Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-04-07
A PECULIAR GIRL.
BY MRS. WILLIAM WINTER.

Rachel Lander began life by being
peculiar. Instead of the customary aud
orthodox yell with which the youthful
inhabitants of this planet greet their
first sight of it, Rachel remained per-
fectly quiet, only looking up into the
nurses face with calm and questioning
gaze, which greatly disconnected that ex-
perienced matron--or, TO quote her own
words, causing her to be $50 all struck
of heap, it was blessed miracle she
hadn't dropped the uncanny little thing
then an there, an SO stopped her from
any chance of making any noise in the
world, either then or thereafter"
But the baby thrived, and as he5
young life advanced from weeks %
months, and from months 10 years, she
managed to keep up her reputation. so
early begun, of being unlike other chill
dren. Of course, she heard a great deal
of this peculiar way of hers, and she
liked being made the subject of wonder
ing remarks and admiration-though,
perhaps, that was not peculiar. Anyway,
she soon became imbued with the idea
that everything that happened to her was
special and unusual; and though na.ur-
ally warm hearted, and not moro selfish
than the general run of her sex ard age,
she certainly developed remarkable
amountsof egot,sm.
" al 9hseen she fell in love, quite CON
.inc.d tliat, though other girls might
have imG med themselves in love before
her time, there had never really been
any one who thoroughly understo d the
heights and depths of that passion till it
was exempl6ed in her. George Murray
encouraged her in that belief, AMI .de-
olared that he responded to it with ferver
aud intensity which could only be ex-
perienced in the unknown recesses or
the male heart.
There was soon an almost bitter feel
ing of rivalry between the lovers as 10
which of them loved the more, and while
this feeling was at the height, Amy Riv-
ers came home from boarding. school.
ANY was the kind of girl that men go
mad about. She was small and slender,
with dainty hands, and feet of diminutive
size, and q heart of similar dimensions.
She had O mass of fluffy blond hair, q
complexion of lilies and roses, and great
china-blne eyes, very soft and dowy. and
shaded by long, silky lashes, that gave
them an expression of deep feeling, such
as their owner had never experienced in
all her shallow life. For the rest, she
had great taste in the adornment of her
charming person, and her maid faithfully
carried out her best ideas.
Miss Amy Rivers very speedily settled
the curious rivalry that had existed be-
tween the lovers. She had not been
home a week when George hurry ceased
protesting the superior depth of his at.
tachment to Rachel. By the end of the
second week he never spoke of his love
at oil. and looked bored when his fiancee
spoke of hers. BY the end of the third
week he had almost ceased visiting Ra,
chel, and then only on compulsion; anc
by the end of the fourth week the whole
town was talking of his elopement with
ANY Rivers. and wondering il Rache
Landor-who had fallen like one deat
when she learned of it-would ever rise
from the bed on which they laid her
But Rachel didn't die. AS she said, bit
terly, that would have been too simple
and, being. peculiar, she had to live toi
something much harder to bear. Poo
girl! 1t was really q great grief, an'
her suffering was acute; but, after hei
custom, she made 1t worse.
There had never been so great wrong
committed against any woman, and non'
other had ever felt such so deeply.
Having said that, she closed her lip
on the subject.
! Year after yeur went by, and man,
people had forgotten Rachel Lander
and those who knew her, sometime
failed TO recognize the worn, haggar'
woman of twenty-five, who certainly
looked ten years older; and when peopl
spoke of her, it was either with pity o
contempt.
"Such a wasted life Ian only child
worshiped by her parents, who were dyinI
of grief for her selfish griet-a ric
woman, too, who might be doing SO muc
good with her boarded wealth-ond al
about a nan who had Tilted her! Ii wa
wicked AID Shameful" said her critics
and Likely ea~pgh thcv were right.
But Rachel did not hear them; and
she had, she would not have cared, TO
in her own way her life was ordered care
fully and methodically, and her none
WINS not boarded nor wasted; but, bein
peculiar, as usual she chose to live !
her own way, and TO do that which sh
: felt she could 20, in the mnnner tha
best suited her.
The poor, the sick and tho sufferin
knew her well. They did not think he
life a wasted one. What this poor, en-
FILTERED, disappointed woman felt in til
silent depths of her own rcticent, intens
nature, she hardly knew herself for sh
shrank from formulating her ow
thoughts even TO her own mind, but o,
casionally something in the outside worl
seemed to shape them for her. AS, Il
instance, one morning when she suddel
" found herself gazing ut an old womo
whom she met in her morning walk
wretched woman, her face scanned wit
wrinkles, hcr hair an unkempt frowze
gray, struggling locks, her clothes ia
tered and torn, though well hidden by .
old black shawl that draped her head al
fell in folds about her--a most paint
and unlovely sight in the morning OF
early, cold March day.
"Shail I ever look like that :" thong
:. Rachel. ..Old. withered, broken-heart
!" poor old womanl Perhaps If cou
know her story should learn that sol
man Tilted her in the sweet springtir
of long ago. Being poor. gentle fe'
mine creature, she didn't die, though b
heart broke, and as the burden of Il
!, grew too heavy to bear, she began
r drink-at first, to forget, and then
keep warm"