The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-02
JUST ON THE BRINK.

Others, with yourself, dear"
The speakers paused. Each, in accord
ance with the workings of her heart, felt
reproachful 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 contentment so commonly
d1scernible 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 await
ing the sculptor's chisel; the room
wherein she stood, the scene wherein she
gaZed, pretty well telling her history so
far; the plain, homely rectory drawing
room bearing testimony that no outer
fashions or frivolities had invaded its
walls, portraits of ecclesiastical digni-
taries and family photographs presiding
In spaces unknown TO looking-glaSs or
brlc-a- brac, magazines of the seVereSt
type and parish records on tables denied
to novels and society papers, basket
of undarned socks close to hand and
II,
beds cut in the turf, the half of which had
departed from their original heart, cres-
cent and diamond shapes into odd waver-
ing outlines of nondescript form pro-
duced by the ministrations of the one
tactotum, gardener, groom and coachman
consolidated, who tended them, and
which, for all the eighteen years that the
girl had looked upon them, had pre-
Sented unvaryingly the same aspect ac-
cording to the same recurring season,
crocuses giving way to ranunculuses,
ranunculuseS to geraniumS, then, after
the first frost, a spell of bare, brown
earth until the crocus again started the
routine.
The eldest of the large family which
clusters within lightly endowed rectory
walls, she had CHANGED at a neighboring
tennis party to meet with an Indian
Judge, whom at once she had captivated.
Something about the girls manner in its
treSh franknesS, about her appearance in
its bonny youth and lissom grace, had
charmed him as never before in his eight
and-forty years had he been charmed
and before the faintest inkling as to such
intention on his part had occurred to her
her. Assuredly, her yea had not been
yea; but on the other hand, perhaps
from sheer surprise, neither had her nay
been nay, and so, warily, he had besought
her to take time to consider the situation.
and then write him her decision.
To Mrs. Morrison the proposition had
been joy undiluted. She embraced heT
child when she told her of it, and con
graduated her as if acceptance were
thing already concluded, and so great
was the tiutter Of her delightful excite
ment that soon she transmitted a portion
of it to Eva. With the wretched advan-
tages which were all she was able to give
her girl, such a marriage exceeded her
most sanguine expectations, for here in
deed, had all of a sudden risen UP DO.
sltion, means, openings for the boys
growing UP, possibilities for the younger
girls coming on. Under the infection OF
the glory arising out of all these visions
how could doubts as to any answer save
an affirmative linger long to the mind Of
anyone?
And yet as the girl was writing her let
ter the following afternoon, only lust a.
she was writing her letter, some counter
feeling had arisen, and even as the words
were on her pen she had laid it down
and pushing the paper from her, had
sprung to her feet with mo" sounding
from the bottom of her heart. What il
was she did not know; why it was she
could not have told you. There had
come no influence interfering with thai
sound, nothing save some occult voice
within; some subtle knowledge where as
yet no knowledge was; some undercur-
rent, dim, nebulouS. underlined, that had
stopped her, whispering, mot yet! not
yeti"
Flushed and determined she had gone
to tell her mother her fresh and final de-
clsion, which Mrs. Morrison had listened
to aghaSt and discounted, had combateC
and gainsaid to her utmost, and termi
mated by reminding her that not hersel
alone was included in such wanton sacri-
fee of the good laid before her. And theI
for space fell silence, broken only by
| the drowsy humming the bees through
the slumbrous sunny afternoon, while
Eva stood erect and slender, with hel
| young heart throbbing out it's pros anC
cons, and her mother, yearning only fol
good, watched her disquietedly.
You see, dear child" she resumed
lit is not as If you had any dislike to Mr.
Clifford. Mine would then be the last OF
all tongues to ask, or wish, or counse
| you to marry him, or should hold that
wrong to you and a wrong to him as
well. But you have told me that already
| you so much like him, and that he i.
kind and good l can see for myself; and
such being the case the love will come
| indeed, dearest, you will find it so. AnC
think of the life he can open to you, the
| happy one for yourself and the usefu
| one to the others; and we can do so little
| here for you all. You know, dear child
| how dull and small it is; you know how
often you already have chafed against i
| and fretted that you could not do as 9th
| ers can"
True, all true; and each word as sht
| listened sank into Eva's heart.
Before the corn was garnered and The
harvest festival held in the old square
lowered church, Eva Morrison was OF
her way to India with James Clifford a:
her husband.
And wholly happy woman young
| Mrs. Clifford was; her letters were brim
full of her life and all the pleasure anC
| sparkle therein. James was such a dear
old thing, the dearest old thing; there wa!
nothing he would not, did not, do for her
He had bought for her the handsomes
| pony in all the station, and she rode every
| morning. James did not ride, but there
were always plenty who did, and she haC
learned to in less than no time, and il
was delightful. And there were tennis
parties, and polo and band-playing she
went to in the cool of the afternoon, and
races and ghymkhanas and lots ofdances
And directly Elossie was grown UP she
must at once come out to her; no diff
Guilty 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 6
prayer of thanksgiving for it all went up
from under the old rectory roof
By and by some little alteration seemed
to creep into the letters. They were less
sparkling, and appeared as if more
thoughtfully penned-not written straight
off from the pleasure of the moment-the
oft-quoted scheme as to FIossies coming
out dropped into allegiance, and a hini
even fell as to possibility of its instead
being Eva returning to them, change
of air, and so forth. The climate. good
Mrs. Morrison concluded; that distant
scorching land was trying her far-ofl
BARN, and she looked with gladness on
the rosy faces blooming round the table