Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-01

tHoy were SOOu SlTlS anu lONeu tHeI
brothers. But the sacrifice they |
brought, the boys took as their right,
conscious that they were of a supe-
rior sex. Ruth had earned her year
at school by patient service at home,
but she came under a hundred re-
strictions as to expenses, which as
no similar ones were given to her
brother, annoyed her. s'pm not he
roic or self-sacrifcing," she said,
which meant that in good cause
she would give up all. but would not
waste herself on false ones. She
felt her talent; it irked her that
while her brothers could use theirs,
hers was likely to he only trouble
to her. Love of beauty, when its
qualification is nearly impossible, is
only another nerve to ache.
AS for the school, it was like
hundred others; gave tolerable
good instruction at cheap rates. 1t
bore good reputation as to the
manners of its graduates, also their
morals, and the advantages in piano
music and fancy work were superior.
/ came to it because it was cheap,
and so did many another. We were
not well fed either physically OF
mentally; but I have no doubt we
got all we paid for, and our teachers
were devoted to their work.
The months wore away. The
steady roll of recitations was broken
now and then by prize contests and
society exhibitions. The other
"college" where our "brothers' were
trained, not admirably but much bet
ter than we, furnished its quota of
these entertainments, and altogether
we were not dull. After the first
term Ruth took prominent parts in
these diversions. She had tact to
adapt herself to new surroundings,
and before the year closed she was
one of our leaders. Her shyness
left her when she found herself ad-
mired, and she proved to have that
nameless something, style, which
made the simplest dress effective.
Her beauty was her bane, for had
she been less attractive she would
have had more time for quiet work.
But she was good scholar, learned
easily, and in her chosen field made
such progress as to be very soon the
wonder of the school and town. But
we had few advantages for her, and
my busy brain presently devised q
plan suited, | thought, to her needs.
A years training in certain school
famous for its advantages in art,
would put her on her feet, and then
she might work her way alone. But
when l mentioned the expense, re-
duced to a minimum of necessity,
her bright face fell.
''Even if l could be spared" she
said, "father would not think be
could afford 1t, and how long would
it take me to earn it teaching district
school? Don't talk of it. 1t only
hurts me. This is my chance for
myself, q wonderful one, our folks
Think
"But your brothers could help
YOU"
She shook her head.
"They are good boys, but they
don't understand, and Astor will
want to marry as soon as he has his
profession. Besides" she drew 8
long breath-''I don't think 1 love
them we'll enough to want to be be.
holden to them. Gratitude is a bur-
den sometimes, even to a brother"
cit doesn't burden them to lei
their mother and sisters work fol
them.''
"That's different. That's nature
and this,-this is revelation, the
new gospel of equal chances to mer
and women. They haven't accepted
that idea yet. O, what are you read
ing?"
It was Thomas Kempis, and
was scoring down a passage whose
memory was needed to still my owr
restless ambition. ''Why dost thot
gaze about, since here is not th,
place of thy rest? In heaven shoulc
be thy dwelling, and all earthl,
things are to be looked on as the,
forward thy journey hither. On
thing is needful to man that havin,
left all, he leave himself, and retail
nothing of self-love. Forsake thy
self, resign thyself and thou shal
enjoy much inward peace.
She drew long sigh as she rea'
it over my shoulder.
: ST wish I could,-but there!
) came to tell you that l was invited t,
Mrs. Lamont's next week"
Mrs. Lamont was that rich widoy
of modern romance who keeps opel
house, and delights in gayety AM
) matchmaking. | never believed il
the type till saw her, but she real
ICED all had ever read of them.
, did not like Ruth's news. Mrs. La
mont was not good company for hr
just now, was sure, and yet the in
. vitation promised Ruth pleasure
: and she had not SO many that
could grudge her one. Mrs. Lamon
had evidently taken great fancy t.
Ruth, and the week before the tern
| closed she asked her to spend fort
| nioht with har in vacation