The Penn's Grove record., 1884-12-20
The wIFE's SISTER.

~ Deceased WIfe's Sister Bill
hs5 Egain failed TO pass the House of
Lords"
/ was holding the evening newspaper
ia my hand, glaIcing over it heedlessly,
when my eye caught these words. L
read them indifferently, and then let
the newspaper fall, never thinking that
ere long the words would be impressed
iii letters Of fire on my brain.
i had not been long enough married
to have become accustomed to evenings
without Hugh, though l was often
obliged to spare him as best L could.
Life and all its delights for me centred
ia him. l had seemed a different wo-
man since he had married me Circum-
stances had been all against nae once,
shaping me to their cruel pleasure, but
that seemed long ago now. | believed
the finty spirit within me had died
when he married me. Such softening
powers have unexpected blessings, and
It certainly had been unexpected that
/, rather than n OF twenty falreI,
sweeter girls, had been chosen by Hugh
Deverel. s
/ had been a shy soul always, self
contained, silent, never able to tell
him how dear he wa to nee but per-
haps my love was all the deeper because
of that very r%eticence.
He was not a hero perhaps to any one
but me-tG me he vas all the world.
Why, / had been jealous of my baby
even at its birth, lest it should come be-
tween us and take me away from him,
till | had learned that it must always
be second to both of usl
Hugh was a mill-owner, and a rising
man. "What could keep him down p
/ thought proudly, as | sat that night
and waited for him. 1t was Saturday
night, and he would be later than usual,
| knew, a he had the hands to pay.
Sitting up wa tedious work. l had
often to possess my soul in patience.
His mill was In Manchester; we lived
In the pretty suburb of Ringsend and
/ could scarcely expect him home IN less
than three hours.
The house was very still upstairs
baby was asleep, outside January snow
was falling lakily, deadening the sound
of passing vehicles, enwrapping Ring
send in a shroud.
/ pushed the newspaper from me lm-
patiently-what was any Act of Parlia-
ment to me ?-and, folding my hands,
| resumed my waiting for Hugh.
A ring at the door-bell which echoed
through the house startled me. The
door was opened, a familiar footstep
sounded through the tiled hall, and, sit
ting up, l rubbed my eyes; it was Hugh
who stood under the gas-light. | re-
member yet the wet CLEAN OF his hair,
and how the snow-hakes fiuttered to
the ground as he shook his %overcoat.
Il left Prescott to pay the men. l
hope you are not sorry to see me a
d few hours earlier, little woman ?" he
said. STOPPING to kiss me.
| was five feet six, but by the side of
six feet two l was diminutive enough.
81 am so glad ; l feared something
was wrong when you were gone"
Nothing %new-only | am always
glad to leave that old mill now /; since
It has been paying 50 badly l have
ceased to love itn-with a laugh.
"And business is no better ?"
ooh, Do-rather worse. L should say;
America has ruined US. ana you know
our mill was not a leader at any time.
| should not wonder if we had to lessen
our expenditure. Could you be con-
tent to wear a year-old bonnet and go
into a smaller house, Helen ?"
| looked at him and smiled in an
swer. / could have been happy in a
dungeon with hin-and dress had never
been one of my weaknesses but it
was my self-contained way not to tell
him 80, and | thought he understood.
"Oh, by-the-bye, l have a letter for
you ?" he said, feeling in all his peck
cts at came to my office" He ex-
tracted it ut last, and threw it into my
lap.
Foreign stamps, foreign postmarks,
black edge. l looked at it before open
ing it, and read it through before !
handed 1t to him.
1t was from my sister Katherine, Mrs.
Bashforth, whom l had not seen since
we we're children. Her husband, Cap
tain Bashforth, had lust died in India,
and she was coming home, for he for
eign soil which hid his dear remains
had grown hateful to her, she said, and
she begged me to have a corner in my
heart ready to receive a mourne who
had no friend left but me-.
f"Of course she must come to u.s."
AluSh NOSAANN"
'Do you think SOP" / said doubtfully.
l felt no desire for a third person In our
household.
"Oh, yes, deari She Is young and
friendless and alone the least we can
do is to ask her here"
So my sister Katherine came to live
with us, in answer to our invitation.
Though older than |, she looked much
younger, having that fragile, appealing
beauty that does not fade till 1t vanishes
altogether /; yet. in spite of her beauty
and her widows cap, l did not-hgura-
~tively-take her to my heart.
"Are you glad to see meP" she asked,
holding both my hands, and looking up
at me with limpid eyes of the color OF
forget me-nots.
II am" L answered briefly, feeling
stern and awkward beside her; then.
thinking this was but scant welcome, l
added, "But / am not gushing"
s'Then you think / amp Is 'gush' a
bad thing that You have none 7" she