Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-02-11


1t was dark enough to the morose
man as he stood by the side of his
MANNED child fighting with his soul.
II could be happier know could
be happier. if you and the world were
different to each other-if you did not
regard it as your enemy. But that will
never be, father, win its''
''No, child, it viii never be. 1 can
not play the hypocrite, and lie to
YOU
Yet you are good and kind to me.
Why should you love me so dearly.
and be bitter with all otherss All men
and women are not bad. See, father,
there Is my angelr'
She pointed upward to a large gray
cloud. with white feecy wings, which
her Imagination had quantity fashioned
INTO the tgure of an angel
Il never saw him so beautiful be-
fore He Is at his best because it is
Chm stmas- Say that Christmas is q
good time, and make me happy"
Christmas is a good time, child
he said. doggedly
mo, no. not like that, From your
heart-I want you to say it from your
hearti You are silent If were to
say that / suffer more, far more than
you can imagine-that my heart is torn
to pieces with vain yearnings-you
would strive perhaps to bring some
gladness into my days All. forgive
mel! she cried, in an agony of re
morse. as a spasm of pain escaped
him; 81 am ungrateful, ungrateful.
4ou are all that is good TO me-an that
Is kind. But | suffer sol am so truly
unhappy She rocked herself to and
fro. and sobbed. ssSit by my side.
Father. / must tell you my secret. or
I shall die,''
In silence he sat upon the doorstep
by her side. with face almost as white
as hers. When she had sobbed herself
inty quieter mood, she spoke again.
Father. l am very much deformed.
am 1 not?"
Not to me. darling
mo, not to YOU. for when you look
at me. Your eyes are in your heart.
But am, in reality. very ugly, very
embarrassing. deformed and cripple.
No person in the world. seeing me
once. would care to see me again. /
know from myself. I do not care to
look for second time upon ugly and
uninteresting things 1t is very sad"
The commissioning tone in which
she spoke of her misfortunes was very
touching to hear.
Il am not like any other girl / have
ever seen. There is Laura Harrild
now; she is very. very pretty. When
/ look at her l feel as glad as when
see the early primroses peep out of the
ground, telling me that spring is COM
ing"
Stephens features assumed an anx-
ious expression at the mention of Laura
Harrild's name
IF YOU were to ask me nv idea of
perfect happiness. 1 should answer.
Laura Harrild. She is Young. beauti-
full and good-and she loves, and is
loved Oh. my heart"
There was such anguish in the poor
girls voice that every nerve IN Steph-
ems body quivered in sympathy as he
supported her head upon his shoulder.
..Do You guess my secret, father?"
she whispered
TO my sorrow. dear child
81 can not help IT l have struggled
against it vainly. feeling how hopeless
it is. l have always loved him. miser-
able girl that ! am, / do not know
how it came. except that he is so brave
and strong and handsome. while / am
nothing but poor ugly cripple Is
life worth having, / wonder. in such
shape as mine? II / were somebody
else, and saw such a creature as my
self, would look down with pity upon
her, and ask whether she would not be
happier if she were dead. L have seen
girls. ragged, and without q shoe TO
their feet, and have envied them be-
cause they were strong and had straight
limbs. and were free from pain-which
1 seldom am. unless am asleep"
They suffer much" said Stephen,
attempting to draw consolation for her
from the misery of others; they are
often without a meal Or a bed"
but they are free, she cried, they
are free. and / am a slayei Though
they have not a shilling in their
pockets. their hearts are sometimes
light, and they smile and enjoy /
have seen them-I have seen them!
What happiness there must be In pow
erty, You are rich man. father"
Il have money. child 1t is yours to
spend as you wish
Money can not buy love. Money
will not make me different from what
am. and it can not bring sunshine
into our house. Are all homes ike
ourss There is no light in it; it is des-
olate and deserted. and it has never
been otherwise within my remem-
brance. You and are like two her
mits. shut out from the world. In
what way has this come. and must 1t
be always 500 Surely there is some
thing better in life than my experience
has shown me- All. yes: there IS
something better in it. There is love
in it. which I shall never, never
havet'
She was speaking to herself now:
while he sat watching her, humbly and
in silence. Morose and churlish as he
was to all others, here he was slave;
and had he possessed the power, he
would have laid his heart M her lap,
could it have insured her a days hap
piness.
Tonight is Christmas. she re-
sumed, land we shall go round to MIR
HarTild' house, and see so many young
people dancing. and laughing. and
playing forfeits. while / shall sit in
corner glaring at them, Ike the envi-
Gus old witch / have read of in fairy
stories. am quite as hideous. know;
and it is natural and proper that they
should not come and pay court TO me, as
they do to each other And l deserve
it. father" she exclaimed. her mood
suddenly changing. Il deserve it for
reviling the world and everybody in it.
as am doing. 1 deserve it for having
had and unch irritable thoughts at such