The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-04-16
A MOTHERS REMINIscENcE.
A LIFE-sKETCH.
~ sYIyASrs conn, JR.

BY sYIyASrs coRn, Jg
Mother, what is the matter with you
this morning.
~0h, Ralph If you couId have seen
yourself You have no idea how badly
off you were Bot the worst Of all was, |
overheard several speaking Of it. 1t was
too bad, they said. don't want to scold
you, my dear boy but | will ask you to
be more careful in future"
@Well, mothor, will will commence
to-day-honor bright 1 will. Will that
do -
Yes, Ralph, can ask no more than
that. And, dear boy, you-wiIl-try-I
know
The foregoing had transpired between
Mrs Rachel Poriett and her only child.
Ralph. She was widow, but little be-
yond the middle age, residing in an aris-
tocratic neighborhood, and moving in an
aristocratie circle.
The son, Ralph, was two and twenty !;
had lately graduated from one Of the lest
of the New York colleges. and was one Of
the choicest spirits Of the cial set with
which he associated. He wssa handsome
young fellow, brave and generous. Both
he and his mother had been leif, by the
late husband and father wealthy. We
can judge from the character oftheir con-
yersation something of the home infiu-
ence under which Ralph Porlett had
been reared.
Ralph, said the mother, after a long
panse, lowering her voice and speaking
with slight tremor in hertone, is there
anything serious between you and that
Hapgood girl %
Do you speak of Miss Kate Hap
/ good ?"
Yes, of Kate Hapgood. l hope, my
son, you viii not suffer yourself to be-
come entangled in that quarter"
What have you against the girl,
mother?7
Nothing at all against the girl, Ralph.
She is very pretty. and I haven't any
doubt she is virtuous and good but
think of the society in which they
move ."
Ralph Porlett's lip curled, and his dark
gray eyes burned portentousIy but be
made no further reply, and shortly LEFT
the house.
Mrs. Mary Hapgood vas another Wild
ow. very differently situated from Mrs
Porlett. She owned the house in which
she liyed-the gift OF friends who had
honored and loved her husband in his
prime and she earned very comforta-
bic livelihood in the capacity of music
teacher. She taught vocal music, and
she taught the harp, piano, and organ.
In truth, she earned more than she spent.
Kate was her only daughter. She was in
her nineteenth year, queenly maiden,
though not tall, nor so very stately but
her beauty was regal, and her education
was in keeping. She was now, and had
been for almost a year, helping her
mother with her pupils.
We cannot say how many lovers Kate
Hapgood might have had. We only
know that she had loved in return only
one, and him, alas she feared she should
I never marry. She sometimes wished that
Ralph Porlett had never crossed her
path. She could not help loving him, as
her heart had gone out to him in spite Of
her. He was 50 brave, so.handsome, so
generous, and his heart was 50 tender
and true. How could she help it Oh
If only he had not that one fault Ifhe
could rise above that weakness. she
felt that she could give up her life for
him.
Her feelings were deep and powerful,
and they were pure and unselfsh and
Ralph Porlett knew it, and hence he low
ed her. She would have sacrificed much
for the loved one She might have sacri-
feed her own life. Ii was her mother
who put forth the.steadie-, calmer hand
TO save her.
One evening, about a week after the
conversation which We overheard be-
tween Mrs Porleit and her son, Ralph /
met Mrs. Hapgood alone in her pleasant /
little sitting room, and then and there |
asked her if she would give him the /
hand Of her daughter. He was going on
TO tell how much, and how fondly, and I
how enduringly, he loved the dear girl, /
when the widow stopped him. She was
paler than Was her won't, there were hot
tears in her eyes, and her neither lip gGiv- /
cred as she spoke,
Ralph, say no more at present. I've
loved you as 1 might have loved an own
son, had God so blessed me and shall 1
love you to the end. And should evil be- l
fall you-should any dread calamity rest T
upon you-none would sorrow more
deeply than should /. Still, Ralph, /
dare not-0, dare not-give what you
ask
Mrs, HapgoOd-"
Hush cannot argue with you.
will not reflect upon your life. viii do
what had once thought no power on
earth could ever persuade me to do.
will tell you my own life-story, Ralph,
and you will not need to ask me another
question
The widow brushed her hand across
her eyes as she paused in her speech, and
1r Z
alone, she went on
Ralph, I was. as you perhaps'know,
born and reared in this city. My father
was a musician, and maker Of musical
instruments. and naturally he called
around him much of the musical talent
Of the metropolis. One of his closest and
most valued friends was Ernest Hapgood
who was accounted the best organist Of !