The record-union., 1895-01-12

An us's all glad, amt usY' plped
Ramsey Ulmar gleefully.
think sop ''More'n gladv' "You betp'
and Course us isn' shouted all the little
folks in unison.
But we will be the best of friends"
began Dora brightly, ''for Pve many,
many dear stories to tell you"
stories! stories! stories!" they insisted
gathering about her joyously.
Not one now, dears," she said de-
cidedly, ''for there's the supper bell.
But If you will all let me tidy you up,
like the little ladies and gentlemen that
you are, then, after supper-after supper,
mlnd!-we'u just have heaps of them.
Heapsv'
Then, with the tender arts of supreme
patience, OF absolute dutifulness and of
pltl1ully earnest hope, this new nurse
enid that she was-led them on and on
past rebellious impulses and incipient
revolutions, nursed in habit rather than
porn IN nature, to cleanliness and pre-
senlDlllty, and at last to the supper table,
from which they tumbled impatiently
pack to the nursery to await their prom
ised treat.
Oh, the magic of it all, when, an hour
later, Dora Brice had beguiled the wild
horde of young PlumIeys through their
Washlngs and into their robes for the
night! When, gathered about her like
band OF gnostly little sprites, they hud-
died close against her, Victoria GeraI-
dine even climbing into her tiny arms,
and these neglected, perverted souls first
entered the soothing realms of fairy land
on the strong pinions OF her true, brave
purpose!
"Once upon a timep' "Once upon a
timew and still 'Once upon a timew
Why, their hunger was never done!
"Once upon time!" Whose heart
does not thrill as these words, in print
or upon kindly human lips, opens wide
the sweet vista to youthtide memories!
"Once upon a time!" All, how it sets
back the very hands on the dial face of
time and troops in over the olden paths
a myriad tender olden forms and scenes!
"Once upon timer-prelude, touch
stone, keynote this night from Doras 5
patient lips to The Princess in Dis
guise," "b"Ihe Fairies Two Gifts" "The
'lhe Singing Bone" The Three Feath-
ers," THE Brave Little Tailor" to
Fairy Tell True" mother of all good
children, to The Magic Riddle" and it's
rewards for generosity, to Little Thumb" ;"
and his marvellous adventures, and ever
to all that witching, winsome brood
which should embalm their creators in
the calendar of the saints for the tender
spell they have wrought upon childhood's S
enchanted landi
"Once upon time"
But listeners and lookers-on are here
at the nursery door. First comes a stu
dious-iaced youth. His is a face OF per-
pleXlty, face OF sadness, face unused
TO smiles. He sees the little woman with
the Whlte-robed group about her, sighs,
Angel heart though she has, it will turn
to stone here!' and his face disappears in
the darkness OF the hallway.
"Once upon a time-n
But here are another figure and face
figure Of portly man, lace of a coward
husband, face whose hard lines of
struggle and quiyering lines of tempori-
Zatlon and expediency, for an instant re-
lax into beamlng joYousness, while the
lips OF this face part with, Thank God
for that gentle spirit in this house!'' as
figure and face blend into the shadows
OF the hallway.
"Once upon time"
Here are the figure and face of a woman
at the partly opened nursery door, She
has overheard the fervent benediction
that preceded her. Consequently the face
is as dark as the shadows In the hallway.
The woman also sees her own brawIing
children Stllled and subdued and soft
ened by the magic OF another woman's
womanly sweetness. The demons of ig-
norance and jealousy and that inscruta-
bic vulture savage instinct of sex blacken
her heart and darken her face, until hate
envelopes her very being as she disaD-
pears, plunging threateningly after the
two into the dark shadows of the hall
way.
And so it came that the one gentle soul
which had ever shed its kindly influence
OF love and patience within the Plumley
mansion, won the wild things and the
heart-hungry humans within it into new
life and ways. 1t had made this home an
earthly had tS -y,o
known aught else than worldly greed and
the increasing jealous hate which, in
woman, at last tears from her possession
the very things such tigress natures for
time hold close by dread and fear
alone.
But no reason can penetrate such intel
lectS, no pity has home in such hearts,
and even no wise seIf-interest can deter
or swerve the destructive bent of such
natures.
That the Plumley home was SUMMER
for the real martyrs presence was an
affront, that her children loved Dora
Brice and were gradually being rescued
from parbarsm was an untorgivable
presumption and intrusion, and that her
husband and son, for her real worth,
should ever plead for compassionate
treatment of the orphan, was an indig-
nifty to Mrs. Tillman Plumley, each and
all of which could only be expiated by
almost lnconceivable nagging, innuendo
and cowardly abuse.
Every brave life has its limit of effort.
sutferance and defense. One morning
the Plumley children called for their
little nurse III vain. In her place was a
brief note pinned to her pillow which
read:
When you read this 1 shall be far away,
May God bless all who have been kind to me
in this home, which L have done my best to
faithfully serve! DoRA.
GOOD riddance to the sly minxp'
snorted Mrs. Tillman Plumley when the
note was was brought to the breakfast
table.
This is terribler gasped Tillman
Plumley, his face suffused with anger
and amazement as he saw the look and
smirk of triumph and satisfaction in his
helpmeets eyes.
Water and oil were never known to
mixw said Robert Plumley white faced
and trem bling as he lett the table.
Ii was many years before he sat there
again, and then only as a guest, for the
very next morning another note was
read by the husband and wife while al
their breakfast:
am going away for good. If a Young man
of 10 cannot make his own way in the world.
there Is small hope for him at any age Ee.
sides, this place has been a hell to me tor
yearS-partlcuiarly so, since mothers shame
tul treatment OF Dora BTice. Mother is pro-
Tossing Christian. l shall never again Step
foot inside her house until / know she is Il
real one. Every respectable man has a right
10 happy home, and should have it il he
has to fight tor it. l shall have one in good
time If there are but the four walls OF one
room around II. Endless injustice on the
one hand and cowardly generosity on the
other, have made this place a place of dark
ness and OF phantoms. l leave il with the
single regret that leaving Is hope instead OF
sorrow. ROBERT PLUMLEY.
"Ahaw gleefully shouted Mrs. Tillman
Plumley. There's the angelic influence
OF your immaculate Dora for youl ,Spose
you'll be goin' neXt?' The latter with
q sneer TO her grief-stricken husband