San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-21

All lIlt "luLCE MIS-. N1dSOu
had been ailing, and about the beginning
of March she succumbed to climatic in
fuences, backed by hereditary tendency.
and took to her bed with a severe attack
of infiammatory rheumatism. Pocahon-
tas had her hands full with household
care and nursing, and perhaps it was as
well, for it drove self into the back
ground of her mind, for part of the
time at least, and filled with anxiety the
empty days. Grace, living five miles
away and loaded down with family
cares and duties of her own, could be of
little practical assistance.
The winter had been a hard one for
Pocahontas; harder, perhaps, for the
gallant nature which forbade her to be-
wall herself. She suffered deeply and
dumbly through all the weary nights
and days. Pride and womanly reserve
precluded all beating of the breast and
forced principle and nature to the cease
less fight. Right CALAMITY she bore her.
self. The modification, the anguish, the
love, must be met, hand to hand, eye to
eye, foot to foot.
She endeavored to keep cheerful-to
take the same interest in life as for
merly, and in the main she succeeded;
but there would come times when the
struggle would seem greater than she
could bear, and being woman, with
woman's heart and woman's nerves,
she would be irritable and difficult But
these moods were never of long dura-
ton, any more than the more desperate
ones, when she would lock herself in her
chamber and cast herself on the floor
and lie there prone and quivering-heart
and conscience utterly at variance
heart crying out with mad insistence
that the struggle was in vain, for love
was strengthened by repression, and con-
science sternly replying that it should
not be; the struggle should continue un-
til the last vestige of love should be ex-
plunged from heart and life. 1t was no
wonder, as time went on, that the girls
cheek paled and that dumb pleading
came into the pure gray eyes.
Sometimes the thought of Jim would
come and place itself in contrast to the
thought of the other man, for, uncon-
sciously to her, her old friend was her
standard in many things. Her recogni-
ton of the nobility of Jim's love would
force, in some sort, recognition of the
selfshness of Thorne's love. She put
such thoughts from her fiercely, and
girded at Jim in her aching, unreasona-
BILE heart, because his love was grander
and truer than the love she craved.
Once, when old Sholto-the great red
setter-came and laid his head lovingly
upon her lap, she frowned and pushed
him roughly away, because he looked
up at her with eyes whose honest faith
fulness reminded her of jim.
And the mother watched her child ST.
lently; conscious, through the divina-
ton of unselfsh mother love, that her
daughter suffered, yet powerless to help
her, save by increased affection and the
intangible and yet perceptible comfort
of delicate respect. She could trust
her child and would not force her conf
dence; if spoken sympathy were needed,
Pocahontas knew that her mothers
heart was open to her, and if to her 81
lence should seem best, she should have
her will. From long experience Mrs.
Mason knew that some sorrows must be
left quietly to time.