Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-01-17
gu Original Starg*
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
CELESTINE.
THE STORY OF A MISTAKE.
CHAPTER w.

Two wears passed, and then came hard,
hard winter-the hardest the people OF Sand
vile had ever known.
The crops had failed, and provisions were
scarce, and there was much privation in con,
sequence among the poorer class. Added
to this was the rigor of an unusally severe
season. Ice and snow lay on the ground for
weeks together, and the price of fuel was SO
high that many could notafford to keep fires.
Mr.. Warren's was missionary church.
Everybody who has ever lived in California,
knows that missionaries there have hard
time, if they have only their stipends to de-
pend upon for a support. Fortunately, Mr..
Warren had private income OF ms own
not large one-but enough for his needs,
and out of this he could always spare some"
thing for the wants of those poorer than
himself. -,
"Celestine," he said one day, 1--WE will
have to practice economy. for few months,
I am afraid, as the times are so hard, and it
is incumbent on me to do all [ can, for the
parish. You won't mind will you? 2?
"Mind! No, indeed, Silas. will gladly
help you, if you will only tell me how"
"Well, dear, in the first place we can re-
trench a little at table. We don't live very
luxuriously as it is, but still there is always
something we can do without -,
"Butter, for instances; which is very dear,
said Celestine, practically. -,
"But you like butter, particularly with
warm biscuit"
"Well, what of that? I can do without
it, all the same. Neither is warm biscuit
INDISPENSABLE to my comfort"
"You are good child; but [ hate to de-
|prive you of such small luxury" =:
''Nonsense, Silas. Come, let US see what
else there is really don't think it neces-
sary for us to eat meat every day"
hat (lr1nr M
strong when one has to work, you know"
sThat is true" agreed Celestine, making,
however, mental reservation on her own
account. II suppose we must have tea, on
Miss Latimer's account. She must have her
"Speaking of that" said Silas, lowering
his tone, II have been wondering whether
you could get on without Miss Latlmer,
Should she leave u.s."
"Why, does she think of leaving us:'
asked Celestine, in surprise.
"Not exactly; but have been thinking
the matter over for some time past. You
know, dear, the wages pay herare quite
little item in our expenses, and as her SER
vices are fully worth all she gets for them,
I should not like to offer her less. ills true,
she saves us hiring servant, and we should
have to get some kind OF help II she were
not here"
"I don't see that" interrupted Celestine.
"Why, of course we should do you
think would let you assume all the work?
Still, we would not have to pay SO much:
Mrs Mansfield told me, not long, ago, that
she would like to get some good, rellable
person to take care of her house and her
children, as she has to be out great deal,
and it occurred to me that Miss Latlmer
would just suit her."
u wonder how Miss Latimer would feel
about it," said Celestine, musingly.
''She is quite contented here, know, and
perhaps she would not like the change very
well. Still she has sense enough to under
stand why it would be necessary for us to
give her up. You think, then, we could
manage without her ?"
"Of course we could. understand house
keeping very we'll now"
'Then I must have talk with her. II
we can manage that arrangement 1T Will De
quite help to u.s."
"And another thing, Silas-you need not
trouble yourself about that cloak you were
going to buy for me; my old one will 40
perfectly well for this winter"
"My darling, are you quite, quite sure :"
said her husband looking wistfully at her.
"It is too bad to have to deny you such
thing as that"
Celestine laughed gaily. GAS if ! cared:
Why, the old one is quite respectable, and
am very much attached to it; and you have
often told me that was beautiful enough to
look we'll in anything"
$50 YOU are" said Sias, pressing most
lover-like kiss on the happy upturned face,
which was still wont to blush at his caress.
''But it won't do for people to say that the
minister makes his wife wear shabby
clothes"
ssIf they did say so, they would not be
oil bn there
something else we can think of in the way
of practical economy"
''Nothing at present, dearest. lmust see
Miss Latimer, and l will let you know the
result of the conference"
Slas left his wife with lightened heart,
though his anxiety were by no means en-
tirely removed. The truth was, they had
deeper root than he had cared to confess to
her. Owing to some mismanagement OF the
stock in which most Of his funds were in
vested, he ran the risk of losing his income,
at any rate for a time, and he did not clearly
see, in the event Of such misfortune, how
they were to get on even after cutting down
expenses. Still, the evil was not a certain
one, and might be averted and he was not
the man to ''borrow trouble" as the saying
is, by anticipating reverses which might
never come.
He found the housekeeper busy, as usual,
in her own department. and without cir
cumlocution entered upon the subject in
question.
Miss Latmer was not a person OF many
words she heard him through without in
terruption, and when he had concluded,
meditated awhile before making reply.
"You think, then, you don't really need
me any longer" she presently remarked IN
terrogatively.
'We should miss you greatly, of course
still, Mrs. Warren has learned good deal
about housekeeping, and would be able to
manage"
YES, pve taught her considerable-sh
was ignorant enough when she came here.
Still, I suppose she knows that if | wasn't
here, she'd have good deal less time at
her disposal, for parish work, and visiting
and all that"
"Certainly, that must be expected. l
would have a servant Of some Sort though
not an expensive one, to help her"
"NOt one of those nasty China boys, l
hope" said Miss Latimer whose anti-Chi-
nese proclivities were not weakened by the
lapse of time.
Mr.. Warren smiled. "We might find
young girl somewhere, l dare say, who
would be willing to learn. | shouldn't
care to have boy around"
"No indeed; sly, dirty things they are,
from what | hear, though some folks are
queer enough to like them. Smart, they'll!
tell you-yes, smart enough they are, I'll
allow, and up to every kind of trick. Well,
Mr.. Warren, what l was going to say was
this: that if your wife don't feel equal to
the work here, why I'd as lief stay along as
not, without any wages, just for the winter,