The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-09-18
2G, PA. FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER IS. 1885.


child might not suffer by being testified
in more complete and gracious form.
But he was so little at home-and no
wonder; for the miserably dull. seclud-
ed and painfully-economical way in
which they lived could have little
charms for a man of fashion and talent.
or at least the remains of such, which
he evidently was. And so agreeable
as he could be! His conversation at
meals-the only time l ever saw him
was a positive relief from the dull
blank, broken only by the girls squab-
bles and their mothers faint remons-
frances and complaints. But wheney-
er, bydint of great courage, I contrived
to bring Zillah's name on the tapis. he
always so adrOltly crept ont of the sub
ject, without pOintedly changing it
that afteTWard | used to wonder how /
had contrived to forget my purpose,
and leave matters as they were.
The next scheme | tried was one
which, in many family jars and family
bitteInesses among which my calling
has placed me, have found to answer
amazingly well. 1t is my maxim that
''a wrong is seldom one-sided wrong:''
and when yOu cannot amend one party
the next best thing is to try the other
Likewise. | always had doctrine that
it is only those who have the instinct
and the sins of servitude who will re-
main hopelessly oppressed. l deter
mined to try if there was anything in
Zillah's mind or disposition that could
be awakened, so as to render her worthy
of higher position than that she had
held. And as my firm belief is. that
everything and everybody IN time rise
or sink to their own proper level, so
felt convinced that if there were any
natural superiority in Zillah. all the
tyranny in the world would not keep
her the pitiable Cinderella of such ordf-
nary people as the LIE Peers.
/ began my system by teaching her.
not in public, where she was exposed to
the silent but not less apparent con-
tempt of her cousins, but at night in
my own room after all the house had
retired. | made this hour as little like
lessons as possible, by letting her sit
and work with me, or brush my hair,
instructing her orally the while. As
much rs her reserve permitted, | lured
her into conversation on every indiffer-
ent subject. All | wanted was to get
at the girls heart.
One day | was lectming her in Qui-
ct way on tie subject concerning which
she was the first young woman that
needed lecturIng- care over her person
al appearance. She certainly was the
most slOvenly girl | ever saw. Poor
thIngl she had many excuses: for,
though the whole family dressed shah
billy. and wOrse-taWdrilv her clothes
We're tie meancSt of all. Still. nothing
but positive rags can excuse woman
for -neglectiHg Wumanly uaatness. I
often urged GSSpUr!EGly upon Door Zil-
lah that the COarsest frOck was no apol-
ogy for untidy hair; that the most un-
pleasant work did not exclude the pos
sibility Of making face and hands clean
after it was over.
Look at yours, my dear said /
once, taking the reluctant fingers and
II IN 10 m on min II
saw what L have often noticed in the
HindOO race, how delicate was the
shape of her hands, even despite her
hard servant S work. told her so; for
in creature so crushed there was little
fear of exciting vanity, and | made n
point to praise her every good quality,
personal or mental
Zillah looked pleased. My hands
are like my mothers, who was very
handsome, and a PaTsee."
DO you remember her?"
a little, not much; and chiefly her
hands which were covered with rings
One n great diamond. was worth. She
told me, ever so many hundred rupees.
1t was lost once and my mother cried.
l saw it a good while after on my faith
er' s finger when he was dying cOntin-
ued she careleSsly; and afterward add
ed mysteriOusly, Il think he stole it."
FLUSH, child, hush, 1t is wrong to
speak so Of a dead father" cried 1,
much shocked. r
rs it? Well, III not do it if it vexes
you. Miss Pryor
This seemed her only consciousness
of right and wrOng-pleasing or dis
pleasing me. 1t argued well for her
being guided by the affections. / asked
her again about her father: somehow.
with a feminine prejudice. natural
though scarcely right, 1 felt a delicacy
in mentioning the mother. But she
was the only parent Of whom Zillah
would speak. Il hardly know" Il
can't remember" II don't care"
were all the answers my questions
won.
"You saw your father when he was
dying?" 1 persisted. "What did he say
to you?n
L don { remember, except that | was
like my mother. All the rest was mere
swearing, as uncle swears at me
now. But uncle did not do it then"
so Mr.. lie Poer was present.
Y es; and the ugly, Notwithstanding
man they said was my father, talked to
him in whispers. and uncle took me on
his knee and called me My dear He
never did so afterYard.
asked her one more questionable
long was this agO?" and she said, ''Sey-
eral years; she did not recollect how
many"
l talked to her no more that night,
but bade her. 90 to rest. In fact my
mind was so fun of her that was glad
to get her visible self ont of the way.
She went, iazily and stupidity as ever.
Only at. the door she passed ~ on
won't tell what I've been saying. Miss
Pryor?-I ou'n not mentiC3 nj .anther
before them? L did once, aaG they
laughed and made game of her,
uncle and all. They did-they=" She
stopped, literally foaming at the mouth
with rage.
Come in again; do, my poor child, -
SAID !, gently approaching. But she
shut the door hTuriedly, and ran down.
stairs to the kitchen, where she slept
with her dire enemy, yet sole compan-
ion, the seTvant-maid ...
Dix months after coming to the Le-
Poers' began heartily to wish for some
OF my salary; not that I had any doubt
of 1t-Mr.- Sutherland had said it was
safe and stIre-butI wanted some re-
plenishment of my wardrobe, and be-
sides 1T was near my mothers birth
day, when L always took care she had
some nice useful gift. 1t quite puzzled
me TO think what little luxury she
wanted, for she wrote me word Mr.
Sutherland brought her SO many. He
was just like son to her." she said,
All mel
One day. when disconsolately exam
lining my last pair of bOOts-the wee
boots, that for a foolish reason / had,
were one of my few feminine vanities
I took courage to go downstairs and
ask Mr.. lie Poer IF he could make it
convenient" &c, &c.
''NIy dear Miss Pryor, " said he, with
most gentlemanly enlpreSseDlel1t, ''if i
had thought-indeed you should haveI
asked me before. Let me see, you have
been here SIX months, and our stipulat-
ed sum was"
thought he hesitated on account of