Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-09-29

basis of fiction, are too unreal, too
improbable to use in stories People
would exclaim: "Ridiculousi AS if
such things could happen! / do wish
that authors would keep TO incidents
halfway practical and not ask us TO.
swallow such myths and fables"
Another is left with two young sons,
widowed, and with small means of
support She is q refined, a good
Christian woman; yet she has a
weakness in her otherwise strong
character-her idolatry of her
younger son. From their earliest in
fancy it was John. the elder. who
must take the hardest knocks the
disagreeable tasks, 80 that Eugene
might be happy. At school and
when the two must face the world to
earn living it was still the same
Though there was less than two
years between them. John was al
ways treated as much the elder and
gradually came to feel that he was
many years older and stronger than
Eugene, and far from resenting his
mothers preference and Eugene's
selfishness, he made it the business
of his life to guard and shield both
mother and brother. Finally Eugene
went away from home, having
eagerly accepted a promising posi-
tion, leaving John still plodding
along faithfully in his rank Then
came the romance of Johns life. He
met and loved most beautiful young
girl. She returned it, and as she had
snug little fortune of her own
John decided thai he might in
dulge in marriage. The months
and years that followed sound like
the ideal of happiness. Eloise was
loving and talented and both John
and Johns mother were devoted to
her. The only shadow in this para.
disc were accounts by no means en-
couraging from Eugene. John kept
it from his mother and denied him
self everything to send money to
his proAigate brother. And then
Eugene came home i'll and Eloise and
his mother nursed him back to
health. Again he left home. One
day Eloise went cut for walk They
lived in a little home at the edge OF
town She wandered on and on into
the woods trying to shake off a pre-
sentiment of evil, as shown by her
diary. When hours passed and she
did not return John and his mother
searched for her. Suddenly they
came upon her lying still and cold
upon the grass, while bending over
her was tall, handsome man, utter
ing passionate cries. AS he turned
the mother gave a scream of agony.
1t was Eugene. Il killed her. John;
/ killed her. but | was mad from
drink. Such beautiful creature.
never meant it, So pure; so good"
He gave loud cry and ran back into
the woods.
The murdered girl was carried to
the house by her husband. The
whole matter was hushed up. The
years went by. John never married
again. He became more and more
grave and silent He was always a
faithful son and even listened with
patience to his mothers eager ex-
cuses for Eugene. But Eugene was
never heard of again, and one day
the mother died, longing for him to
the last.
A young minister came to the
countryside, bringing with him a sis
ter to keep his house. This girl was
dignified, beautiful woman. sensi-
BILE, yet full of humor aud greatly
liked by all who knew her. For years
she went In and out among her
friends, who would have said they
knew her whole experience, yet they
were amazed to find one day that she
had been married for years TO a gay
young stranger who had visited the
neigh borhood often. No reason was
ever known for the long secrecy, but
the marriage did not, l believe, end
happily. as might be supposed.
To-day, in certain almshouse in a
large. well-to-do town, lives a GER
tain woman once in 2, comfortable
home. One by one relatives died,
and she was left destitute. and worse
still, suffering bed-ridden invalid.
Friends helped her, but she fingered
long, even death seemed to disdain
her, and their love grew cold, and
one bitter, heart. breaking day she
was carried to the dreaded poor
house. Here she lives, fairly intel
ligent, a pure minded Christian wo-
man. surrounded by the vilest Ian
guage, filth and noise. She cannot
speak-her head and spine are af-
fected. She can only write by be-
ing turned over on her face Her
sufferings from disease are constant,
her nerves unstrung from the con-
fusion and language about her. Yet
she has faith in God. Her only nurse
is a poor, half-witted creature who is
afflicted with epilepsy.
A friend has tried in vain to get
some institution TO admit her Ono
only takes those Of its own city;
another requires money; another is
overcrowded. Would this not seem
an extravaganza In novel, that in
our benevolent, prosperous, Christian
America such thing could bep asks
the Philadelphia Times. Yet it is a
fact. With all our "homes," hospi-
tails and institutions there seems to
be no place but the poorhouse for