Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-11-13
POOR AND PROUD.

"Tm afraid we can't go to Saratoga
this summer" said Mrs. Whitby to her
eldest daughter, stylish-looking girl
of nineteen. Il have pinched and con-
trived in every possible way, and yet
can hardly make both ends meet"
"But what will everybody say of us ?"
answered the daughter
"Very true" replied the mother.
So they went to Saratoga. By what
strategy it was effected we cannot pre-
tend to tell. Some people have way
of cutting down their servants wages,
and of hagging with a seamstress about
the price Of q days work; and Mrs.
Whitby was one of these. It was by
what she called economy, but plain peo-
pie call meanness. that she saved the
money for her summer trip. The day
had been fixed for their departure, and
the elder daughter had begun to pack
her trunk, when Mrs. Whitby came in
to the room, with an open letter in her
hand and dismay written on her coun-
tenance.
You might as well put your things
back in their drawers" said the mother.
Here is letter from your aunt Ellen.
She is sick and out of work as well as
out of money, she says. I declare, it's
burden to the family. She might have
married when she was young, and then
your father wouldn't have had to sup
port her, as he has had to do, half the
time. There was old Mr.. Smith was
dying for her, when she was your age,
and still pretty. But, with her ridic-
ulous notions about love and similarity
of tastes she refused him; and now.
without a penny, would starve, if it
wasn't for US. And goodness knows,
we've enough to do to take care of our
selves"
But, ma, we can't giveup Saratoga"
said the daughter. I'VE should never
be able to hold up our heads again, if
we do People viii suspect the truth.
We've talked too much about it to stay
at home. Besides, told DR.. Burnet
we were going; and he said at once
that he'd meet US there" And she look
ed quite conscious. For DR.. Burnet
was no antiquated physician with a
gray poll and gold-headed cane, but
a handsome young man just entering
his profession, and the inheritor of a
competent income. All the girls in the
Whitby set declared him "a love of a
man." He was. in reality, very much
more than this silly term implied, hav-
ing first-rate abilities, q high sense of
honor, and a manly character. The
pretty face of Miss Whitby had pleased
him, and he had been showing her con-
siderable attention.
"That alters the case, said the moth
ser, decidedly. "Your aunt must get
somebody else to help her. She's no
right, either, to ask us; we've already
done enough for her. Besides, she'll
get sewing again if she looks out sharp
for it. Of course, it won't do to sit with
her hands folded. I wonder what
would become of us all if did it?
So they went to Saratoga. To have
seen the Whitbys at Congress Hall.
q stranger would have thought they had
not a care on earth. Little did people
there imagine the shifts to which Mrs
Whitby had been driven In order to raise
funds for this expedition. Meantime
DR.. Burnet was hurrying through his
engagements, so that he might follow
a certain pretty face to Saratoga. He
was not one to neglect a duty. how.
ever; hence, while one or two patients
continued so i'll, he could not persuade
himself that it was right to leave
But one day after watching little boz
shrough a dangerous illness, he wal
drawing on his gloves at his final visit
when the mother spoke:
@I wish, Doctor, if you could, yoJ
would go up stairs and see sick lady
She has lodged in our front attic these
last two years; you know we let a par
of our house out to dodgers. She's
real lady and has rich relations"
@Rich relationsl" said the Doctor,
Sand she living in garnet 2"
well, they live in good style ant
pretend to be somebody. But they lie
her starve almost. She's been out o
work for long time; the sewing ma
.ohines, you know, make it hard for PEG
pie that live by the needle; and now,
fear, ,he is really sick ?"
@Have these relations been applie'
sto?"