Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-11-29
MERLE'S CRUSADE.
BY ROSA NAUCHETTE CAREY.
Author of Barbara HsGthcote's Trial,
"Queenie's Within" ''1'he Search
for Basil Lyad1s Lrst."

CHAPTER 1.-THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.
'Merle. may be a little old-fashioned
In my notions: middle-aged people never
adjust their ideas quite ia harmony with
you young folk, but in my day we never
paused to count fifty at full stop"
Aunt Agatha's voice startled me with
Its reproachful irritability. Well, / had
deserved that little sarcasm, for I must
confess that had been reading very care
lessly. Iy fayorite motto was ringing in
nv ears, LdbOrdre est ordre.
Somehow the words had set themselves
to resonant music in my brain: it seemed
as though | were chanting them inward
ly all the time was climbing down the
steep hill with Christiana and her bows
Ldborn-e est ordre And this is what /
was reading on that still, snowy Sunday
afternoon: "But we will come again to
this Valley of Humiliation. 1t is the best
and most fruitful piece OF ground In all
these parts. 1t Is fat ground, and, as
you see, consistent much in meadows, and
IL man was to come here in the summer
time as we do now, IL he knew not any
thing before thereof, and il he delighted
himself in the sight of his eyes, he might
see that which would be delightful to him.
Behold how green this valley IS also how
beautiful with liliesl / have known many
Iaboring men that have got good estates
In this Valley of Humiliation"
"Merle." observed Aunt Agatha little
dryly, 1--WE may as well leave of there,
for it seams that you aud ! are to have our
estate among the laboring men in this
very valley"
Aunt Agatha was a clever woman, and
could say shrewd things sometimes, but
she never spoke truer word than this;
but my wits were no longer wool gather
ing.
what pity you stopped me Just thenP'
/ remarked, somewhat sententiOusly; we
have missed the purest gem of the ale
CORY:
"'He that fl down need fear no fall,
Ho that Is low no PRIDE"
But here a hand was lifted in protesting
fashion.
put the marker IN the page, child and
spare me the rest; that is in favor OF your
argument. not mne:" for weary dis
cussiOn had been waged between us for
two whole hourS-a discussion that had
driven Aunt Agatha exhausted to the
couch, but which had only given me a
tingling feeling of excitement. such as a
raw recruit might experience at the sight
of battlefield. Aunt Agatha's lady like
ideas lay dead and wounded round her
while had made that last impetuous
charge.
81 am OF age. "A free English woman;
living in n free country; aud not all the
nineteenth-century preIudiCes, though
they are thick MS dragons teeth, shall
prevent me. Merle Fenton, OF sane mind
nnd healthy body. from doing what be-
lieye to be my duty"
"Humph am rather doubtful OF the
4 ..1. -
too independent and strong minded for n
girl; but what is the use of preaching to
deaf ears'" continued Aunt Agatha, in
decidedly cross voice, as she arranged the
cushions comfortably.
1t was true that ! was getting the best
OF the argument, and yet | was sorry for
Aunt A gatha. ! felt how / was shocking
all her notions of decorum and propriety,
and giving pain to the kindest and gent
lest heart in the world; but one cannot
lead "A new crusade without trampiiug on
some prejudices. / knew all my little
world would shrek "fy, and for shame"
into my ears, and all because | was bent
on working out new theory. The argu-
ment had grown out of such u little thing.
had shown Aunt Agatha an advertise
ment in tie Hor1IiHg Post. aud announced
my intention OF answering it in person the
following morning
"NuRsE.-Can any lady recommend
thoroughly conscientious superior person
tB take Charge OF two children, baby eigh-
Zen months old? Assistance given in the
nurscry Must be good plain needle
woman Princes Gate, 5 W"
70 the last day of my life | do not
think that | shall ever forget Aunt Aga
thns face when she heard that advertise
ment
''You intend to offer yourself for this
situation, Merle-to lose caste, and take
your place among mcnialss II Is enough
to make my poor brother rise In his grave,
and YOUR poor dear mother, too. to think
OF Fenton STOPPING to such degradation"
But will forbear to trauscribe all the
wordy avalanche OF lady-like iuvective
that was hurled Mt me, accompanied by
much wringing Of hands.
Aud yet the whole thing lay In a nut
shell. l. Merle Fcnton, sound healthy
and aged two-aud-twenty, being orphaned,
pennlless, aud only possessing one near
relative in the World-Aunt Agatha-de-
clined utterly TO be dependent for my daily
bread and the clothes | wore on the good
will OF her husband and my uncle by mar
rage, Ezra Keith.
No. was not good. I dare say l was
self-willed, contradictory, and rs obstinate
rs mule that will go every way but the
right way; but, all the same loved Aunt
Agatha, my dear fathers only sister, and
detested Uncle Keith with a perfectly
unreasonable detestntion.
Aunt Agatha had been governess all
her life. Certainly the Fenton family had
not much to boast Of In the way Of wealth.
Pedigree and poverty are not altogether
pleasant yoke fellows. 1t may be COM
Portable To ones feelings to know that IA
certain progenitor of ours made boots at
the time II tho Conquest though / am
never quite sure IN my mind that they
had boot-makers then; but my historical
knowledge was always defective. But a
little money ts also pleasant; indeed il the
pedigree and the money came wooing to
me, and had to choose between them
well, perhaps had better hold my tongue
on that subject; for what is the good of
shocking people unless one has very
good reason for doing sof
My fathers pedigree did not help him
into good practice, and he died young-a
grave mistake, peop.> tell me, for a pro-
feSsional man to commit. Nv mother
was very pretty and very helpless, but
then she had a pedigree, too, and, proba-
bly,, that forbade her to soil her white
hands She was flue lady, with moro
heart than head, which she had lost most
unwtsely to the handsome young doctor.
After his death. she made futile efforts for
her chtld's sake but the grinding wheel
of poverty caught the poor butterfly aud
crushed her to death.
My poor, teuder-hearted, unhappy moth
erl Well the world is - cruel place to
these soft, unprotected natures.
should have Jared badly but for Aunt
Agatha; her hardly earned savings were
all spent on my education She was a
clever highly educated woman, and COM
manded good salaries, and out of this she
contriVed 10 board and maintain me at a
school until she married. aud Uncle
Keith promised that | should share their
home.
| never could understand why Aunt
Agatha married him Perhaps she was
tired of the drudGery OF teaching; at forty
Ave one may grow a little weary of ones
work. Perhaps she wanted a home for
her old age aud was tired OF warming
herself at other peoples fires, aud pre-
terred q chimney corner of her own; but,
strange To say. she always secuted these
two notions with the utmost indignation.
4 married your uncle, Merle" she
would say, with great dignity, because
he convinced me that he was the right
e. tn I haN