People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-09-16
CAST OUT IRON HOME.

all my days they will stand before me
as unwclcome specters.
Those six years brought changes, it is
true, but my condition was not made
better by them. My stepmother's dis
like increased as l grew up, and she be-
came more wicked and heartless in her
dealings with me every day. My sister
came to be almost as cruel to me, in so
faras she had the power, as her mother
was. She was thoroughly selfish, and
with age that characteristic grew
stronger in her nature so that before
she had reached her fifteenth year she
had no care for anyone and only val.
ued her friends according to their abil-
ity to supply her wants. could do lit
tie for her beyond such services as
cheap hireling might have rendered,
and consequently was of small moment
to her. She declined to have aay sister
ly relations with me, never spoke to me
kindly, never would go into public with
me, and in every way deported herself
toward me as mistress might toward
the lowest menial
My father continued to show me the
same neglect and cold indifference that
had characterized him from the first.
de apparently had no idea of my physi-
cal or mental needs, and never devoted
a thought, I'm sure, to my future. He
gave me no training, no advice, no in
structions, but permitted me to grow
up in my surroundings, imbibing what
ever ideas of life and its duties |
CHANGED to form in my ignorance. His
cruelties increased in the same pro-
portion as my stepmother's hatred, for
the more she faulted me the more
occasion he had to infict punishment.
Still, in spite of all, continued to love
him and to long for his love in return.
For long time Will Hanley and l
were together frequently, and as he
continued to let his sympathy go out to
me in the old way he was source of
happiness to me, as he had been from
the first. But at last there came day
OF separation. He went to the city to
attend school, and during the remaining
three years | lived at home never saw
him or heard anything concerning him.
Our parting, which took place down
back of the orchard, where | had first
met him, was full of true sorrow, which.
I'm sure, was'mutual. and, besides a
great many promises made regarding
the future, we agreed to write to each
other every week. He was to write first
and tell me how to address my letters,
and then | was to answer Immediately.
l rejoiced in this arrangement, and no
one can tell how fondly looked forward
to the coming Of his first letter-which,
alas, never came.
All, how impatiently I brooked the
long delay, as day after day passed,
and the weeks ran into months,
and the letter for which | still
eagerly watched and prayed failed
to come to hand. At last | abandoned
all hope of its coming, and then when |
sought for the reason of its failure I
guessed the truth. My stepmother had
received and destroyed that letter as
she did all those that for months fol-
lowed it, At the time supposed she
was doing it to annoy me, and to de-
prive me of the small need of enjoy.
ment those letters might bring, but aft
erwards learned that she had deeper
purpose in view.
VIII Hanley was handsome, and it
was well understood that he was heir to
snug fortune. Although my sister
was but a child, my stepmother was
already planning out her matrimonial
career and had conceived the idea of
marrying her, when she had reached
womanhood, to Viii Hanley. With
that aim before her it was to her inter
est to interrupt, and, if possible, break
up the friendship existing between him
and me. So she destroyed his letters,
and prevented any communication be-
tween us, leaving him to wonder at nv
silence and me to chaff and worry be-
cause of her perfdy.
When my sister reached her fifteenth
year she was sent away to college. l
wanted to go, too, because had great
love for learning, and in a desultory
way had managed to pick up very
good common school education. So
strong was my desire for term at COL
lege that l dared approach my father
on the subject, asking in all humility
that might be granted that one pleas
ure' de heard me as l falteringly and
tremblingly made known my wish.
then, turning onme with frown, said:
What do you want to go to college
Tor? You can't learn anything, and you
wouldn't do anything but disgrace Mary
IL you went. Doyou suppose she would
want you there and have everybody
pointing to you as her sister,"
i could go to different school," l
ventured to suggest, where no one
would know of her, and where she
wouldn't have any occasion to feel
ashamed of me-"
well, you're not going anywhere, so
you needn't say any more about it. I've
got no money to fool away on you, and
besides you're needed here. Your ma
has plenty of use for you, and the best
| place for YOU is in the litchan Yn,,