Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-08

"But she will not tell me-"
''Then how can /? Hark We, Master
Mathew; YOU come here too often. My
daughter hath given you her answer. She
bears no love TO you; she will have none o.
you. Go, then, and leave MS alone. we
are poor enough, God knows, but not 50
poor az to thrust husbands on our girl
against her will. Leave Us to ourselves,
good man, aud fiud another wife"
After this, Mathew remained quiet again
for three or four months, That Is 10 say,
he came no more to the house.
So great, and reasonably great, was my
suspicion of him that l was certain ne
would do something to revenge nimseii
upon me. or to get me in his power. Yet
I know not-I could not guess-wnst ne
would do, or in what way he could lnJure
me, az IL the Vaccinations of wicked ne
can ever be suspected and guarded against;
"a IL the head of him who is desperately
wicked may not conceive, yea, n execute
things which an innocent girl would
believe incredible. The first alarm was
caused by a visit from Barbsra, who came
to see nv mother and myself, together OF
separately. She said she was a messenger
from her brother. who, whatever l might
saw or think, was the most forgiving aud
the most long suffering Of men; that ne
was perfectly prepared, If l would make
submission, ask pardon for the Injurious
things I had said. and reveal Whist L knew
Of Ralph, viz, where he was living, what
he was doing, snd what were his iDten-
tons; to pass over all, and to take me once
more into favor.
GOOD Lordr, said my mother. Does
the man think he is the Great Bashaw!
Favor, indeed"
"Beggars," said Barbara, must not be
choosers."
At these words nv mother famed up,
aud asked Mistress Barbara many ques-
tons relating to her birth, ~parentage.
wealth, religious professions. personal
beauty, and so forth. leaving her no time
to answer any. This is, with respect TO
the memory of q kind parent, a manner Of
speech common among women even well
bred city msdams when they are angry.
Finally, she said that there had been quite
enough said about Mathews proposals,
and that he was TO understand again, and
once for all. that they were distasteful;
upon which Barbara coughed, and said that
she had delivered her message, that abe
had no desire, for her W part, for the
alliance. which would as certainly be as
distasteful to herself az it was to Mrs.
H~etherington. and more so, for her brother
had o right to look for fortune, which
would be of much more use to him than q
baby face; that she was surprised, being a
messenger Of peace, and sent by a msu Of
substantial estate. az all the world knew,
10 he thus treated by folk who were ex'
pected shortly to come upon the parish.
and the daughter TO be glad of honest ser
vice and a crust. But enough said.
"Hoity toity!" cried my mother. 'This
is brave talking, indeed, from plain millera
and simple farmers. Is the world going
upside down."
Barbara went away, but returned a little
before Christmas. Mathew, she repeated,
was of so Christian a disposition that he
was still waiting for submission and to
know where the boy was 10 be found. She
also held ont her skinny finger in warning,
and when l laughed and refused either to
make submission or tell where Ralph was
living, she babe me tremble and read the
first chapter of the hook of the Prophet
Joel, applying verses four 10 twelve to my
own case, especially the last clause, which
on investigation proved to be a prophecy
that joy should wither away from the sons
OF men. / laughed again, but | confess
that | was disquieted. What consequence?
I was soon to discover that the woman
used no idle threat, though l believe that
she did not herself know anything of the
abOminable plot which Mathew was con-
irving for our destruction.
This, | say, was inst before Christmas.
We passed the season of iestivity in COM
fort, thanks to a gift from Mr.. Carnahy OF
a noble sirloin and sOme bottles of good
wine for my father; but on Twelfth Night
my grandmother, who had become very
feeble of late, Suddenly showed signs ofim-
pending change. This WAS truly dread
ful thing for us, not only for the loss of Il
good and sff4ctionate parent, which those
who have faith ought not to lament, but
because at her death we should lose even
the small income which We had, and there
would be nothing but the house. 1t was
with ~despairing looks that my mother and
/ sat by her bee,ide all that night. In the
morning she died, having been speechless
for some hours; but, as happens often with
the dying, she rallied just before the end,
and recovered for q moment the power Of
speech.
Child" she whispered to me with her
last breath, ''thou hast been a good child.
The Lord will reward thee. Be of good
hope, and never doubt thst the boy will
return TO be thy protector and guide"
After the funeral l asked my mother il
she had any money az all. She told me
that on leaving London some of their old
friends msde up between them a purse Of a
hundred guineas in memory Of old times,
but after payment of their small debts and
the cost OF the journey from London, she
had the sum OF tiity-hye guineas put by
for unforeseen wants-that we must live
on this money as long az it lasted, after
which she supposed wa must starve.
Fifty-five guiness! Why it would last
us o year and a quarter at least with pru-
dence. Fifty-fve guineas! 1t was q little
fortune to Us. 1t would keep US until j
got o letter from Ralph. Whereupou l
told my mother to be of good cheer and to
wait patiently and hope Tor the best. She
sighed, being never q women of sauguine
disposition, and ignorant of those secret
springs of happiness within me which
made me think lightly of present poverty.
And now you shall hear a plot of dia-
bolical wickedness, which for the time was
successful. We all know that for a season
sinners are sometimes permitted to COM
pass their own designs, but for their surer
uudoing in the end.
Two days after the burial of the dame,
at q time when We might be supposed TO
he overwhelmed by the calamity OF being
left destitute, Mathew came TO the cottage.
He looked i'll at ease, and his eyes met
mine shiftily, but he spoke out with bold
ness, while he produced a leather pocket
book and turned over certain papers with.
in il.
"I have come, madam" he said address
ing my mother, but looking at me, Ito in
form you or your husbaud-it matters not
which-that | can no longer wait for the
interest on the principal of my money,
and that You must be prepared TO pay or
,ata the -nnna9nnenrea