Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-12-25
"coME AND SIT HERE. JANET

were alone. here had been something in
mothers manner all day which I could not
not understand. She seemed to have sonle-
thing OF. her mind. She was loving end ten
der to me, so tender that I thou~ht that no
one had ever had a mother like mine, and yet
sometimes when I spoke to her she scarcely
heard me. But we had a quiet, happy day
re always were happy together-and late in
the evening mother sat down In her chair by
tho fire and said:
"Come and sit here, Janet, on your little
stool, and put your head on my knee. I have
q story to tel you tonight"
"a story, mother deari Oh, that is lovely,
like Icing q child again?"
ut is a true story, Janet, of your life and
mine. have never cared to tell it to you be-
fore, but l an not afraid now-ny child and
l have loved each other all these years-no, I
am not afraid"
what could you be afraid Of, dear
motl,eri"
you shall hear and judge" sho said, put
ting her hands OH my head, and then sho be-
gun: "When l was young, younger than you
are, l was engaged to 10 married. My home
was very unhappy, and when Andrew West
ern ca,,le and asicl inc to marry him I was
reaa. 20 revere tho ground he trol upon. He
la,l been coming backward and forward to
our house for some time Oh business with nv
father, and | believe That from the very first
day no saw my misery. We werc-and to
my remembrance always had been-poor, but
If l hal been a boy my father would lave
possessed thousands a year. I never wondered
that he hated me, that my mother mourned
and frrtac'l from morning till night; they had
brought mo up to feel guilty Of q crime, and
l did fecl it i'll my inmost heart. 1t was no
marvel that, when Andrew asked me to marry
him. l looked upon him as ali angel Of dcliv-
france. Flowed him with all intensity which
amazed and frightened him. It was in vain
he tried to mako mo sober and reasonable. It
was in vain he told mo that such worship was
wrong and foolish, thut it gave him 10 happi-
ness, while to me it must bring d~isappoint-
ment. 1could not listen, and at last l wear
led him. f1c said little about it after awhile,
but he went away and once molp my life was
dcsolatc. Ito said no would como back. but
he never dii. lilo wrote to mo often, kind,
tender letters, but they chilled my heart; and
then one day he wrote to tell me that it must
Ec all over ietwcs'. us. He told me how he
had striven T." hold fast by his old love for me,
but he could not; tho mere effort panied him,
tho ..iou:. hit Of my passionate devotion filled
him with dread. He could never return such
love, he could never endure to have it Law.
ishcl upon him; once for oil be would give it
q death blow; when his letter reached me he
should lc married.
Il had another lover then, Janet, and l al.
most hated him, but before many weeks were
over I became bis wife. Flo loved mo always.
but we qualrcled. I could not pretend to
love him, and he crew reckless; our home
was miserable, and within Il year he died. I
was too i'll to know what happened for a long
timo after that. Strange faces passed before
me, strange voices spoke kindly words of
pity. and once every day it seemed to rac that
Andrew cannc and stood by my bed. When
at last l woke to reason again, you wero be-
side me. Oh, how l loved you! How pas.
sionatcly Lowell you! You seemed to me to
be all tho world, and you saved my life!
my husband had not left NC il poverty, l
had 10 need to work, and I spent my Whole
lfo il watching over you. I made 10 friends.
for l cared for none. I forgot tho miscries of
my fathers house; I forgot my quarrcls with
my husband; forgot even my love for An.
drew, and was scarcely moved when l heard
that death had visited his homo as we'll as
mine, and that he was indeed desolate, for his
wlfo had died and left him childloss. Three
happy years passed away almost without q
cloud. You grew and throve. Every day
seemed to ray% delighted eyes to give u now
charm, q now beauty to my treasure; ard
then il the midst Of my joy you fell i'll. Day
and right, night and day, I watched by your
bcd-nay, Janet, give mo no thanks; it was
selfish love! 1t was ell in vain that doctor
and nurse argued with me. l would not
leave you. It YVES fever and must run its
course, they said. II you should recover, my
strength would DO needed when you could
know and call for mo; but I would not listen,
and one night as l sat beside you aIl the room
grew dark, and ! know no more. When I re-
covered / could not rise from my bed, but I
inplored with passionate tears to DO taken to
you. Then some ono camo forward and sat
down beside me and took my hand, and I saw
that it was Andrew 1t gave mo 10 surprise
to see him tasgo. Idimly remembered thatI
bad seemed TO SEQ him before when l was il,
anl for the moment his presence calmcd
M.
"zziary,' he said, i'll his old, quict tone, If
You co not do ns l tell you you will die; and,
what is moro, tho child will die too
4 spranG up with q scream and struggled
to 60 to you. My child, my child" l cried.
"Sho. is Tot your child-shc 10 mine,' he
said, in that calm tono of truth which had
never failed to convince me, and which now
pierced like q sword of leo into my heart.
Yes, She is mino. Listen Ills 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.