The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-09
Vol. 4o---No. 3.

~
/ @Oft in the >riny Night; ana ln,ras sac sang
| II, the melancholy ditty serving a. a vehicle
I for her own sorrows Her voice WAS a power
/ ful contralto. and, without at all exerting
/ herself unluly. she was able 50 TO occupy her
mothers ear that PrendergaSt entered the
room unobserved, and was standing beside
/ Mrs Barbara hefore she knew il. The little
mother gave him sprightly nod Of sileat
recognition not TO disturb the song. and then.
slowly turning her eyes from him to Sophia,
and fixing them her, she seemed TO say
/ -ls she not woman worth winningss
] And Prendergast met her returning lo-.k
with a look of his own, full OF tender aslnii-
ration, which conveyed his thought in reply:
and just then Sophia, ending her song. saw
/ that Prendergast was behind her. Surprise
and some other emotion. sent over her facs
/ the loveliest blush surely that ever woman
4 wore and it seemed to spread until her neck
was touched with its conscious hue. Prem
dergast read it as an omen that at last she
had begun to feel kindly toward him, and b.
could scarcely speak To her for the pleasure
he felt And Mrs Barbara Temple, who
never in her life made a mistake, was ready
/ to clap her hands
/ "She loves him, she loves himyn the little
| conqueror murmured to herself See what
management does. o. what a woman | ann"
/ Almost before another word was spoken,
/ Mrs Temples maid came into the room, and,
advancing to her mistress, said:
! Please, ma'am, is the letter ready
4 What letter, JONES'
| The letter. ma'am, you said was 50 very
/ particular, which must go by to-night's pest.
and which we was to be sure not to forget to
ask for
This was delivered in r-aei,.+io,, s+xta like
something got carefully off by heart
Dear me-" exclaimed Mrs. Temple, with
uplifted hands. How could have forgotten
it, Sophia, my dear, you must entertain Mr..
/ Prendergast for twenty minutes or half an
hour. 1t Is important letter, and viii
/ take quite that time TO write How very
4 stupid have beenl"
| And without single glance at Prendef-
/ gast the very stupid woman left the room,
| but not until She saw Sophis's blush return
! with deeper glow.
! "Ah," she thought NOW for pretty
| scene! the merry days when were
| youngI7
| When our little mother returned to the
drawing room she saw PrendeFgast stan ding
alone in the center of the floor Ills look
told her nothing; but as she came toward
him, he said very earnestly
Mrs. Temple, your daughter is an angellT
Victory The little mother could have
skipped on the carpet for triumph: but recol-
| lecting that it would not be business like to
eem too much delighted, she restrained her
| self and said:
| Il see She has accepted you"
NO, she has not
YES, yes; but that is only a girls way;
virtually she has accepted you, and you know
il.
Mrs. Temple she viii never marry me.
What do YOU means The shock was great
and Mrs. Temple found it hard TO speak
simply that your daughter has explained
to me her position and the state of her aifec
tions. She has been so kind so frank, 50 like
all thought she must he, that am more in
love with her than ever. But / know the
truth, and viii no longer struggle against il.
He dropped his head ON his breast and said
no more, and for nearly q minute the nimble
little tongue and versatile little brain of his
hostess were at fault But she collected her
spirits.
"Prendereast." she said in a tone that was
dry and even eontemptuous, that is not the
way to win woman like Sophia
perhaps not he answered; "but it is the
only way can follow" Even she was for
the moment dumb, and he became silent
again, but be reused himself and spoke afresh:
| sThe fact is, | have been rebuked tonight
like your daughter, and she died before our
marriage Over her grave | vowed to live
for her memory, and that vow | kept until
this year; and tonight, as Sophia was speak
iTsg to me, it seemed as if my own buried dear
one came from her abode of happiness and
fade me-
"Prendergast,n Mrs. Barbara Temple said,
with pointed acrimony, ~the bell is near You.
| Nill you ring for tea:'
| 1t viii be admitted by everybody that from
1 Mrs. Temples point of view. her situation
was decidedly irritating. She was angry with
| Prendergast, and bitterly angry with Sophia
| To plotting, planning nature like hers moth
| ing is so vexatious a failure such as this
She working for Sophia's good; she had
arranged everything as to insure success;
at the last moment Sophia stupidity spoils all
/ Wicked was the look with which she regarded
her daughter, whea after Prendergasts de
parture, Sophia sfyly stole into the room and
| took her seat at tire tea table. Mrs Barbara
opened fire: $50, Sophia, Prendergast has
proposed to you,"
! Yes mamma.
"And you have accepted his offer, of
course.7
The little woman put the question in this
way, with kind of concentrated vicious
ness which made Sophia tremble
mo, mamma the poor girl said, doing
| what undoubtedly was wisest at the juno
ture, and breaking into sobs. Il could not,
mamma, / could not marry him"
Sophia, the mother said, rising from her
| seat and standing before her daughter, "you
are weak girl | don't say you have done
wrong, but say you are weak girl. Weak
ness of all things, l hate. Sibyl would not
have acted in this way Caroline would not
You have neither sense nor spirit, and it is
mortifying to me TO think that the daughter
who is least like myself, and least dutifuI is
| the one with whom | must, ] suppose pass
the remainder of my life
This was a most unkind speech: but we
| must remember how bitterly the little woman
was disappointed; and we must remember,
| too, that she did not often lose her temper
| Sophia, who might perhaps at another time
have defended herself, was really broken
| down by the succession of the days excite
fnent and only sobbed the more Her
mothers last sarcasm had wounded her in
Iced
Il don't care for crying" the mother went
on, quite forgetting her better self and her
own maxims of self-possession. Really,
Sophia, If you are determined to have
your own way, have the courage, too, and
| don't stand whimpering there. You can dis
| obey me. You can fly in the face of every
body who cares for you. Then do carry it
| out. had rather see you In passion than
as you are. Has anybody injured youi
| Have you not done You wish, If you had
accepted Prendergast against your will
there would be an excuse for this pettishness
and nonsense; but here you have had your
own way, and now you must cry over it. It
| Is all weakness -weakness-despicable weak
ness; and weakness-wealzness- weakness. y
she repeated the word in successive sallies of
annoy yance, Il hate and despise.
Weak and strong they certainly looked.
She with her compact figure braced and
erect. her stretched out hand. hsr declaiming
attitude, her clear. resolute voice: Sophia
bending like willow, her face hidden, and
mothers tarnts they fell ON her But
before the morning dawned Mrs Barbara
Temple got lesson which led her to recall
her bitter words. and 10 confess that the
strength was not so entirely her own, nor the
weakness so entirely her daughters, as she
imagined Just now. while she was standing
mistress in her own drawing room
B0ok FIVE.
L1DI BEAJTT7S SORROW
i CHAPTER L
SOPHIA TX \ sEw CHARACTER.