The advocate., 1894-03-28

have tender feelings. You know the
braveSt are the tenderest. But, you
will ride hereafter?"
eyes, I'll not walk any more. But
how'll you know? You're not likely
to see me again.
"Why? You're not going to leave
Grahamr"
"No, but you will not likely be down
this way
"By the way, Mr.. Cotterell," said
Lena, seeming not to have heard his
last remark, ''I want you to promise
me another thing. Promise me that,
while remain in Graham, you will
allow me to take care Of that family
without any interference on your part.
Promise me that you will not give
cent while l am here. If you do not
leave them entirely to me you will de-
prive me Of a great pleasure. l am
going down there tomorrow evening
to remain for supper, and shall make
them promise to drive you away if you
attempt to help them unless. you
promise me now you won't try to."\>
81 wouldn't want you to say any
thing to them. I'll agree. I'd like to
drop in on 'em, though, since you've
been there, and see how everything
looks"
81 shall be there till 8 o'clock to-mor-
row evening. We shall dine as soon
as you arrive. But l must be going.
Goodbye" And she was gone.
Johns step was wonderfully light as
he trudged on to his boarding house,
thinking of tO-morrow's supper; and
his fellow bOarderS noticed that he was
gayer that evening than he had been
for days before.
In all probability, every one of my
readers, of whatever social condition,
and however liberal in opinions, will
have felt an impropriety in Lena's con-
duct on this occasion. Not because
her conduct itself was improper, for
had she been a Washer-wOman's daugh-
ter or "hired girl" no such feeling of
imprOpriety would arise. Not because
of Johns moral or mental character,
for had he been a mediocre and ignor-
ant, spindle-shanked little society
young man, or fashionable young
libertine, whose beastly nature pure
thought about women would shun as
an angel would Shun hades, would any
one have thought it improper for Lena
Graham to walk with him a block?
Nor does the notion of impropriety
arise out Of any difference in nature,
however differently the two had been
reared; for let John inherit a fortune
and put on fashionable garments, or
let Lena become poor and work for
wages, and the impropriety would
instantly disappear. The reader knows
well enough out of what difference be-
tween John and Lena arises this feel
ing of inCOngruity-the difference be-
tween one having the entree Of fashion
able society and one doomed to manual
or menial work for living. All, even
the poor themselves, have been edu-
Gated to regard the faShiOnably idle
and the usefully employed as distinct
orders of beings between whom social
intercourse is thing forever impossi-
BILE.
Once mankind were all masters or
slaves; later, they were mobiles or serfs.
The mobiles and their ladies shone at
their sovereign's court, and each castle
in time had court of its own. These
lords and ladies, and such others as
they admitted to the charmed court
circles, looked with disdain upon the
tOiling churls below. Last century
wealth began to initiate the aristoc-
racy, and the rich began to have their
courts of money as their social super
iors had courts of birth: they gave
parties and balls, held receptions, Wis
tied in summer the seaside resorts, at |
tended the opera, travelled in style, and
sent their sons to the universities. This
new "society" was made possible by
the change of serfs into wage-workers |
in factories and in mines; and these