The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-30
JUST ON THE BRINK.

"Of Others, Not myself. then, motLerP'
"Others with yourself dear"
The speakers paused. Each. in accord
ance with the workings of her heart, felt
Teproachiul toward the other, and rested
silent.
Mother and daughter arranging, after the
futile fashion in which we imagine we may
arrange the future Of the one Immediately
concerned. In the face OF the former might
be traced that mixture of care and content
ment so commonly diScernible in faces OF
matronly middle age, bespeaking the history
that has been neither all joy nor yet all
trouble. IN that of the latter indication no
further than displays the uncarven marble
awaiting the sculptOr's chiSel; the room
wherein she stood the scene wherein she
gazId, pretty well telling her history
so far; tie plain, homely rectory
drawing room bearing testimony that
no outer fashions or friyolites had
invaded its walls, portraits OF ecclesiastical
dignitarics and family photographs presid-
ing in spaces unknown to lookinc-glass or
bTic-a-brac. magazines OF the Seyeres. type
aud parish records on tables den ed to nov
els or society papers, n basket Of Undarued
socks close 10 hand, and outside the little
lawn, with its flower beds cut in the turf,
the half If which had departed from their
original heart, crescent and diamond shapes
into odd wayerlng outlines of nOnGescrlIt
form produced by the ministratiOns of the
one factutUm, gardener, groom and coach
man consolidated, who tended them, and
which, for al the eighteen years that the
gil had looked upon them, had presented
unVarylng.y the same aspect, according 10
the same recurring season, crCcuSeS giving
way TO TauuuculuSeS TanunCuluSes 10 gera-
ninmS, then, after the first frost, 4 spell Of
bare brown earth until the crocus again
started tie routine.
The eldest Of the large family which
clusters within lightly endowed rectory
walls, she lad Glanced at a neighbOring
tennis party 10 meet with an Indian Judge
whom at once she had capuyated. Some
thing about the girls manner in its fresh
tranklesS, about her appearance In its
b0nny youth and ilSsom grace, had charmed
him As never before IN his eighI-ai d-fOi ty
years had he been charmed, and before the
falntest mixing as 10 such intention on his
part had occurred to her unconscious mind
he had proposed TO her Assuredly, her yea
had not been yea; but on tie other hand
perhaps from sheer surprise, neither had
1er nay been nay, and 50, warlly, he had
besOught her to take time to consider the
situation, aud then write TO him her de-
eisiOn.
To Mrs. Morrison the proposition had
been JOY undiluted She embraced her
child when size told her of it, and coDgratu-
lated her as # her acceptance were athing
already concluded, and 80 great was The
iiutter Of her delightful excitement that
>uGn size transmitted a portion Of il to Eva.
With the wretched advantages which were
al, she as able 10 give her girl such mar
rage exceeded her most sauguine expecta-
lions, for mere, indeed, had all of a sudden
risen up position, means, openings for tie
boys growing up. poss biities for the
younger girls coming OF. Under the in
lection OF the glory arising out of all these
visions, how could doubts as To any answer
save an attllmatiye lingeE long to the mind
of any one?
And yet as the girl was writing her letter
tie following afternoon, only just as she
vas writing her letter, some counter feeling
mad arisen, and even as the words were Oh
leT pen she had laid it down, and pushing
The paper from her, had sprung to her feet
With NO" sounding from the bottom of
her heart What II was she did not know !;
Why It was she could not have told you.
There had come no Influence interfering
with that which was al upon the one side |;
no word, no sound, nothing save some &C.
cult voice within; some subtle knowledge
where as yet no knowledge was; some un-
dercurrent, dim, nebulous, underlined, that
mad sioDped her, whist ering, Not yeti
cot yetW
Flushed and determined, she had gone to
.ell her mother her fresh and final decision,
Nhich Mrs, Morrison had listened to achagt
aid to her utmost, and terminated by re-
mlGding her that not herself alone was in
Guided in such wantOn sacrifice Of the good
laid before her. And then for a space fell
silence, broken only by the drowsy num-
ming OF the bees through the slumbi GUS
sunny afternoon, while Eva stood erect and
slender. with her young heart sObbng out
its pros and cons, and her mother, yearn-
ing only for her good watched her disQuiet-
eddy.
You see, dear child" she resumed. 81,
g not rs if you had any dislike to Mr.. Cliff
ford. Mine would then be the last of all
tongues TO ask, or wish, or counsel YOU to
marty him, for should hold that a wrong
20 you and wrong TO him as well. But you
have told NE that already you so much like
him, and that he is Kind and good | can see
Tor myself; and such being tie case the love
will come; indeed, dearest, you will find il
so. And think Of the life he can open to
you, the happy one for yourself and the use
ful one TO the others; and we can do but 80
little here for you all. You know. dear
child, how dull and small it is; you know
how often you already have chafed again t
1t and fIetted that you could not do as 9TH
ers can"
True, all true; and each word as she lis
tened sank into Eva's heart:
Before the corn was garnered and the bar-
vest festival held in the old sQuare-towered
church, Eva Morrison. was on her way to
India with James Clifford as her husband.
AND wholly happy woman young Mrs.
Clifford was; her letters were brimful of
her life, and all the pleasure and spark e
therein. James was such a dear old thing,
the dearest Did thing; there was nothing he
would not, did not, do for her. He had
bought for her the handsomest pony in all
the station, and she rode every morning.
James dld not ride, but there were always
plenty who did, and she had learned to in
less than no time, and it was delightful.
and there were tennis parties, and polo and
bandit playing she went to in the cool of the
afternoon, and races and ghymkhanas and
lots OF dances. And directly Flossie was
grown up She must at once come out to
hear; no difficulty about the passage money,
as james would settle all that; James was
always so kind and good, and they often
talked about it. Poor Mrs. Morrison's
mother-heart swelled with Joy and gratitude
as each glowing mail came in, and many a
Irayer of Thanksgiving for it all went IN
from under the old rectory roof.
BY and by some little alteration seemed 10
creep into the letters. They were less spark
ing, and appeared as If more thoughtfuly
penned-not written straight off from the
pleasure OF the moment-the oft-quoted
scheme as to Flossie's coming out dropped
into allegiance, and a hint even fell as to a
possibility OF its instead being Eva return
ing TO Them, change of air, and SO forth.
The climate, good Mrs. Morrison, con-
CIuutuI tIhL INSTANT screening land was try
ing her far-off BARN, and she looked with
gIadness on the rosy faces blooming round
the table; at least. she could do that much
for them. But all this was of a later date.
and had nothing whatsoever to do with the
present. when young Mrs. Clifford was en-
joying her life as bird wien first 1t feel
power over It's pinions, and when her hus-
band, watching her used sometimes to won
der how lie had been able TO secure so bonny
a one to shelter under his sober wing.
For James Clifford at 50 was an old man.
Some there are who are young at so, and
some are elderly at % years, and TO this lat
ter class indsputabiy he belonged, so that
by the time he had reached bis present age
he felt old, looked old and counted as old
Ii seemed but natural that he should drive,
not ride; watch tennis, and not play it: g
through his appointed part in the officia
quadrille at balls, and then lapse, spectator
only, for the remainder OF tie revels; and
the nearest approach IL youth that since hi:
college days he had felt was when intro
ducing Eva to its pleasures aud seeing hel
plunge gayly into their fresh novelties.
On all sides she easily won popularity
She was new, and that in Itself in circnm