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

~ He Lhtner neipiess lnulau lady; and she
seemed TO take q faint, fickefing interest
,-the last interest Of her fading iife--in
the house they fixed on, the manner they
furnished 1t, and their general household
ways. Nay. she sent many little gifts TO
them-harmless, domestic gifts, such az
not even the proudest man could reject, and
which, without making any external show
OF giving, greatly added to the comfort Of
MIR. Stenhouse's home. But she never
asked to see him again. She seemed to
feel that the last meeting Ind been q peace.
ful closing Of everything that bound her
to life, and everything that made death
painful; apparently she did not wish to re-
vive either, but lay perfectly at rest, wait
ing patiently for tho supreme call.
1t came ut last, quito suddenly; as often
happens in consumption, when both the
Watchers and the patient are lulled into y
hope that is still far distant. She had NO
one with her, and no tune to say farewell
TO anybody; only the nurse, running 70 her
and bending over her, fancied there cane
through the choking Of the expiring breath
.saae' Ss:1 sokps ..s
Johnssnd told Mmg and M3E Knowle, sEd
everybody, that Lady Bo&orbank's last
words had been bor husbands name. No.
body contradicted the faet.
1t may be thought proof Of the hard
ness OF John Stenhouse's heart to state
that except the one day of Lady Bower
banks funeral, when, out Of respect to her
memory, the office of Bowerbank & Co.
was closed, and the clerks had liberty to
enjoy themselves as they pleased and she
would have been glad Of it, dear, kindly
heart!-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
ap 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 81 Co. higher than ever among Liv-
erpool merchants-not one of them ever
suspected that within the week light had
gone out OF this young mans LIFE which
nothing In the world could ever relume.
Nevertheless, John Stenhouses life has
neither been useless nor sad. Moderately
prosperous, and widely honored by all who
know him, externally he may be consid-
cred o happy and successful man. And
his home, il 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 complimentary
very right, too, everybody said-to the head
Of the firm and his deceased wife, poor
Lady Bowerbank.-
EmiIy's instinct-true woman's instinct
was correct. Sir John and Mr.. STEM
house became fast friends. Such strange
ikings often occur under circumstances
which. in meaner natures. produce only
jealousy and aversion. But these three
she'two men left living and the sweet
woman happily dead-were all good peo-
pie, mono of whom had Intentionally
gronged the other. but had all heen sipped
sRainse by tho ond seifsh, hard heart that
was now mere handful Of dust. Still,
by the merciful ordinance Of Providence,
evil itself is limited in its power against
good, especially when after IL comes the
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 the wild, angry passion Of loss, the
other with o half-remorseful tenderness
we're unconsciously drawn to one another
in q way neither could have explained or
desired to explain, but both felt it was so.
They sought one another's company shyly
and doubtfully at first; afterward with o
yearning curiosity; finally, out Of warm re-
gard. The great difference of age be-
tween them, which might have been that
Of father and son, and the fact that the one
had never had father nor the other O son,
also combined to prevent all feeling OF ri
valry, and to form bond Of mutual at
traction and mutual usefulness. And she
who Was gone, though her name was never
once named between them till Mr.. STEM
house asked Sir Johns permission to give
1t to his baby daughter, constituted tie
stronger than anything external
Mr.. Knowle was little surprised, and
80 was Mrs. Knowle, to see the great cor
diality and even intimacy which, In the
course of year, sprang up between the
Knowles were both such kindly people
that, though they did not understand it,
indeed, would have expected things to be
altogether different-they were exceedingly
glad it was so; exceedingly tender, too, In
q half-sad sort of way, over the baby En-
lily, whom good Mrs. Knowle took to with
q warmth surprising even her universal
and ardent affection for all babies.
And so the three households Of the firm
Of John Bowerbank d Co. still subsist---
two rich and childicss. one much poorer.
but not without many blessings. There is,
the little mouths, and clothes on the little
bodies, and instruction into the little
minds: and John Stenhouse Is o good
father, who, in iiierai sense, makes no
step BARNS" but is equally just and tender
with his own and his wife's daughters. As
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 knowsi But the sharp ex-
perience Of his own life may be all the
better 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-
tinyI Nor does her father good man
who watches her and guards her, and 10
both father and mother to her, for Mrs.
Stebhouse, though sweet e. ever, hes sunk
into confirmed laziness and elegant invalid
. ism. Her girls aae good children, but the
apple Of the fathers eye is his own little
daughter; and no doubt, evenS nov, be
Air, kc xvsfh n carfoiu VAGINA dread Of t6e