst of a crowd, she seemed to take
him into her heart, and never from
that day did she let one jealous feel
ing come betwe en- him and me. OF
course she was to live with us-even
Harry could not have made a home
for me without her-and the only
thing she ever did which for the
moment we thought hard was when,
week before, she had insisted on
Harry's going home in time for
Christmas.
go to your father and mother,
Harry, and leave Janet with me-" she
said. "You and she hope to be to-
gether all your lives; give us old
folks one more chance of feeling you
all our own"
And Harry, with a look at me to
see what 1 thought. had agreed.
So that Christmas evening mother
and I were all alone. There had
been something in mothers manner
all day which 1 could not under
stand. She appeared to have some
thing on her mind. She was loving
and tender to me-so tender that /
thought no one had ever mother
like mine, and yet sometimes when /
spoke to her she scarcely heard me.
But we had quiet, happy day-we
always were happy together-and
late in the evening mother sat down
in her rocking chair by the fire, and
said,-
"Come and sit here, Janet, on your
little stool, and put your head on my
knee. I have story to tell you to
night"
"a story, mother dear! Oh, that
is lovely-like being child againF'
''It is true story, Janet, of your
life and mine. l have never cared to
tell it to you before. but / am not
afraid now-my child and ] have
loved each other all these years-no,
I certainly have no reason to be
afraid"
"What could you be afraid of, dear
mother?"
You shall hear and judge" she
said. putting her hands on my head.
And then she began:
when I was young, younger than
you are, 1 was engaged to be married.
My home was very unhappy, and
when Andrew Western came and
asked me to marry him I was ready
to revere the ground he trod upon.
He had been coming backward and
forward to our house for some time
on business for my father, and be-
ieve that from the very first day he
saw my misery. We were-and to
my remembrance always had BEEN
poor, but if I had been boy my ia.
ther would have possessed thousands
a year. / never wondered that he
hated me, that my mother mourned
and fretted from morning till night
they had brought me up to fee
guilty of crime, and I did feel it in
my inmost heart.
ut was no marvel that, when An
drew asked me to marry him, l looked
upon him as an angel of deliverance
I loved him with an intensity which
amazed and frightened him. 1t was
in vain he tried to make me sober
and reasonable. It was in vain he
told me that such worship was wrong
and foolish; that it gave him no hap
piness, while to me it must bring dis
appointment. / could not listen, and
at last / wearied him. He said little
about it after while, but he went
away, and once more my life was
desOlate.
"He said he would come back, but
he never did. He wrote to me often
kind, tender letters, but they chilled
my heart, and then one day he wrote
to tell me that it must all be over be
tween u.s. He told me how he had
striven to hold fast by his old love
for me, but he could not; the mere
effort panied him. the thought of my
passionate devotion filed him with
dread. He could never endure such
love, he could never endure to have
it lavished upon him; once for all he
would give it a death blow; when his
letter reach I'D me he should be mar
ried.
"Ihad another lover, then. Janet
and almost hated him, but before
many weeks were over I became his
wife. He loved me always. but VIZ
quarrelled. I could not pretend te
love him, and he grew reckless; oul