Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-08-13
HELEN'S SACRIFICE.
How She Was Amply Repaid for
Her Self-Denial.

the rear Of DR.. Hastings carriage, as 1T
whirled rapidly down the street. Her
face wore a troubled look, which deep
ened as she caught sight of her father
coming up the sidewalk. AS he drew
near he coughed slightly, and she no
ticed with pain that he was pale and
thin, and that his hair had grown gray
very fast of late.
What is DR.. Hastings verdict" he
asked, anxiously.
HE orders rest, freedom from all care,
and all kinds of delicacies to tempt the
appetite. He says the two months at the
sea-shore would accomplish wonders"
HE might as we'll order trip to the
moon and a diet of greenbacks; one
could be accomplished about as easily
as the other" said Mr.. Howard, bitterly,
as he passed into the house.
Helen looked after him in astonish.
ment, it was so unusual to hear him
speak bitterly or harshly. For the arst
time she seemed fully to realize what 1T
meant to be poor.
The tinkle of piano came from the
open, lace-curtained window across the
way, and Helen forgot her troubles for
a moment as she listened to the merry
tune. Helen was passionately fond Of
music, and the one absorbing ambition
of her life had been to have piano and
to receive a course of thorough instruc-
ton in the one art for which she felt in
her soul she had special talent. Her
father was book-keeper in the factory at
the other side of the town; he received
a liberal salary, but with q family of
six to be fed and clothed there WAS lit
tie margin for extras. He had given
her the advantages of three years
course at Elmville Seminary, from
which she had graduated with honors;
but he had never seen his way clear to
crafty the desire of her heart. She had
been employed as teacher in that same
seminary for the past two years, and al
though she had supplied the family
with many little luxuries she had
economical closely on her own account
that she might save every penny toward
her cherished scheme. She was near
the realization of her hopes, for she had
been engaged for another year at the
seminary, and had deposited so large q
sum in the bank that she felt that 1t
would be safe to purchase, although she
could not pay down the entire amount.
So it is not strange that she was inter
ested in the music across the way, and
wondered If she would ever be able to
play like Carrie Kimble, and If her
piano would have so fine tone.
A spray Of pale roses hung temptingly
near, and as Helen turned to enter the
house she picked them from their stem.
A pale lady recliped upon a sofa in the
sitting-room; Helen placed the roses ~
her hand. shook up the fir pillow, gave
the thin cheeks a loving caress, and, bid
ding her to TRY and Sleep" she coaxed
the children to her favorite retreat, 2
pine grove behind the house. She kept
them there for nearly two hours, and
when she returned TO the house was
pleased to find that the invalid had just
awakened from a most refreshing nap.
Her father had long ago returned to his
office. Helen brought her mother sau-
Ger Of strawberries, slice Of bread and
cup of tea, daintily arranged upon a
tray.
"Ah, Helen, you are always nay good
fairy. Whatever could l do without
you? / feel quite rested, thanks to
your flr pillow and the perfume of your
roses"
This step-mother of Helen's was only
ten years older than herself, and al
though devotedly attached to her, she
seemed more like an elder sister than a
mother. Over-work and the care OF
three little children had reduced Mrs.
Howard to her present state of peryous
! exhaustion.
Helen went about two or three days
in a brown study. Her mother noticed
her unusually quiet manner and she
said to her one day:
"You are working too hard, fear; II
is too bad, and in your vacation, when
| you ought to have rest. 1t seems yeEy
hard to lie here so helpless when ! an
needed so much. feel very anxious
about your father, too. Have you no
ticed how poorly he is looking?"
THE hot weather we have had of late
is very exhausting. OF course it affects
father; he ought to have vacation. II
is shame that Forest q Wakem do not
! give him one, after he has worked tol
them SO long-and-I-a am going TO tel
| them SO this very minute" she ex
claimed, hastily leaving the ROOM.
That evening, after the childFea hsd
gone to bed, she spoke suddenly:
"Well, father, we'll, Alice, when will
you be ready for your trip to the sea
/ shore2"
"Trip to the esashorel" they ex
claimed, simultaneously. ''What are
| you talking about?"
II mean that Forest & WalIem have
made arrangements 70 give father q six
weeks vacation, and that ia Difference
to his long service his pay Is tC
continue as usual. have planned thai
you and Alice are to start next Tuesday
for Ocean Park, where you are both to
find health and strength and are to
grow young and happy, while I, your
obedient servant, remain at home and
keep the household machinery running
smoothly"
"You talk in enigmas, Helen. How
do you know that Forest & Wakem are
going to give me a vacation2 They
have never me ntioned it to me-"
''Mr. Forest told me so himself, this
afternoon, in his Office"
| PuJs helen-
"There, now, don't be angry with me,
fatheri ! could not bear to see you dy.
ing before my very face and eyes with.
out trying to help you. ] only went tc
Forest & Wakem and asked for the va.
cation that you would not ask for your
self. told them of your poor health
and OF Aiiee's illness, and they were
very kind. So you ses have every
thing arranged"
There is one thing that you seem moi
to have considered, travel and sojourI
At seaside resorts take money. Where
are the funds for our expenses?"
Here, father" and Helen placed &
roll of bills in his hand.
He turned pale and his voice mas
husky with emotion when he spoke
t'WheFe-"
His wife interrupted him: ''Heler