The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-17
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but having delivered it, sank back into her
former posture aud drew her companions
arm about her neck once more.
What gives you this very poor opinion
of girls, my dearm Mrs. Redwood asked
her turning to caress her hair with her dis
engaged land.
Observation in general Miss Hether-
idge answered, land introspection In par
ticular. / am frivolous aud feather-headed
| enough, goodness knows, but Pm a positive
pearl Of wisdom aud solidity compared
with some Of them. | wish had been born
| q man."
She would have found few Of her sex
whose place she coveted to share with her
in this aspiration. Most men would have
! been content to leave her as she was An
! engaging face. at once tender and candid,
charming figure and voice OF very music.
These were the young lady'S Obvious at
| fractions, but she had other qualities which.
though less evident 10 the public gaze, were
quite as real and perhaps even more valu-
| able and charming In short, not to enter
upon mere catalogue of Projections. she
was a thoroughly good, warm-hearted,
loyal girl Of a pattern essentially English.
You think you'd be happier as man.
dear?" Mrs. Redwood asked.
NO" Miss Hetheridge answered, reso-
lutely. ~ don't see what right people have
to be always asking to be happy" she had
been reading "Sartor Resartusn of late, and
piagirised with the strongest possible belief
in her own originality. "One might be
able to he Of some use in the world If one
were man. | want to be doing something.
| don't want merely to be happy. l want
| to find duty and to do it,"
| All this was very much Greek to Mrs
Redwood, who had simply been doing her
| duty all her life time with no desire or me-
! cessity for the making Of phrases about il,
| and who knew nothing of the vague unrest
which filed her young companions mind.
| These things are a matter of fashion. That
same vague unrest of which one hears so
| much nowadays is a product of the latter
half of the century. The little reading and
little thinking folk of the eighteen thirties
| and forties had never experienced it.
You'll find your duty. dear" said the
| elder woman. gently. She might not
| quite understand the girl, but she loved
her dearly and that did just as we'll.
"A woman's duty" she added. with the
wisdom her own sorrows had taught her,
lis mostly to put up with things. and try to
make them smooth for other people"
But | want TO be doing something"
| cried the girl. But didn't mean to bother
| you with all this, ana | have a hundred
! pleasAnter things to talk about than Me. l
! do declare this Ne is the greatest trouble one
the way. Me. Me. Ne! Give Ne what
want. o, we are selfish. despicable Great
| ures All but you. mamma dear" she in
| terjected, rising in sudden tender fury aud
| hugging Mr. Redwood in both arms.
You never think about yourself at all, or
II you do, never hear of 1t. There now,
won't think or talk Me any more. I shall
sit down here and be quiet, and you shall
talk to me absolutely about what you
| please"
I'm that case dear" said Mrs Redwood.
| ''let US talk about this Me which seems to
be such a trouble to YOU"
mo no, cried the girl. 81 am sick of
| Me. Talk about your own thoughts, darl-
! ing. Your own affairs. Tell me about
! George"
| She pronounced the name with certain
reluctance. There had been little extra
| GOODNESS and stand-offisbness between her
| and George Of late, and she was not quite
| certain that she liked him as much as she
had been used to.
my darling said the widow. "You
| don't know how happy it makes me to know
that's he coming home l think he's the
| best son in the world. | hear other mothers
say that their boys are trouble TO them
George never gave me a trouble in his
life. "
He would have been a very worthless
person if he had, >" the girl declared.
Listen, - cried Mrs. Redwood. There is
the train. Do you hear it,"
A softened sound, like the sigh Of a dis
tanU wind, was audible in the stiffness of
the evening. 1t grew nearer and louder,
| sweiled into muttied roar and faded away
again. They listened. clinging to each
other. aud the mother even trembled a little
in her eagerDess.
He Will be here in ten minutes now
she said "in five if he takes fly"
Then" said Miss Hetheridge, lit is time
for me TO 60. You will have a hundred
things to talk about. and L must not be in
| your way
Mrs, Redwood would not hear Of this
and after much persuasion the girl consented
to stay for little while. The friendly al
tercation between them was scarcely over
when the sound OF wheels was heard at the
outer gate, and the mother ran into the
hall and opened the door to welcome her
son.
"You can spare your jaw, my friend, >
said manly voice outside. There's one
and kick-a tanner more than you've any
right to. And now fy, like the moon-eyed
seraph Of disnay.n
A coarse voice was heard In exclamation
but the gate clicked, and in a second or two
the stalwart youngster came marching up
the pathway with big portmRnteau on his
shoulder. He dropped 1t in the hall and
embraced his mother in both arms.
"All right, you dear old ladyF he asked
as he kissed her.
"Quite right, George"
That's well. why, there's somebody
else here. Q, I beg your pardon, Miss
Hetheridge didn't make you out at frs;
in the dusk"
His voice changed from a tone of affec
tomato jolhty to one of EXTREMIST friglc
politeness.
How do you do, Mr. Redwoodr said the
girl, accepting his protfered hand.
How do you do, Miss Hetheridge." b;
responded.
His mother led him toward the room she
had just quilted. aud he made an effort &c
return to his former unconstrained and nat
urai manner.
us all this gloom especially prepared fol
my arrivals" he asked, laughingly, ''ol
have brought IL with meF
"Ellice and / nave been talking in thu
twilight his mother answered as she rang
the bell
A maid brought in lamp in answer to
this summons.
GOOD evening. Master George. Glad &
see you back again, sir, and looking 81
healthy, tew."
Thank you, Mary" said George. ICE
Jack to carry my portmanteau upstairs
will you? And now mother, let me have
look at you.n
He took both her hands in his and they
} stood smiling affectionately at one another
for half minute. Suddenly the expires
} sion in her face changed and faint hint Of
pain and bewilderment crossed her feat
ures.