Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-12-24

So that Christmas evening Mother and |
We're alone. There had been something in
mothers manner all 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 a mother like mine and vet
sometimes when | spoke to her she scarcely
heard me- But we had quiet, happy day
we always We're 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
story to tell you tonight"
"A story, mother dear Oh, that is lovely,
like being child again"
at is IA true story, Janet, Of your life and
mine. l have never cared to tell it to YOU be-
fore, but am not afraid now-my child and
have loved each other all these years-no, |
am not afraid"
What could you be afraid of. dear
mother"
"You shall hear and judge" she said, put
ting her hands on my head, and then She be-
gan: "When was young, younger than you
are, | was engaged to be married My home
was very unhappy, and when Andrew West
ern came and asked me to marry him was
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
my 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 of crime, and
l did feel 1t in my inmost heart. 1t was no
marvel that, when Andrew asked me to marry
him. looked upon him an angel of deliv-
erance. | loved him with an intensity which
amazed and frightened him. 1t was in vain
he tried to make me sober and reasonable It
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-
ment. | could not listen and at last wear
led him. He said little about it after awhile.
but he went away, and once more my life was
desolate. He said he 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
had striven TO hold fast by his old love forme,
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
a death blow; when his letter reached me he
should he married
81 had another lover then, Janet, and al
most hu him, but before many weeks were
over became his wife. He loved me always.
but we quarreled. | could not pretend to
love him, and he grew reckless; our home
was miserable, and within year he died. |
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 were be-
side me. oh, how loved you'll How pas
sionately loved you'll You seemed to me to
be all the world, and you saved my life
"My husband had not left me in poverty, |
had no need to work, and spent my whole
life in watching over you. l made no friends,
for cared for none. forgot the miseres Of
my fathers house; forgot my quarres with
my husband; forgot even my love for An
drew, and was scarcely moved when heard
that death had visited his home as well as
mine, and that he was indeed desolate, for his