The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-09-22

been a successful one. measured by the standard of many. but which has been ripe. full and complete with love, joy and contenO and my observation Of the lives of others. have taught me that there Is but one road to pure and trust ful happiness, which Is in the mating of equals and the pursuance by both Of some honorable labor; where the one may not be tempted to false ambitions, or the other be inevitably drawn Into self accusations. Whatever may be your personal merits. they each become belittled. from my view of these mat ters. by every dollar of the wealth you name, as you admit this wealth to have been the hoardings of others. This Is no fault of your own: but yet 1t is n misfortune cannot allow my dear Mildred to share.
 trust. sir. that the sense of honora- ble esteem for my daughter and defer ence to my wishes, which prompted the request you have made. will cause you to abide my refusal of the same. l beg to remain. with esteem,
 Your obedient servant.
 JOHN HICKS.
 Mir. Edward Watson, Alton, Minn.
 Even while he was dazedly reading this. astounded at the independence of the lowly. Mildred Hicks. who had been recalled to her humble home. was being whirled away from the life of village school-mistress which had passed from her forever.
 II.
 Mir. John Hicks, vestmaker, and fam fly lived in a quarter of the city not un- common to all large cities, but especial ly common to Chicago at this time; quarter of the city where the avartce of the landlord, the poverty of the ten ant and the recklessness of both, con trived to continue debauched and broken old rookeries where the new and bounding life of the mid-conti- nent's metropolis halted aghast at the wretchedness and trembled from Its dangerous nearness.
 In such a quarter, not so many years ago but that you and I can easily re- call the time, John Hicks, a ripe Eng fish gentleman, after having engaged in almost every honorable occupation, yet retaining an impress of each that made companionship with him foun- tain of information, leaping, sparkling and refreshing continually, returned to the trade forced upon him in youth from having been too far removed from his eldest brother and, after renting the upper flat of a rickety ten ement, crossed his legs again and set | bic bo on6a opca mora fn the cloths and the needle.
 There was a wondrous simplicity and deep life-fervor about John Hicks, even with his legs crossed, that left many a more erect and polished gen. tleman dwindling and receding from the contrast. A gentle smile mantled his broad, noble face; and you could vered hair, even with its crowning lu- dicrous shock" like a disarranged nim- bus, without touch of reverential love, blended with a strange sort of unexplainable pity. Even his great horn-bowed spectacles, so large that it might have been through them he had gained so much love and charity for his kind, seemed the only ones which would have befitted him.
 Of whatever he had done in life there remained some trifling memento, and his rooms, though little and common place, were a very conservatory of souvenirs. His work-room was kitch- en, sitting-room and parlor;y but from these extended little rooms and alcoves which, like the outreachings of his af- lection, compactly and securely held all he possessed.
 On one side of the room was great workable, covered with odds and ends of uncompleted vests; above it, a string of shelves heavily laden with old and rare books; and above these, arranged with quaint and artistic effect, were relics of sailing in far-off seas,
 l Opposite the workable and facing the little court which could be seen through the vine-cumbered windows, were several smaller tables at which girls were sewing; while the ''click" of the needles and thimbles touching and the Zip" of the thread being drawn swiftly to it's place, made pleasant, chirrupy sounds. At one end of the room was the shining cook-stove, which, winter and summer, never lacked the song of the kettle for the punch brewing, as if to recompense for the stubborn looking sad-irons stand ing guard beside 1t.
 l Opposite and at the other end of the room where the light of the day lin gered longest, was neat deal table beside which stood an easy chair, so capacious, so homely and so comforta- ble that its broad arms seemed to in- vite you to 1t; and in this mechanism for waking repose reclined John Hicks, reading aloud the evening paper.
 Near him, rocked Mrs. Hicks; sweet, matronly woman, with face as peaceful as a child's; and busying her self about the supper, which was being prepared, was Milly Hicks, who had ar rived from Minnesota that very morn- ing, and who fitted into the plain but serviceable belongings of the little sys- l tenn as noiselessly and perfectly as though she had never been absent.
 "Six o'clock, girls" said John Hicks pleasantly; and as the old vestmaker I beamed kindly upon his help, the work girls passed out brightly with, Good night, MT. Hicks. Good night, mother. Good night, Milly" And cheery good night all around 1t was. Had not the little place always con- tained happy, contented faces, now that the work-girls were gone, the lonesome