The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-06-01

SUCH, at least, was the impression
gained as / grew up. I never heard
him speak Of her, and II anyone men,
toned her name In his presence II
seemed to disquiet him. II appeared 10
mo that any remembrance Of her was
extremely unpleasant to him, though
why 1t should be was unable to COM
prehend, for I'm sure she was q most
excellent woman and loving wife, Such
was the impression I gained of her from
our old colored cook, Aunt Mary, who
had known her from childhood up TO the
day Of her death.
"Dar neber hbed q better oman an
what yo' ma was" Aunt Mary said to
me time and again, IAN der neber will
lib better oman II de worl STAINS a
millyun y'ahs. She was de kindes'
hearted an de best-natured creatur eber
l knowed, an II eber der was Chris
tian pusson on dis yearth she was dat
pusson."
As I grew up tried to discover from
Aunt Mary some information regarding
my mothers married life. but on that
point she was singulsrly reticent. She
was ready at all times to sing tho
praises Of misses Marg'et," but not q
word had she TO say regarding her mar
riage to my father and the short life
they lived together. Once when per-
severingly pressed her for an answer
TO the question, whether or not my
mother was happy wife, she said:
"Taint de place OBJ a ole no count
niggah like me 10 be tellin' tales an
mixin' my gab long O. odder FOLKS
business. Yo' mudder's done dead an
gone, chile, an I'll warrant she's happy
now, case Of anybody eber went TO
jine de fol- Of do Lamb she sholy did. /"
That was the extent Of my informa-
ton, but vague as II was II served TO
impress me more firmly with the belief
that my mothers marriage was an un-
happy one, and that my father never
loved her. Ny impression may have
been false, but II seems to me even now
that II my father really loved the
mother he must have had some love for
the child.
Ny stepmother was never kind TO me.
She never addressed me except to scold
or find fault and besides burdening me
with work beyond my years and
strength she often beat me most cruelty
on the least provocation. I soon came
to fear her SO much that q sight Of her
was sufficient 10 set me trembling from
head TO foot. think she found real en-
joyment In seeing me suffer, for when
she turned her little black eyes on me
and saw me quaking with fear 4
thin, wan smile played over her sharp
face, the nearest approach to pleased
expression ! ever saw In her features.
As my fear Of her grew from week 10
week her loathing and hatred Of me In
creased In equal proportion, and before
I had known her a year I learned 10
think that she would not only be glad
to see me dead, but would willingly end
my existence with her own hands II she
dared do It. I suppose I judged my
stepmother too harshly, but was only
a child, and she had made such an Inn
preston on my mind, and was not to
blame for entertaining II.
My father was exceedingly fond Of
my stepmother, and he never tired,
seemingly, Of trying to please her. He
strove to crafty every wish she ex-
pressed, and, besides catering TO her de-
sires himself, he plainly held to the idea
that every one else should find II
pleasure to do so, too. He appeared to
be very happy with her, and often, in
my childish way, I wondered how he
could be, when I saw SO little In her
that was calculated to call forth love or