Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-12-13
MERLE'S CRUSADE.
BY ROSA NAUCHETTE CAREY.
Author % Barbara Heathcote's Trial, n
"Queenie's Whtm," "I7as Search
for Basil IIfndtqIrst -

'Oh, / am not mercenary," 1 replied,
hastily, land | shall save out of thirty
pounds a year. | must keep a nice dress
for my home visits and for Sundays,
though it is dreadful to think that | shall
not always 90 to church every Sunday I'M
til little Joyce is older; that will be sad
deprivation"
Yes my poor child, but you must not
speak as though this were the only seri-
Gus drawback; you will find plenty of diff
ficulties in your position; even Mrs. Nor
ton confessed that"
1.-The world is full of difficulties" / re-
turned, loftily; there have been thorns
and briers ever since Adams time. Do
you remember your fayorite fable of the
old man and the bundle of sticks, Aunt
Agatha, ] mean to treat my difficulties
in the same way he managed his. I shall
break each stick singly."
She smiled approvingly at this, and
then, as Uncle Keith's knock reached her
ear, she rose quickly and went out of the
room.
The moment was left alone. my as
sumed briskness Of manner dropped into
the mental dcstnbilLe that we wear for
our own private use and comfort. Those
two had always 50 much to say TO each
other that was sure of at least half an
hours solitude, and in some moods self
is the finest company Yes, L had de-
stroyed my boats, and now my motto
must be "Forwardp' This afternoon l
had pledged myself to a new service-a
service of seIf-renuncation and patient
labor, undertaken under the influence of
love to our Great Master and in the effort
to follow His example-yes, dare to say
tt-with the double desire, viz, of doing
as much good as lay in my power, and
also for the welfare Of the large ssterhoOd
of waiting and working women A ser
vant' No, a soldier; for should be one
among the vanguard. who strive to make
n breach I'm the great fortress of COnven-
tionality. Not that / feared the word
service, considering what Divine lips had
said on that subject-"I am among you
as one who serVeth"-but knew how the
world shrunk from such terms.
! nave always maintained that half the
so called difficulties of life consist mainly
in our dread Of other peoples opinions;
women especially trammeled by this
bondage. They breathe the atmosphere
of their own special world. and the chill
wind Of popular opinion blows cOldly over
them; like the sensitive plant they shiVer
and Wther up Mt a touch. j believe the
muster minds that achieve great things
how can they appear so impervious to
criticism How can they carry them
selves so calmly, when their contempOr-
aries are sneering round them' We must
live above ourselves aud each other; there
IL no other way of getting rid of the
shams and DISCUSSES of life; and yet how
is one who has been born in slavery TO be
absolutely truc2 How is an English gen.
tIew1man to shake off the prejudices of
caste and declare herself free'
An, WE'LL is was the enigma had set
myself to solve. And now the old life
the protected girls l!fe-vas receding
from me; the old guards, the Old land
marks were to be removed by my own
hands. Should live to repent my rash
act, as Aunt Agatha predicted, or should
] at some future time, when looked back
upon this wintry day thank God, humbly
aud with tears Of gratitude, that in hum
BILE trust and IN dependence upon his spirit
for guidance had courage given me to
see the right and do il, Gd Jiacm fdelis,
faithful To tho last'
found those last few days OF home life
ingularly trying Indeed, am not sure
that ! was not distinctly grateful when
the final evening arrived. When one has
To perform a painful duty there is no use
III lingering over it; and when one is Sc
crctly troubled, "A spoken and too discur-
srvc sympathy only irritates our mental
membrane. How could job for example,
tolerate the sackcioth and ashes, and,
worse still. the combative cloquencc of his
friends2
Aunt Agatha's pathetic looks and pity
Ing words irctted me to the verge of en-
DURANGO wished She would have been
less mindful of my comforts, that she
would not have insisted on helping
with my sewing, and loading me with lit
tie surprises in the shape OF gifts. But
for the bitter cold that kept me an un-
willing prisoner by the hreside. | would
have escaped into my own room, to avoid
the looks that seemed to follow me every
where.
But | would not yield to my inward ir-
rtabiiity; hummed n tune: even sung
to myself, as / Hemmed my new bib
aprons, or pulled the neat border for my
cap My, | became recklessly gay the
Inst night and dressed myself i'm what |
termed my nurses uniform, "A dark navy
blue cambria, aud then went down to
show myself To Uncle Keith, who was
reading aloud the paper to Aunt Agatha.
| could see him start as I entered; but
Aunt Agntha's first words made me blush,
aud in "a moment repentcd my misplaced
spirit of fun.
"Why Merle. how pretty you look
Does not the child look almost pretty,
Ezra though that cap does hide her nice
smooth HAIR? | had no idc.: that dress
would b. 81 becoming" But the rest of
Aunt Agatha's speech was lost upon me.
Tor ran out of the room. Why, they
seemed actually to believe that l was
play-acting, that my part was becoming
one Pretty. indeed And here such a
strange revulson of feeling took posses
sion of me that absolutely shed few
tears, though none but myself was witness
70 this humiliating fact
did not 90 downstairs for long time
after That, aud hen, to my relief. | found
Uncle Keith alone; for men are less sharp
I'm some matters than women. and he
would never fluid out that had been cry
Ing, as Aunt Agatha would; but ! was a
little taken aback when he put down his
paper. and asked, in a kind voice, why |
had stayed so long in the cold, and il had
Eot liuished nv packing.
Va, YES, returned, promptly, every
thing was done. and my trunk was only
waiting to be strapped down"
That is right, he said, quite heartily;
ALWAYS be beforehand with your duties.
Mttle, NOnr aunt tells me you nave maize
mp your mind to leave us in the morn
ing | should have thought the after
noon or early evening would have been
better"
"Oh. no. Uncle Keith" I exclaimed;
and then oddly enough. | began to laugh.
and vet the provoking tears would come
to my eyes for a vision OF suudry school
domestics arriving toward night with
their goods aud chattels, and the remem-
hrance Of their shy faces in the morning
light seemed to evoke a sort of dreary
mirth; but, 10 my infinite surprise and
embarrassment. Uncle Keith patted me
on the shoulder as though were child.
There, there; never mind showing a
bit Of natural feeling that does you credit;
yonr aunt is fretting herself to death over
losing you-hir-Uumph; and do not mind
owning that the house will be a trihe dull
without You; and, of course, young cres-
ture like you must feel il too" And with
that he took my hands, awkwardly
enough, and began warming them in his
own, for they were blue with cold. IL
Aunt Agatha had only seen him doing It,
and me, and with the babyish tears run
ming down my facet
"Why, look here" continued Uncle
|. a5f OH ~ Ia