Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-05-17
MAKE ME STEADFAST

were totally unsuited to each other. Old
Mrs. Baxter spoke of it to her son with
conviction, and Mrs. Clayton suggested it
to her daughter delicately, as her manner
was.
"What on earth would your father have
said, JohnY demanded his mother fierce
1y. "Is she intended for country minis
ter's wife? Look at the way she dresses!
Look at her hair, done in the latest waves
and knots Look at her hands I don't
want to say anything against your happi-
ness, John, but she's butterfly! She has
no stability of cAracter! Pm even afraid
that when the first glamour
Then John interposed with few re-
marks which sent his mother from his
study more than ever inclined to find fault
with Laura Clayton.
What Mrs Clayton said was:
Darling l don't wonder you are in
love with John. He is the dearest boy and
the besr-so stanch, so truo-I shall never
worry about you. At least not so far as
John is concerned"
~ see," laughed Laura. "You're
afraid that I'll long for the flcshpOts Of
Egypt, aren't your And that I'll be the
L
constant person on earth, too, mammal
"Solid as ocean foam," quoted Mrs.
Clayton, smiling and signing little
Laura, dearest child, 1 don't want to
crOak, but are you sure you know your
own heart? The Claytons-wen'- she
sighed again--"the Claytons are not cut
out of granite. And you're thorough
Clayton, dear"
So it was that even their own households
had doubts about the engagement of the
young people. Every one knew that John
Baxter stood for Puritan high mindedness
and singleness of aim and heart and ev-
cry one knew that Laura Clayton with all
her charm was q dancing sunbeam-nev-
er long still-that is every one except
John. Laura knew it. She felt her own
unworthiness keenly enough without be-
ing told Of it as frequently as she was.
She humbled herself in her praying and
asked daily to be made steadfast and good
"like him, " her petitions ran. Meantime
there were those who were willing to wa
ger on the breaking of the engagement be-
fore the end of the year, for John was to
go to his first parish in a small town in
another state, and the skeptiCal smiled at
the thought of Laura Clayton's remaining
of the same mind for a year
At first the young woman behaved ad
mirably. She eschewed gayety, and al
most her only designations were afternoon
musicales and teas. She wrote to John ev-
cry day, and she slept with his latest let
ter beneath her pillow every night. She
continued to pray for steadfastness and
goodness "like his" Then, at the end of
two months, Laura suddenly plunged in
to gayety again.
"My dearest mother" she said to her re-
monstrating parent, ~ am not Hindoo
widow. l am not even married. When l
am, 1 shall do exactly as John wishes.
Meantime l shall not drive myself to sui
eide by never having any fun. You know
never see manW
"No," said Mrs. Clayton sweetly, car
thur Holbrooke is rather boy"
GIVE known him since l was a baby"
"With the exception of the last TOUR
years, during which he has been away"
"Do you mean to say you think I'm
flirting? Doesn't AIthur know Of my en-
g;Sgement? Doesn't John know every time
l see Arthur? You are horrid to me, NAM
ma"
"NIy dear" sighed poor Mrs. Clayton,
81 beg your pardon for seeming to inter
fere. l only want you to do nothing that
you'll regret"
Whereupon Miss Laura hounced out OF
the room and wept over Johns fortunate
ly glass incased photograph for awhile.
Then she went to walk with Arthur Hol-
brooke and told him her theories concern
ing friendship between men and women.
Meantime Mrs. Baxter wrote letters.
The more Laura found companionship
of one sort and another essential to her
happiness the more she despised the light
nature she had always been credited with
and the more ardently she desired those
severe, Spartan virtues which her lover
possessed. She grew morbid in the desire
to be like him. She distrusted her most
1eeting interests, her most cursory fances.
She strove with all the force of her undis-
Ciplined nature to make herself person
of one idea, and failing signally she con-
demned herself. Her letters to John were
strange self accusatOry affairs which, add
ed to his mothers epistles, destroyed the
young mans peace of mind most effectu-
ally. Relying on his own strength of
character, never doubling for an instant
the unsuitable nature of his regard for
Laura, he began going for temporary com
lOIU w OIlC IhlSS l)OIblIlcb bTuuDN, Il
Der of his altar guild, and a girl rather
given to wearing silver crosses and other
ecclesiastical jewelry.
"Why doesn't Arthur Holbrooke come
here any lOngcr?" demanded Mrs Clayton
of her daughter one day.
Laura looked up strangely white and
weary.
Il sent him away, " she said Indifferent
ly.
, "My dear! Then it came to that9"
Eyes"
"Are you regretting it, Laura, deaf"
asked her mother gently.
ono"
"You didn't care for himP'
"No."
II am so glad. Poor boy!" remarked
Mrs. Clayton. "But, darling, you must
not send him away out of a mistaken
sense of loyalty. 1t would be wrong to
John, you know
Don't" cried Laura, burying her face
in her hands, and then she handed her
mother letter.
John released her from the engagement
which all reports, her own included, agreed
to be an irksome one to her. John begged
lnV. ; T. 4