The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-12-11

afford
''She'll ruin him next" was the COM
ment in her mind, not knowing that the
stepmother had an income of her own
nearly equal to her husbands.
One day Margie saw workmen in the
parlor, and soon after a new place APP
peared with a bright wood fire. When
the old-fashioned carpet that had tried her
soul was taken up to be cleaned, it returned
no more, but modern wool carpet was
laid down. and rugs were scattered around
Thus all over the house. in every room. inn
proyements went gradually on. Every
one was in good taste. and would have been
delightful to Margie, if she had not resell
utely steeled her heart to good influences
One day on coming home from one of her
long visits TO her friend Molly, she found
that her room-which until now had been
untouched-had received visit \ rickety
old rocking-chair, too old to be safe, had
been removed, and pretty new one. de
lightfully easy and comfortable, occupied
its place. -
Her first sudden emotion was pleasure,
but she remembered that unlucky word
manage and anger quickly followed
This is the way she begins her man
aging, was the thought, and she flung
open the door, dragged the new chair out
and called to the housemaid who happened
to be passing
Mary, this is not mine; when | wish
my furniture changed will tell you. I'll
trouble you to return my chair'-and she
closed her door. The old chair was brought
down from the attic, and no more attempts
were made to improve her room.
Not long after this began some strange
experiences in Margie's life. The first
thing that happened was what she had
wished for all her lifea regular allowance
for her own expenses. Heretofore when
she wanted money, she had been obliged
to ask her father for what she needed. and
tell him how much would do. and what she
should use it for. Sometimes he had de-
INJURED and thought her wishes extraya-
CANT, and it had been a trouble to her.
Since the step-mother arrived this matter
had been harder than ever to arrange,
since the old pleasant relations with her
father were all over, and she had gone
without everything that was possible, even
suffering for clothes before asking. This
state of things she unreasonably added to
the account against her step-mother, and
was embttered accordingly.
Nothing could depict her surprise, there
fore, when one morning she received by
mail check for larger amount than she
had ever possessed at once. with short
business-like announcement that she should
receive in future like check quarterly for
her own expenses.
Margie never had pleasanter Grand
than that afternoon, when she went to the
bank and received her money, and from
there hurried to Molly's to tell the good
news, and secure her company in a long
wished-for shopping excursion.
She returned home almost happy, but
the sight of the smiling face of her step
mother turned the current of her feelings
into the old channel and she sat down to
dinner as gloomy as ever
She tried to thank her father that even
ing, but failing to catch him alone, wrote
him note Of thanks the next morning.
From this time many pleasant things
came to her. Speaking one day of de
lightful journey her friend Molly was soon
to take with her mother, and how she
should like to go, the next day she re-
ceived check. with full permission to join
the party.
On her return in the autumn she received
in the same way, tickets to certain musical
entertainments she had always longed for.
When her friends began to make up classes
of different sorts for the winter, she re-
ceived tickets for each. Nothing was for
gotten. new piano appeared for her
Christmas present, and on her birthday a
generous check with which she was re-
quested to refunish her own room. a thing
she had long desired to do.
So it went oil, and if she had not so
steeled herself against her step-mother, she
could almost have loved her for being the
eause-though remote-of these changes
in her life. She never had so many sources
of happiness, never was so easy about
money and dress.
When this had been going on for some
time, she began to receive letters which
professed to be from an old-fashioned
friend, who wished to be of use to her
mothers daughter. and signed herself
''Your Fairy Godmother.
These letters were written with the hap
piest tact They began entirely on intel
ectual subjects, to lead her thoughts, to
direct her reading; and while not alarming
her pride or arousing sensitiveness, and
never speaking Of any person, they grad
ually led her to see many things i'll differ
ent light, broadened and deepened her
character, and by guiding her reading and
studies in music and art made great changes
in her.
Margie delighted in them. She was
keenly DESTROYS of the best culture, and she
saw in them exactly what she felt the
need Of, the advice and help Of cultured
and refined woman; one TO take the place
of mother.