Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-12-19
"coNE AND SIT HERE, JANET.

were alone. There had been something in
mothers manner oil day which | could not
not understand She seemed to have some
thing on her mind She was loving and ten
der to me, so tender that thought that no
one had ever had 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, on your little
stool, and put your head on my knee have
a story to tell you tonight"
"a story, mother dearl Oh, that is lovely,
like being q child againP
at is true story, Janet, Of your life and
mine. have never cared to tell it to you be-
fore, but am not afraid now-my child and
havo loved each other all these years-no, /
am not afraid"
"What could you be afraid Of, dear
motherp
"You shall hear and judge" she said, put
ting her hands on my head, and then she be-
gan: "When l was young, younger than you
are, was engaged to he married. Ny home
was very unhappy, and when Andrew West
ern came and asked me to marry him was
ready to revere the ground he trod upon. He
had been coming backward and forward to
our house for some time on business with my
father, and believe that from the very first
day he saw my misery. We were-and to
nv remembrance always had been-poor, but
if had been a boy my father would have
possessed thousands year. never wondered
that he hated me, that my mother mourned
and fretted from morning till night; they had
brought me up to feel guilty or II crime, and
l did feel it in my Utmost heart. 1t was no
marvel that, when Andrew asked me to marry
him, looked upon him as an angel Of deliy-
GRANGE. loved him with an intensity which
amazed and frightened him. 1t was in vain
he tried to make me sober and reasonable. 1t
was in vain he told me that such worship was
wrong and foolish, that it gave him no happi.
ness, while to me it must bring disappoint-
iment could not listen, and at last wear
led him He said little about it after awhile,
but he went away, and once moro my life was
desolate he said no would come back. but
he never did He wrote to me often, kind,
tender letters, but they chilled my heart; and
then one day he wrote to tell me that it must
be all over between us. He told me how he
lQu SJElNeu W uOlO Otu lONS lOI
but he could not; the mere effort panied him,
the thought of my passionate devotion filled
him with dread. He could never return such
love, he could never endure TO have it Law.
ished upon him; once for all he would give it
n death blow; when his letter reached me he
should be married.
Il had another lover then, Janet, and al
most hated him, but before many weeks were
over became his wife. He loved me always
but we quarreled. l could not pretend to
love him, and he grew reckless; our home
was miserable, and within year he died. I
was too i'll to know what happened for long
time after that. Strange faces passed before
me, strange voices spoke kindly words Of
pity, and once every day it seemed to me that
Andrew came and stood by my bed. When
at last woke to reason again, you wero be-
side me. Oh, how loved you! How pas
sionately ! loved you'll You seemed TO me TO
be all the world, and you saved my lifel
my husband had not left me in poverty,
had no need to work, and spent my whole
life in watching over you. made no friends,
for / cared for none. forgot the miseries Of
my fathers house; forgot my quarrels with
my husband: l forgot even my love for An
drew, and was scarcely moved when l heard
that death had visited his home as well as
mine, and that he was indeed deSolate, for his
wife had died and left him childless. Three
happy years passed away almost without
cloud. You grew and throve Every day
seemed TO my delighted eyes to give new
charm, a new beauty to my treasure; and
then in the midst Of my JOY you fell ILL., Day
and night, night and day, watched by your
bed-nay, Janet, give me no thanks; it was
selfish love! 1t was all in vain that doctor
and nurse argued with me. l would not
leave you. 1t was fever and must run its
course, they said. II you should recover, my
strength would be needed when you could
know and call for me; but would not listen,
and one night as sat beside you all the room
grew dark, and knew no more. When re
covered could not rise from my bed, but
implored with passionate tears to be taken to
YOU. Then some one came forward and sat
down beside me and took my hand, and saw
that It was Andrew. 1t gave me no surprise
to see him there. dimly remembered that
had seemed to see him before when was i'll,
and for the moment his presence Gained
me.
MARY he said, in his old, quiet tone, If
you do not do as / tell you you will die; and,
what is more, the child will die too
II sprang up with scream and struggled
to go to you. Ny child, my childr cried
"'She is not your child-she is mine be
said, in that calm tone Of truth which had
never failed TO convince me, and which now
pierced like a sword of ice into my heart
Yes, she is minel Listen His quiet eyes
controlled me, his quiet words Subdued me.
When you were very i'll, dying, they
thought, my name was often on your lips,
and they discovered and sent for me. On the
same day a child was born to each Of US, and
my wife and your child died I'VE might
have hoped for her If her baby had lived"
said the doctor; and gave my child TO YOU
Can you not bear what have borneF
sOh, Janet, my child, his words were heal
ing, and the sorrow that from that hour
tried to bear was taken from mel"
At first when mother ceased speaking, the
world, and love, and life seemed 70 me TO be
blank and hollow, but in few moments
rose from my seat and kneeled at her kneea
GOh, mother, dear-my fatherF
He died long ago. Janet, do you love
meP
SThen, as we kissed each other knew that
in all our lives Of happy love dear mother
and ] had never been 50 near together.