Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-21
AUNT MADELINE.

t-AAiihN ll'lt mug Il Il " NNdlN tEt III u IA
city of which We all know
The group had aplarcutiy been Discus
in the woman whose appearance ,'aIlrd
forth the exclamation followed tht
direction Of their looks and found amp't
warrant for the emphatic uttersnce which
! had overheard
The association of old age with uncom
mon womanly beauty in one person is
rare enough 10 excuse the curiosity that
impelled me TO learn this woman 5 his
tory. ! will not, therefore offer any
apology for what the reader. and possibly
the lad herself. may regard as an i'm
pertlucnCe Ii is fact that | did learn
the story of her life, stranger though | am
in the city that is her home IL is not q
thrilling tale There is in it not one es-
seutia ly dramatic incident Yet il moves
me /" deep emotion and stirs within me
lOftier admiration than the story OF
many life that genius has snstched out
Of the common for immortality
Aunt Madeline for so she is called by
those who love her would smile in mild
rcpruoi 4 any one were To say 20 her. gu
are beat tiful" so many years have come
and gone since she gave much thought
for herself Hers IS a two-fold beauty.
being made MP of those singular graces of
person which attracted the notice of the
group al church on that Sunday morning
and the higher graceS of a life that is con
Secrated 10 others without flourish or pre-
tense of self abnegatiOn
shall TirSt try 10 tell how she appeared
from my own point OF view. The nara
tive pr, per shall be in tine words of the
pastor, 10 whom | am bound for it. ss
nearly as ] can set them down
IL, tc toll nd fhn r-ri0 a.a.
full She walks like one accustomed 10
free e.crCise Her attire is undeniably
elegant The least practical observer of
such things may see at a glance that 1t
came from The hands OF fashionable
maker determine, therefore, that she
is not too poor 10 gratify her natural
woman tas'e for daintiness of dress Her
face quite la eS my powers of deScrip-
tiOn Ii is the face of 20 years That
have learned but when looking into il
one does not think of its wears. | can not
say that il conforms 10 any established
standard of beauty, having neither
pretty" chin nor the soulful
eyes" of which we hear so much
in verbal portraits of beautiful women
Nevertheless | am ready 10 sake my
Judgment on the general proposition that
il is one of the loyeliest faces that was
ever seen out of dreams The nose ]
must say is OF perfect mold the hair Is a
pure white mass arranged in a Grecisn
coil at the back parted in the middle and
a'ling in t'eeCy waves over the temples.
and covering the ears and forming a truly
artist frame for the never to br. forgotten
fac
She speaks to a young girl at her side,
and her smile dsCloSes q mouth full OF
81 .-l,ss. . Sa,aaa hsaC
not touched and whose perfect symmetry
is unbruken.
Her skin is clear and fresh-an elo
quent tribute 20 right living and sign Of
freedom from those yanitiCs Of women on
which the fortunes of nostrum makers
are built
One cannot doubt that she Is an old
woman. but her years are years of peace,
Of purity, Of sweet pety. OF wholesome
restraints | do not mar el that her face
is gloritied.
Aunt Madeline was one of two sisters. -
said nv friend. the pastor, in beginning
the recital which am TO reproduce. Her
father was politician and an honest
man He loved truth for its own sake.
and though he filled many offices he
died poor leaving his motherless
daughters nothing in the way Of fortune
except the modest home in which
they were born and reared Madeline
was - and Ethel her sister. Is when they
were Calle TO face the world A Eveli
hood must he made for both. and It was
Gear enough that only one of them could
undertake the dubious task The child
fthel assuredly was not uipped for IT,
Madeline alone must roll the heavy stone
up the hill
with what resolute courage snd sim
pie faith in herself she set to work. we
who have always known her best under.
stood. She made no feeble appeals for
help. 4 few of us gave her counsel from
time TO time when she asked II, bat that
was all She ceased 10 ask even so much
long wears ago and |. at least have many
times been proud TO be counseled by her;
for q wiser woman | never knew
After her fathers funeral expenses
were settled there may have been $50 IN
the house Madeline saw that immediate
action was imperati G. What should she
what could sbe-do 10 earn an incomes
Ii was not hard 10 answer the question.
In her happier and leisure girlhood she
had moderately de eloped faculty for
writing children's stories, some Of which
had found their way into print She re-
NOlNtA W llldhN SGllOus AGsA VI uGl BoN
ers in that direction. and in the course OF
a few weeks urged on by necessity. she
produced small volume of tales
4 publisher was found who under
took 10 put the volume forth
and paw Madeline a fair ROYALTY
The venture was moderately prosperous
Others followed and after ten years of
struggle the hard. worked author found
herself in possession of an income that
was more than sufficient for her own and
Ethel needs. 1t was about this time
that Ethel married Madeline was now
20 and unmarried. She still remains un-
married, and on that fact hinges the noble
devotion and the single heartedness of
this woman whose life has been a beauti-
ful and constant exemplifcation of faith
in the dear God whom she serves with
such unoStcntatious zeal
In the early DAYS of her struggle she
loved aud promised herself in marriage TO
.loe fertram lie loved Madeline. too.
In his way. and do not doubt meant to
make her happy Joe was in professional
life-had made a promising start and we
all thought he was destined TO take a
commanding place But good fellow
ship was his ruin When ! look back
upon il the swiftness of his descent appalls
me The con ivial habit. which at first
manifested itself in occasional nights OF
gayety. soon became unmanageab'e. His
business suffered from neglect The blear
look and biasphemous speech of the
drunkard sneaked into the place Of gallant
and high minded Joe Bertram-a~d he
must on,e have been all that TO have
awakened love in a heart of gold like
Madeine's To look at her placid face
now you would hardly believe there was
time when she would have accepted the
martyrdom of fire for Joe ertram sake
for her loves sake; but ! tell you that
lo.e was long the imperious and dOminat
ing passion of her life.