The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-06-07
CHAPTER VII.
CAST OUT FROM HOME.

The next six years Of my existence
had as well be left blank in this nara
tive. There is little in them worth re-
cording, and nothing perhaps, that one
would care to know. My life through
all that time was one long, unbroken
stretch of prosecutions and suffcrings,
and the memories / have Of it are not
pleasant to recall, and would rather
draw veil over them and shut them
away from the public gaze. Would to
Heaven | could shut them out OF my
memory as well, and never be haunted
by them again. But that is impossible.
The misery those years brought'me will
live in my mind as long as live. They
are too lndelibly fixed there to be
erased by time or change, and through
all my days they will stand before me
us unwelcome specters.
Those six years brought changes, 1t Is
true, but my condition was not made
better by them. My stepmother's dis
like increased as ! 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
far as 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. l could do lit
tie for her beyond such services us
a cheap hireling might have rendered,
and consequently was Of small moment
to her. She declined to have any 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 mental.
My father continued to show me the
same neglect and cold Indifference that
had characterized him from the first
He 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
cruclties increased In the same pro-
portion us my stepmother's hatred, fol
the more she faulted me the more
occasion he had to inflict punishment
Still, in spite of all, continued to love
him and to long for his love In return.
For long time VIII Hanley and
were together frequently, and as he
continued to let his sympathy go out tc
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 tc
attend school, and during the remaining
three years lived at home never saw
him or heard anything concerning him
Our parting. which took place dowr
back of the orchard, where / had frs
met him, was full of true sorrow, which
I'm sure, was mutual, and, besides I
great many promises made regarding
the future, we agreed to write to eacl
other every week He was to write frs
and tell me how to address my letters
and then was to answer Immediately
rejoiced in this arrangement, and NJ
one can tell how fondly looked forwar'
to the coming of his first letter-which
alas, never came.
All. how impatiently I brooked tn
long delay. Us day after day passed
and the weeks ran into months
and the letter for which still
eagerly watched and prayed faile,
to come to hand. At last | abandone,
all hope OF its coming, and then when
sought for the reason of its failure
guessed the truth. My stepmother ha,
received ana destroyed that letter a
she did all those that for months fol
lowed it At the time l supposed sh
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 deepe
purpose In view.