Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-11-19

-At taar ume We were IhlrIy prosperous
and there wns much 10 divert my mind /
was taught to sing and dance and 10 make
myself attractive. At fourteen i went on
the stage Til then my father had main
tained good position, and l wanted for
and ] hadplenty OF friends, such as they were
s'Our life for the next seven years was full
Of change. Sometimes we had money,
sometimes we had mono. Sometimes had
twenty dresseS sometimes only one. All
that time / never entered a church, never
thought OF anything but gayety and the
present. Then bad days came. Ny father
had TO fly and hide himself.
''Living in concealment and solitude /
met a man who was struck by me, and loved
me. Oh, what time that wasl He seemed
to me all that heart could wish. He asked
me to marry him. warned him that I
was not tit for him He persisted, yielded.
I let my heart 60 Oh, let me not think of
that time any more It was too wild in its
daring dreams.
Then he deserted me. Some stories were
told, and he was weak, and be married an
other woman. My heart was broken. Then
my father-died, and had a dreadful ILL
ness. Then came to You. And then"
IAN the rest know, Vanity"
"Not all. Not the most deadly part. Mrs.
Neville, for weeks after was with you my
fixed resolution was, at all costs, to win that
mans heart back, 10 revenge myself on the
woman who had robbed me and blasted my
future. lived that wicked life over and
over In my thoughts, and then the smallpox
came. believed that my face was hopelessly
disfgured. And then, after planning suicide
twenty-fifty times in my frenzy and de-
spair, my heart was changed. Oh, how
good Sister Catherine wasl did repent-I
believe did heartily repent of my wicked
,aev Il bnxu dofoetohia L had hacorx,a
Ny old passionate self seemed to separate
from me and recede further and further,
and everv day despised that image more.
Not for oil tine world would l again be the
Vanity Hardware that l was little while
ago An infatuated, deluded, self-deluding
woman, reckless, wicked, all for love Of a
man whom pity now rather than care for,
since my eyes are opened about myself and
him. And then found that my fears had
no foundation. Ny face was uninjured.
Thank Goi, when discovered that, my res
olution did not waver. No; my desire for q
new life was more settled than ever"
Vanity stopped. Maud did not speak.
''Now, Mrs. Neville Vanity continued,
in somewhat stern tone, ''would you like
me for a sister-in-lawgp
s.I have told you,n Maud replied calmly.
Your franl1ness has not altered my mind. u
"Would your brother care for me If he
knew all thisP'
.'vanityi who could bear to tell all their
thoughtsi You conquered temptation" e
''But ought not your brother to know all
have now told your
''No,' Maud said slowly. II do not see
the necessity
$50 be it."
Vanity slipped from her ottoman, and
then crossing the room, she took Mrs.
Neville by the hand.
'There is no necessity for him to know.
Mrs. Neville, tell your brother he is good,
kind, amiable-I might have loved him
once. But my mind was made up some
time ago. I shall never love any man
Vanity"
lam not fit for good mans love.
know what an evil affection has made me
how near it led me to be what in my better
moments should hate. Twill love no mere.
Vanity, Vanity! you are unjust to your
SELF"
Il rave expelled love from my heart. 1t
betrayed my feelings once. It made me the
slave of low, unworthy desires Love shall
enter my heart no more"
"You are overdone-excited," said Maud
gently. 'sYou think harshly Of yourself
Time will soften these feelings"
On small bracket in corner OF the
room was set a statuette, a woman with
GOwncaSt lace ana streaming hair, gazhS
on a cross which she held in her dropping
hand. Vanity pointed to it.
'Strange that statue should be there.
have looked at it so often. 1t is the image
of my heart"
VANITY! 1t has been there for years"
Speak to it,n said Vanity. "Bid the
bosom rise and fall, and the cheeks glow,
and the eyes light up. Tell tho head to rise;
And when the marble obeys you. then bid
| me love again. For that stone is not SO dead
| to human love as l.