The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-10-11

the mill. and was constantly s:a1y IN
various ways trying TO improve their
condition. Silas Grounding was the
city partner and received and sold the
goods manufactured at the mill. He
visited the factory three or four times
Il wear. and each visit he sought to
make hi, coming and stay agreeable
as possible to me 1t did no: take me
long t. perceive that his pOliteness
grew cut of something more than
friendship. 20 could hardly say | was
surprised W hen he asked my hand in
marriage. While | had no particular
reason to dislike him. did not enter
tain that love for him that | felt I
should to warrant me in accepting his
offer. | lost no time i'll telling him SO.
and with real sadness and sorrow | ac-
quainted him with the state of my feel
ings towards him and We partee-
\ few months afterward | heard NUT
tcrlngs among operatives about paw
day having passed without their
wages having been banded them.
At this time mE mother died. and
after the funeral. upon visiting the fac
tory. | learned that matters were in
Il worse condition than ever. | asked
my fatilc to take me into his conf
AtiitN anu tNil iIiC OIL. anu Ilc tutN Ill.
formed me that his partner had in
vested the money in schemes that had
proven wort bless. and that the factory
would have is be sold 10 satisfy the
mort gage that had been placed on it.
leave The operatives men. women. and
childre without money. without
food. and with scant raimcnt. and. in
tn,,& ,,hA14.,,
knew that Mr. Groundwig was a man
of MAJ Y resources. and was not long
in getting to his office. and impoltun-
ing him to come to the aid of the pen
nilc-s operatives He did not appear a
hard-hearted man. He was a btsi-
ness man in every sense of the word.
The world might have called, him cold
and. it may be. the world would have
been right. but ! thought | detected in
him a warm. sympathetic heart SO
when he referred to the love he once
had for ne. and assured me that it had
grown stronger with time. and when
he again asked me for my hand. and
gently intimated that we could do to-
gcther What had implOrcd him to do
for the operatives. | yielded. not for
love. but for humanity. not because of
any affection had for him. but that
almost whole village full of people [
loved and loved them all the more
because they were poor and needy
might not be turned ont into the world
friendic>s and homeless.
We were married. The factory
hands We're paid all that was coming to
them. They never knew that the one
they loved so much. made the create.
sacrifice Il woman can make. for their
sake. I did moi then know myself,
how great the sacrifice was. How bit
tcriy have learned it all since. A
few months after the marriage NV
fat her died. ! think he believed to
the hour Of his death that had mar
r;cd I, man did not love to save my
fa7 her from bankruptcy. My great
sa"rifc" bore bitterer fruit than ti:at
\ boy babe was born to gladden. my
heart. My whole soul was cnrappcd
up in the child. There was no one
else for me to love. The father of my
darling hoy had continued his specula-
lions and lost all he possessed. and. on
the day my child was born. my hus-
band came to my hed-chamher and de-
mandcd that | should sign a paper
transferring to him all the property
my father had left to me at his death
l refused, ana the man VINO h:id the
right to call me by the holy name of
wife. in that hour. if in no oil her,
angels should guard the mother
. couch. struck me II savage blow. and
then passed beyond my threshold. out
into the world. no longer my husband,
except in name. Ii he could have then
gone to his grave instead of afterwards
returning to my presence. much OF
sorrow | have borne. and many tears
have shed would have been spared me.
For seven years he remained
away | heard of him from time
to time. as an adventurer seeking
a livelihood by dishonest means. One
day he returned to my home. He
claimed my hoy-my darling boy. His
boy. Though the father had never
seen the child. though he had aimed q
blow at the mother on purpose to kill
the babe. though he had abandoned
! the family and left the mother alone
to care for the child. yet the lawyer
told me there was danger that the law
might take my boy understand. my
boy and give it to his unnatural father
TO BE CONTINUED.