Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-12-20
A Mothers Xmas Day.

happy years had we spent together,
almost alone, for father died before
I knew him, and we had never been
rich, and were perhaps little selfish,
for we loved each other so heartily
that we could scarcely spare time
from each other for the few of our
own class whom we came across,
who being better off than our
selves, and holding themselves
rather higher, seldom seemed to
need our help or sympathy.
We had plenty of poorer neighbors
whom we loved and who loved US,
but they in no way interfered between
us or made the happiness we felt in.
being together less complete. 1t was
only in the last year that new strong
interest had come into our lives, and
this Harry brought; and on New
Years day he and l were to be mar
ried. From the first moment when
he brought me home to mother, hav-
ing picked me up from the muddy
pavement, where 1 had fallen bruised
and helpless in the midst of a crowd,
she seemed to take him into her heart,
and never from that moment did she
let one jealous feeling come between
her and me. Of course, she was to
live with US; even Harry could not
have made a home for me without
her, and the only thing she ever did
which for the moment we thought
hard, was when, a week before, she
had insisted on Harry's going home
for Christmas. $50 to your father
and mother, Harry, and leave Janet
with me-" she said. "You and she
hope to be together all your lives ;
give us old folks one more chance of
feeling you all our own" And Har-
ry, with a look at me, to see what |
thought, had agreed.
So that Christmas evening mother
and | we've alone. There had been
something in mothers manner all
day that | did not understand. She
seemed to have something on heI
mind. She was loving and tender
to me, so tender that l thought that
no one had ever had a mother like
mine, and yet sometimes when
spoke to her, she scarcely heard me.
But we had quiet, happy day-we
always were happy together-and
late in the evening mother sat down
in her chair by the fire and said:
"Come and sit here, Janet, or
your little stool, and put your head
op my knoo- haun ~.~--.. - nl
you to-nIgnI.
| IA Stol htOtuCl oOAl Ohf ehSNN -
lovely, like being child again
SIT is true story, Janet, of you
life and mine. | have never caret
to tell it to you before, but l am no
afraid now-my child and have low
ed each other all these years-no,
am not afraid
"What could you be afraid OF
dear mother?"
"You shall hear and judge" sh
said, putting her hands on my heao
and then she began
"When | was young, younger tha
you are, | was engaged to be ma
ried. My home was very unhappy
= and when Andrew Western came an
asked me to marry him, | was read
v to revere the ground he trod upol
e He had been coming backward an
It forward to our house for some tin
on business with my father, and
believe from the very first day he sa
"a my misery. We were-and to n
y remembrance always had been-poo
o but if | had been boy my faith
IN would have possessed thousands
year. | never wondered that he ha
IS ed me, that my mother mourned al
I'd fretted from morning till night; tn
D. had brought me up to feel guilty OF
90 crime, and | did feel it in my inmC
heart. 1t was no marvel that, VIII
Andrew asked me to marry him
w. looked upon him as an angel of
lv liverance. | loved him with an
h, tensity that amazed and frighten
It's him. 1t was in vain he tried to ma
me sober and reasonable. 1t was
mt vain that he told me that such W.
~ o ship was wrong and foolish, that
r., gave him no happiness, while to
wv it must bring disappointment.
could not listen, and at last | wear
.ar him. He said little about it af
ch a while, but he went away, and or
Ell more my home was desolate.
GU said he would come back, but he n
a ap er did. He WROTE to me often, XII
tender letters, but they chilled
TO- heart; and then one day he wrote
~" tell me that it must be all over
It's tween us. He told me how he
ee. striven to hold fast his old love
w me, but he could not; the mere eff
panied him, the thought of my p
sionate devotion filled him with DIRE
He could never return such love,
H. could never endure 10 have it lavi
ed, ed upon him; once for all he wo
ON give it a death blow; when his le
n, reached me he should be married.
/ had another lover then, Jal
mt and always hated him, but bel
oy many wee Ks were over | became
NAL wife. He loved me always, but