The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-05-04
ELEANOR'S TRIUMPH.
A Profitable Lesson for Many
Young Graduates

"A carriage, and white satin slippers,
pearl-colored kid gloves above the ell
bow, a ian and bouquet must have
all those, mother, If IN to be gradu-
ated with the other girls. The gown
won't be such a dreadful expense, for
my last summer : cashmere can be made
over, If can get few yards of surah,
and Aunt Miles old point will come
in spleHdidly for trimming. But" and
pretty Eleanor heaved deep sigh, IL
must have u sash, elegant one of
broad white moire; fifty dollars would
about cover the whole expense, moth
err
Mother lifted a tired face from her
sewing. Eleanor was too self-absorbed
tn notice it, but mother was looking i'll
well tired. She had been under
great strain lately, and this dear
young daughter was now bringing her
weight to add to the burden How
blind girls eyes can sometimes be-
Mother" said Eleanor, pleadinplv,
You Will manage it somehow won't
you, dear?'
All through her eighteen years Flea
nor had been used to seeing mother
contrive to bring order out of con-
fusion, straighten tangled skeins, per-
form what looked almost impossible.
That there might be limit TO mothers
ability in this direction, the girl did
not dream.
Il asked father last evening if he
would fill my order for any reasonable
amount" Eleanor proceeded, ..and he
laughed and told me to go to you,
mother. lie said: OF course L want
my little girl to LOOK nice the
others, aIter she has worked SO hard
And, mother. you know in the autumn
III be sure To have Il position myself,
and money VIII be coming in then
every month, So that 1 can pay you
UsIcE.
sui mother WAS silent An inscru-
table expression, hardening aud aging
the quiet lace, had stolen over it at the
ailus,Ion to father, the easy-gOIng,
aniaCic, impecuuious man, whom
everybody loved, and whose children,
thanks To has wife's tact, did not sus-
pect his weakness lie always lett it
To mother 10 say no She must always
do the denying and reprOvIng.
y conflict was going on in he mothers
mind, sucn a conflict as only mothers
similarly situated can understand To
deny Eleanor, at the elimination OF her
school career, the pretty dress and the
other luxurious indulgcnces which her
lass were to have, was ineXpressibly
painful. But never had IL been SO diff
cult to crafty her, for never had need
ful wants so heaped themselves up.
And the load of de bt in the background
had never pressed so heavily. Mr.. Hyl-
tons business was fluctuating one at
best; returns were slow and often every
cent was anticipated before 1t came
There was the interest on the loan
rich cousin had made, there was the
fire insurance to be renewed, the boys
were too large to wear homemade
clothes, evolved from cast-off suits of
their fathers, and they had To be fitted
out anew. And now. when mother was
harassed hall to death, to have Eleanor
SO sweetiy and naively present her pc
tition of wants, 1T was more than the
poor wearied woman could endure.
She almost gasped for breath rs
Eleanor " ent serenely on.
"A carriage, Il fan, white satin shoes,
long, pearl-colored gloves, bouquet"
The items ticked themselves OFT in the
mothers mind, as she desperately won
dcred how they Were to be gotten hon
,sIIy. They seemed such must-haves
! tos ay no at once For little while
there was silence, and please,
mother began Eleanor again
But she went no further, for very
alarming thing took place; mother had
quietly tainted away. Nothing more
could be said on the subject that day.
Eleanor Hylton," exclaimed Puss,
| her younger sister, as that evening.
late, the two were preparing for bed.
II don't know whether you have no.
| ticcd it, but mother is just dying 10y
| inches of worry over money. We all
go to her; and she wears herself out
| trying To satisfy our demands, wretches
that we are. Common sense, to say
nothing of love. shows that we must
stop spending, if we are to keep our
mother Father doesn't see 1t, but
do. Are nobody else's eyes to be opened
| in .me?"
''Iioyv is it that you know so much
more than the rest of us, Puss?' quer
| led Eleanor ironically.
Puss Iiylton vas fifteen, and Grip
pie. She had stayed at home for the
last year, studying by herself with lit
/ tie help from Eleanor, and sharing
| more of her mothers life than the 9TH
| ers. BIT 10y bit she had penetrated the
secret of the pinching economy IN some
details, IF ,et by the lavishness in 9TH
ers. Little by little IL had come home
To her that things could not go ON a
their present pace.
Eleanor" she said. there is nobody
else 10 " hom we cap go for loan, ant
the bu tcher looks cross when he send
ia his bill. Dan goes around thre'
squares, sooner than pass the grocer
he's so ash Famed that we owe for tn
last barrel of flour. And now you
graduation is coming to finish the work
If were YOU, dear, l would wear IN.
old gown just as it is, and my old shoes
and walk to school; but I'd get m.
diploma and take i: with independ
rn"c not fccling like "A sham and
cruel. cruel girl into the bargain
Thcre."
Don't say any more, Puss; I'll thinl
about it"
And Eleanor. with pale face and
quivering lip, look up her Everyda,
Text Book, to read, through a mist o
! gathering tears, this verse, whic
seemed to speak to her with an angel
n