The Delta independent., 1888-10-02
The Outcast.

"hSAh Nto a. IVY my nv ,iiti 'ii'i l
sat together by the kitchen fire.
Mother was engaged with her needle
work, and relating in her quiet way
some simple stories of her childhood.
The rest OF the family had retired,
and it was growing near midnight
At length she put away the work
basket and was moving to the street
door to assure herself of its security,
when a low groan sounded on the
outside. screamed from fright and
caught hold OF my mothers skirt. |
looked into her face and noticed
how pale she ewas.
'Be quiet, my child" said she.
We listened for moment, my
heart throbbing quicker, and again
the same mournful wall, as if borne
on the storm, reached our ears,
plainly, distinctly, above all.
Mother moved me behind her, and
turning the bolt hastily, pulled the
door ajar. A gust of wind swept
through the room, scattering in
every direction the decaying embers
on the hearth. At that moment a
female figure, wrapped from head
to foot in an old, torn cotton gown,
tottered into the room. The hood
fell from around her face, and, heav.
ems! What a face! The remeln-
brance of it haunts me to this day.
Mother locked the door, and, turn
ing around stood motionless, gazing
at the wretched figure.
"Do not, oh, do not, in Gods
name, put me out in tonights storm!
My very heart is coldE' said the poor
creature, in the same tremulous
voice.
"You may remain till morning" !"
said mother, going to the hearth and
rekindling the almost extinct sparks.
God bless you'll" said the wander
er, with a sigh of relief. "I'll stand
here till the heavy wet drips IRON my
Clothes"
Madam" said she, at length, 81
know you will not go to bed while !
am standing here, and if you sit
down and listen for a while, and tell
your boy to give his attention, will
tell you a story from which he and
you may learn something-he espe-
cially, who has the journey of life be.
tore him."
When she saw mother prepared to
listen she began thus:
Notwithstanding that I am to-
night the poorest of the poor 1 have
been brought up in the midst of pride
and flattery. My father was a wealthy
gentleman. He was kind and gener-
GUS to all around him, especially the
poor. My mother, on the other hand,
was proud and overbearing toward
all. l being an only child, the took
particular pains that my mind and
manner should be fashioned after her
own. This, may say, was no difficult
task. To preserve peace at home
father always endeavored to conceal
his acts of charity from her.
Zone day father was riding out to
fright at pack of hounds and, dash,
ing off, threw him to the ground
breaking his neck. On a hillside OH
the estate, within view OF the draw.
fng-room window, stood a neat little
whitewashed cottage, not unlike
your own. For many years mother
had tried hard to induce father to
dispossess it's occupants and level ii
to the ground, and l believe twas
the only point on which he openly
disputed her wish. The tenants OF
the cottage were an old woman and
her little grandchild.
"The day after fathers intelment
party of men, under control OF our
baliff, set out to demolsh the little
home.
"Never, even through all my weary
sufferings since then, can / forget
the wild dispair of old Mary Ecklord,
when they flung her out upon the
highway and began to demolish the
little home in which she had lived
for over forty years. For a moment
she stood with her hands clasped
above her head, then uttering a wild
shrek, the sufferer turned her eyes
toward us, then raised them toward
God, and said in voice that to.
night rings in my ears:
"' A curse on you and yoursp
"She spoke not another word and
they soon had her from our sight,
but for fully two miles we could hear
the heart-broken wailings of her lit
tie granddaughter. That very night
the curse began to fall; the mansion
caught fire and was burned to the
ground. We moved to an old house
on "a distant part of the estate and
commenced to fit it up for TEN.
porary residence till the mansion
would be rebuilt. Owing to fathers
great liberality we were not possessed
of sufficient funds to restore theman.
sion to it's former grandeur, and as
nothing less would do mother she OBJ.
tained a mortgage on the estate.
But instead of making the mortgage
for the requisite amount the lawyer
made it for just ten times the sum,
at the same time giving us only the
needful amount, applying the enor,
nous balance to his own use.
eve knew nothing of this till the
mortgage came due. The entire val.
ue of the estate was no more than
adequate to this debt. Mothers
want Of economy had entailed on us
many other debts. We were power.