The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-04-12

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TO settle In LivesSool. She heard all abcu
them from Mrs. Knowle, who, in lar Gus,
tomnry active way, was exceedingly helpful
to the rather helpless Indian lady; and shs
seemed TO take q faint, fickering interes
the last interest OF her fading iife--ir
the house they fixed on, the manner they
furnished 1t, and their general household
ways. Nay. she sent many little gifts te
them-harmless, domestic gifts, such al
not even the proudest man could reject and
which, without making any external show
OF giving, greatly added to the comfort o,
MIR. Stenhouse's home. But she navel
asked to see him again. She seemed tc
feel that the last meeting had been peace-
ful closing Of everything that bound he,
to life. and everything that made death
painful; apparently she did not wish to re-
viye either, but lay perfectly at rest, wait
ing patiently for the supreme call.
1t came at last, quito suddenly; as often
happens in consumption, when both the
watchers and the patient are lulled into q
hope that is still far distant. She had no
one with her, and no time to say farewell
to anybody; only the nurse, running to her
and bending over her, fancied there came
through the choking Of the expiring breath
t9e xsSas: deg e ohrs 3 ss.,s : -, -.
John. and told him. and Nib. Knowle, aid
everybody, that Lady Bowerbanks last
words had been bor husbands name. No.
body contradicted the feet.
1t may be thought proof Of the hard
ness OF John Stenhouses heart to state
that except the one day of Lady Bower
banks funeral, when, out Of respect to her
memory, the Office of Bowerbank e Co.
was closed, and the clerks had liberty to
enjoy themselves as they pleased and she
would have been glad Of it, dear, kindly
heert!-except on this occasion the Junior
partner Of the firm was never an hour alb
sent from his desk. He came early-he
went late-he filled the place Of both his
| senior partnership. Knowle, who was laid
up with an attack Of rheumatism, and Sir
John, from whom, Of course, little could
be expected just now. In every way he
did his duty like man; and not one Of
those excellent men on Change, with whom
he daily transacted business, giving prom
ise that the new blood which had come into
the firm would make the house Of Bower
bank & Co. higher than evor among Liv-
| erpool merchants-not one of them ever
suspected that within the week o light had
gone out of this young mans LIFE which
nothing in the world could ever relume.
Nevertheless, John Stenhouse's life has
| neither been useless nor sad. Moderately
| prosperous, and widely honored by all who
| know him, externally he may be consid-
cred happy and successful man. And
his homo, if q little dull sometimes, is al
| ways quiet and comfortable. In course of
Time it was frightened by little daughter
his very own little daughter-and he
| called her Emily. In compliment-and
very right, too, everybody said-to the head
| of the firm ana his deceased wife, poor
Lady Bowerbank.
Emilys instinct-true woman's instinct
was correct. Sir John and Mr.. STEM
house became fast friends. Such strange
IL. ,<~ftA
| which, in meaner natures, produce only
jealousy and aversion. But these three
The two men left living and the sweet
woman happily dead-were oil good peo-
pie, none of whom had intentionally
wronged the other. but had all been sinned
against by tho ono selfish, hard heart that
was now n mere handful Of dust. Still,
by the merciful ordinance Of Providence,
evil itself is limited in its power against
good, especially when after it comes TIC
solemn, healing hand of inevitable fate,
which the foolish and bad resist, but by
which the wise and good are calmed and
soothed.
When Emily was dead, the two honest
men who had loved and mourned her--one
with tho wild, angry passion of loss, the
other with half-remorseful tenderness
were unconsciously drawn to one another
in way neither could have explained or
desired to explain, but both felt it was so.
They sought one anothcr's company shyly
and doubtfully at first; afterward with o
yearning curiosity; finally, out of warm re-
gard. The great difference of ago be-
tween them, which might have been that
Of father and son, and the fact that the one
had never had n father nor the other n son,
also combined to prevent all feeling of ri
valry, and to form n bond of mutual at
traction and mutual usefulness. And she
who was gone, though her name was never
once named between them till MIR. STEM
house asked Sir Johns permission to give
it to his baby daughter, constituted tie
stronger than anything external
Mr.. Knowle was little surprised, and
SO was Mrs. Knowle, to see the great cor
diality and even intimacy which, in tho
course of year, sprang up between the
senior and junior partners. But the
Knowles were both such kindly people
that, though they did not understand it
altogether different-they were exceedingly
glad it was SO; exceedingly tender, too, in
n half-sad sort of way, over the baby En-
lily, whom good Mrs. Knowle took to with
O warmth surprising even her universal
and ardent affection for all babies.
And 80 the three households Of the firm
Of John Bowerbank 81 Co. still subsist--
two rich and childlcss, one much poorer.
but not without many blessings. There is,
a
the little mouths, and clothes on the little
bodies, and instruction into the little
minds; and John Stenhouse is good
father, who, in literal sense, makes no
step bairns," but is equally Just and tender
with his own and his wife's daughters. AS
q parent of young children he has been
also faultless; what he may be when the
little maidens grow up and take to marry
ing. Heaven knows! But the sharp ex-
perience of his own life may be oil the
bet!er for theirs.
People do say that one Of them is not
likely to be poor all her life, but will be
chosen by Sir John Bowerbank as his
heiress, at least 80 far as regards the late
Lady Bowerbank's fortune; his own, Sir
John openly declares, he means to divide
among charitable institutions. Poor little
Emily, now running about under the shady
alleys of Birkenhead Park in her cotton
frock, and with occasional holes in her
shoes, she knows not what may be her des-
tiny! Nor does her father good man
who watches her and guards her, and is
both father and mother to her, for Mrs.
SteuhOuse thoupb sweet as ever has sunk