The Irish standard., 1892-07-23
CHAPTER VII.
CAST OUT FROM HOME.

The next six years of my existence
had as well be left blank in this narra-
tive. There is little in them worth re-
cording, and nothing perhaps, that one
would care to know. My life through
all that time was one long, unbroEen
stretch of prosecutions and sufferings,
and the memories I have of it are not
pleasant to recall, and would rather
draw veil over them and shut them
away from the public gaze. Would to
Heaven ] could shut them out Of my
memory as well, and never be haunted
by them again. But that is impossible.
The misery those years brought'me will
live in my 1sind as long as live. They
are too 1ndeibly fixed there to be
erased by time or change, and through
all my days they will stand before me
as unwelcome specters.
Those six years brought changes, it is
true, but my condition was not made
better by them. My stepmother's dis
like increased as grew up, and she be-
came more wicked and heartless in her
dealings with me every day. My sister
came to be almost as cruel to me, in so
far as she had the power, as her mother
was. She was thoroughly selfish, and
with age that characteristic grew
stronger in her nature SO that before
she had reached her fifteenth year she
mad no care for anyone and only val
ued her friends according to their abil-
ty to supply her wants. could do 1T
tie for her beyond such services as
cheap hireling might have rendered,
and consequently was of small moment
TO her She declined to have any sister
ly relations with me, never spoke to me
indy, never would go into public with
me, and in every way deported herself
toward me as mistress might toward
the lowest mental.
MY father continued to show me the
same neglect and cold Indifference that
had characterized him from the first.
He apparently had no idea of my physi-
cal or mental needs, and never devoted
a thought, I'm sure, to my future. He
gave me no training, no advice, no in
structions, but permitted me to grow
up in my surroundings, imbibing what.
ever ideas Of life and its duties l
CHANGED to form in my ignorance. His
cruelties increased in the same pro-
portion as my stepmother's hatred, for
the more she faulted me the more
occasion he had to int1ict punishment.
Still, in spite Of all, continued to love
him and to long for his love in return.
For long time Will Hanley and
were together frequently, and as he
continued to let his sympathy go out to
me in the old way he was a source of
happiness to me, as he had been from
the first. But at last there came day
of separation. He went to the city to
attend school, and during the remaining
three years lived at home I never saw
him or heard anything concerning him.
Our parting, which took place down
back of the orchard, where l had first
met him, was full of true sorrow, which,
I'm sure, was mutual, and, besides
great many promises made regarding
the future, we agreed to write to each
other every week. He was to write first
and tell me how to address my letters,
and then was to answer immediately.
I rejoiced in this arrangement, and NO
one can tell how fondly looked forward
to the coming of his first letter-which,
alas, never came.
All, how impatiently brooked the
long delay, as day after day passed,
and the weeks ran into months,
and the letter for which 1 still
eagerly watched and prayed failed
to come to hand. At last I abandoned
oil lor,o <,f SIC <o,,,inr ond t1,on uhor I
sought for the reason OF It's failure
guessed the truth. My stepmother had
received AND destroyed that letter as
she did all those that for months fol-
lowed it. At the time supposed she
was doing it to annoy me, and to de-
prive me Of the small need Of enjoy
ment those letters might bring, but aft
erwards learned that she had a deeper
purpose in view.