The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-12-08
The Outcast.

sat together by the kitchen flre
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 low groan sounded on the
outside. | screamed from fright and
caught hold of my mothers skirt.
looked into her face and noticed
howpale shewas.
'Be quiet, my child" said she.
We listened for a moment, my
heart throbbing quicker, and again
the same mournfu1 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 q
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 coldl" said the poor
creature, in the same tremulous
voice.
"You may remain till morning"
said mother, going to the hearth and
reminding the almost tinctsparks.
"God bless you'll" said the wander.
er, with a sigh of relief. ''I'll stand
here till the heavy wet drips from my
| Clothes"
Madam" said she, at length, 81
know you will not 60 to bed while
am standing here, and if you sit
down and listen for while, and tell
your boy to give his attention, l will
tell you a story from which he and
you may learn something-he espe-
cially, who has the journey of life be-
fore him."
When she saw mother prepared to
listen she began thus:
Notwithstanding that l am to-
night the poorest of the poor | have
been brought up in the midst ofpride
and flattery. Myfather was 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. | being an only child, the took
particular pains that my mind and
manner should be fashioned after her
own. This, Imay 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
the hop fields when his horse took
fright at a pack of hounds and, dash
ing off. threw him to the ground,
breaking his neck. On hillside on
the estate, within view OF the draw
ing-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 it
t. 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 interment
party of men, under control OF our
baliff, set out to demolish the little
home.
"Never, even through all my weary
sufferings since then, can l forget
the wild dispair of old Mary Ecktord,
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 distant part of the estate and
commenced to fit it up for a tenn
porary residence till the mansion
would be rebuilt. Owing to fathers
great liberalitywe were not possessed
of sufficient funds to restore the man.
sion to it's former grandeur, and as
nothing less would do mother she OBJ
tanned 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.
"We 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
less. The lawyer fled the country.
The brewer seized the estate, and, in
one month after, mother beat out
her brains against the wall of her cell
in lunatic asylum. At once l found
myself without a home, friends, or
money. What little cash / obtained
for mothers wardrobe and my own
was stolen from me in a London
clearinghouse. Helpless to do any
thing for myself, | was cast on the