Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-24

whom she had loved, she spat in his
face.
Go away" she cried, while the astound
ed John mechanically tried 60 wipe of
the insult with his sleeve, looking 1T her
with protruding eyes full of rage.
Get out" she repeated, ''or / will kill
youl" She had picked up the fire shovel,
and bTandished it so near Johns face
that he prudently recoiled toward the
door that opened into the garden.
"As son like" be muttered, 'as You
like. l didn't mean to make you angry;
there's nothing to get lii rage about"
go away" exclaimed the girl once
more, but this time without any menace.
The rage had vanished from her face
which now expressed only disgust.
He beat retreat and went out, shut
ting the door behind him. For one NC
ment his silhouette darkeued the little
light which entered through the greenish
glass of the window; then he disappeared
and Amelia returned back again 70 the
hearth.
She did not cry; there are blows that
break the heart, and others that kill the
| body, without making either tears or
blood flow, and these are not the less
painful. She looked at her past life as
cue looks at work i'll done-a failure.
II was on winters day like this that
her dying mother had been carried to the
pooIhouse, holding her in her arms. The
only word which the poor creature had
been able TO pronounce was a name
Amelia. Was It her own or that of her
child, then three years oldS What did it
matter. The child was called Amelia;
they buried the mother, and all was
over.
Old James, who was not young then,
had picked up the little creature when
she was about seven years old-she had
belonged to nobody-and had promoted
her TO the rank of a servant. Servant
child who was only beggarl That was
a change in social position, and Amelia
was grateful to the old MAJ for having
raised her to that dignity. Very email,
but intelligent and dooile, she bad served
him according to her childish strength
often beyond it-askiEg no other wages
than her daily bread.
The old man was gross and rude, and
often spoke too roughly; but he had
never struck the orphan, restrained, per
haps by that misfortune which had no
other protection. Amelia's life had
rolled on in this cabin, between the COWS
and the chickens, without joys, without
hopes, without dreams Of a future. OF
what could she dreamf
JOHN noticed her one day; then he
made love to her. On st. Johns day he
had chosen her for the dance. Then il
was that the girls heart had known the
pride of being loved and the humber
| Joy of loving.
She did not love the old man; she
| feared hun. She loved the little calves
and the kids; all of Shese pets had dis
appeared in the wagon that carried pro-
duce to to6n. Foundlings have no
friends among those of their own age;
their relations are sure to say to them,
"We don't know wnere she comes froml'
You must know where any one comes
from before you show her any tender
ness!
John loved her He preferred her to
all other=! Her poor little heart swelled
with gratitude at the thought that he, the
handsomest and best in the village, did
not despise founding. She loved him
with all her strength, for she tasted for
the first time of tenderness and love.
Now he was going to be married. He
had had enough of her! Not enough,
however, since ne had dared At the
semblance she shivered at the insult,
hiding in her two hands her dry and
burning eyes and her forehead, red with
shame.
He had not loved her-tbat was plain.
While she had dreamed OF oonsecrating
! life to him, imagine the acts of i'm posi-.
! ale devotion TO lay at his feet, he was
seeking mere pastime to while away
the period leading up TO the marriage!
! A deep, irrevocRble bitterness found Its
way to the heart of this child, TO whom
no ons had taught resignation, and who
revolted against injustice. Anger and
resentment, these were to be her daily
ompanions.
| Nothing is more cruel to an innocent
/ soul than the sudden entrance Of wicked
feelings, piercing the heart like cold
sword. These uuwelcome guests are
/ even harder to endure than the wrong
which causes them to arise. Alas say
what they may, it is not from choice that
any one becomes bad; the Apprenticeship
20 sin has many torture!
While Amelia was torn by rage and in
| diguation, the outer door opened, and the
| old man entered covered with snow. He
shook himself upon the threshold and
entered his dwelling without one friendly
/ word for her who kept the hearth.
"Well," he exclaimed, "how's the cow
| "She is no better" answered the little
servant mechanically.
81 must 90 TO her. grumbled james,
going out again.
She had resumed her meditatious an
was dreaming OF some revenge, when d
old man re-entered, his eyebrows brist-
/ ling, his hands shaking, in an ungoy-
ernable passion.
She is dead!" he cried, striking his
stick upon the stone sill; "she is cold,
and you, you good-for nothing, you
/ haven't even looked at herr
81 did go, naster,' Amelia answered
getting mp; II Thought | could do moth
| ing and did not go again"
! "You lie" cried the old man shaking
with rage; you haven't Eut your foot
out OF doors! You we're afraid of the
cold, you are as dainty as a fue lady; you
stayed here 10 warm your feet
/ He had come TO the glass door, and
! there he perceived the fOO'marks which
the snow had not yet entirely concealed
/ the weather had likhtsned a little, the