Evening journal., 1892-01-12

ROXY f3lAneA
Polly was conceited. and Liza hyper
sensitive, scented patronage
Il amt going to tell YER" she said
Then, with swift contradiction. his first
name was Charlie"
Was he handsomeS'' asked Polly. pinch
ing her neighbor under the table, 30 that
the latter a high colored, coarse LOOKING
girl, gave a little squeak.
II never see anybody better looking. ,
said Liza with promptitude "He wasn,l
any OF your pink, dolly men" Polly's
favored sutton happened 10 be fairy 'IIe
was dark. and his nose was straight, like a
gentleman's, and his teeth was white, and''
Liza warmed to her snbject--"and be
used 20 wear red silk tie with pin IN It.
And" she went on, ''he always gave nae
lots Of presents-lots-and lac loved me 40
as he couldn't bear me out Of his sight.
Oh, she cried excitedly, "he did love me,
and we was so happy. keepin company, and
he was agoin TO marry me- She paused
abruptly. Indeed, her shrill voice had got
almost beyond her control.
| What did he die OFF" asked one of the
| girls, with genuine compassion 80 her
tones.
Indeed, from that day began n new era
| for Lin Whether It was that Miss Cal
lender singled her out for special attention
or because they were really capable OF 4
| lasting impression themselves, it is inpos.
sible to say, but 1t is certain that she was
| differently treated by the other women
| and equally certain that this treatment
had salutary effect upon her. Repellant
| at hrst, she grew daily more approachable,
less suspicious, more gracious and her
better qualities came into play. Perhaps
1 Ia In f.f
| little to do with this, for from the begin.
ming Liza had loved her and now her
feeling was little less than worship. And
co love another is so good for woman,s
soul that i works like magic on her whole
being II made possible to Liza the com
prehension Of a love higher than Miss Cal
lenders and the little London heathen.
being taught by her dear lady concerning
those things Of which she had been ignor..
ant hitherto, became what the girls called
religious"
Toward the end OF the summer, she con
scented to he confirmed, and went to classes
ana this seemed to the others to make Liza
more important especially when she ex-
planned that there was ladies at the
classes"
Liza was nearer being happy now than
she had ever been In her life. aud vet she
seemed saddertoo Often she heayed great
sighs that made her neighbor turn and look
at her, and frequently there were marks Of
tears on her face; 80 that by and by II grew
evident to the others that there was some
thing weighing upon her.
One day the little married woman. who
had developed a sort Of friendship for her
ventured to ask II anything was the mat
ter with her.
Il can't help seen rs you amt quite
yourself, Liza" she said, you Amt ia no |
sort o trouble, are yergD
Liza shook her head.
Cos II there's any way Of helping yer.
Liza 1t amt much rs ] could do, but /
what can Will, yer know. Might it be /
as yer'ye quarreled with some one, or is il |
yer rint, nows-or perhaps maybe"--color |
ing, 10 doubt ms to how Liza would take
it, maybe you're caring for some one |
agin, which we can't help our feelings
Liza shook her head
1T Amt nothink O. that. Mrs. Jones.
she said.
1t wouldn't be religion, as "a depressin
you, hopeSn said Mrs. Jones, with as rnneh
severity rs she was capable OF. ut do take
some people like that, which there was
young man our way as came nigh goin on
his head, but that amt material Ii ought
70 make US 'appy. My Jim, he's sort o, re-
ligious hisself which he pays great rispeck
70 Sundays, and always washes hisseh, and
I'm sure brighter man you couldn't see ("
1T isn't religion" snid Liza, land vel
" IS. Everything gets sort o. turned m |
side down when one looks at things that
way and all what seemed natural once
seems wrong now. It's interestin seein
how things twist around, but les sgd loo.
it's disturbin. There's past things I'd wish
different nown
"P'raps you could undo en-, suggested
Mrs. Jones, who was eminently practical.
Anyway God knows, don't he, il you're
sorryW
Liza sighed.
II s'pose," she said, with apparent ir
relevance, Tone didn't ought to care If one
was loved or not; and there amt no doubt
as pride is my hesettinp
Mrs. Jones shook her head meditatively |
She was afraid religion was upsettip
Liza" she told her husband that night.
As the time for her confirmation drew
near Liza looked graver than ever and
more worried. At last it came to the day
itself. She had obtained holiday from the
laundry through the influence OF Miss Cal.
lender. What was the surprise Of thatlad
and the others therefore when in the midst
OF the midday meal in rushed 'I.izal She
had on clean print dress, made for the Cd
cason, but her hair was disordered. her
face pale from fatigue and excitement ber
eyes shone brightly.
"Hullo,N exclaimed the girlsin breath
My! amt she SWELL They thought she
had come TO show of her dress.
Eliza said Miss Calender. what do
you wanti You will be late for your con
"Oh, miss gasped Liza almost breath
less, as she was, II had to come. vetried
and tried 70 say il, and never could, ana
~ first il seemed white one, but lately
it's come atween me and God; and I've
thought on it at night IN bed. and when any
Of you has been kind to me- it ha' cut rne .
like knife, and, OH miss, when youiye
spoken Of him, I've been a-near fallin' down
and explaining to yer, but somethin held
me back. And told God, but he seemed
70 say Il wasn't any use my Just tellin. IN.
less undid it. oh, please, an OF you-I
don't care now what you think OF me. or II
you despise mel can't 90 10 church until
I've told yer. Him as talked Of was only
what ! dreamed about when I was lonely.
evenings and times; and there wasn't 40
Charlie, really, and no one amt never loved
me- nor wanted TO marry me. n-Ludgate
Monthly.