The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-20

a. - ~" lpOynents proved deluslNc
me very SOC ETY. of which she had been part
"Ailo ~ @4mitted her right to work, had no
IeSlla'HJn in making distinction between
taIa Evcrdale rich and in the current Of
iaaa,on and Laura Eycrdaic earning living
/ Very little Of the mobile compassion and
hind intutiOus Of the struggles of toilers'
| 6uttercd through the hearts Of friends in her
! old set Society simply drew its intangible
| line, and Laura soon disccrncd in its waning
/ devotion that tho best of its service had been
the interest of self love, To join the great
army of practical workers now gave her
freedom and relief She realized that
tranquil and satisfactory life may befolowed
almost anywhere where there areno fictitious
wants and no exaggerated ideas of happiness
and unhappincss Plans for the children be-
came plain and possible, for she had proved,
eXperlmentally, that, 50 far as utility is con
Cerned, poetry gives way to bread
position at Bartholomew was gained
without difficulty II was an English house,
filed with personal articles of the most
luxurious and costly kinds, and being con
Quoted with great liberality the Bartholo-
NOV stamp had become the seal of fashion.
Hence it was a bit of good fortune at the out
set, Laura thought, to be awarded the UNI
brella department.
The equinoctial had been severe in the fall
whereof this chronicle is made and umbrella
GALES had been particularly active. On the
morning already mentioned the young at
tacho to The Daily Argosy had como hurry
ing into Bartholomcw'5 from n sudden out
burst of the clouds, and while properly cour-
tcous, appeared little over critical in his
choice of an umbrella. Laura opened one
after another of the handsome shields, when,
at last, becoming nervous, she hastily closed
patent fastening aud impaled one of her
fingers upon wire With all her self con
troll and resolution tho pain overcame her,
and she tainted Confusion followed every
one in the establishment ilocked around her,
whilc tho proprietor and the would be pur
chaser eXtricated the wire from the lacerated
thumb When the sufferer recovered sufl-
GENTLY, a carriage was called, and the gray
haired porter of the establishment escorted
Laura home
Several days passed by before she returned
to her duties, and meantime Morgan Starr
called daily ut Bartholomews TO inquire
after the invalid AS il the attention re-
quired excuse, he never failed, ut the perad-
venture of criticism, 80 remark to Mr.. Bar
tholomew that "suCh u wound in such IA SEN
sitivc place might be n serious matter" At
which Mt last the merchant smiled and said
within himself that it appeared to toe seri-
GUS matter to Mr.. Starr, Just us il was
In due time Laura returned 10 duty, and
the philanthropic qualification ovinced by
Morgan Starr when he found her there ono
CHEEKY morning was a credit TO his kind.
Within Il day or two he called again TO offer
n particularly fine lotion. eillcacious to q de-
gree in other cases Of thumbs impaled on
wires, and after dreary hiatus Of week,
during which he drew heavily on his Topics
for Poems, he sauntared in with plaster adj
vised by u famous Prussian surgeon, and just
mere there came an end TO his visits, for
laura told the young Journalist that he could
not be allowed to make her conspicuous, and
aU the chance OF seeming ungratoIul for his
kindness, she must request hun not 10 call
again
as it necessary said the gentleman, that
we now go back, and become utter strangers,
bEcauso Of coaveutiouality, for which l pro-
sumo you care as little as ! dor
at is not oUuyantionality that is in ques-
ton, answered Laura; lit is propriety and
the correct demands OF self for self, and not
society at all With the latter / have Moth
ing to do. My days are passed here, my
nights with my family. read and study, so
occasionally to see q good play or hear line
music, and over and above all am intensely
Interested in"-- An interruption here oc-
CURED, and then another, and finally no OPP
portunity came up for renewal OF tlc con-