The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-16
ALIOE'S MARMALADR.

The warm, pleasant sunshine of
this June day made even the prosaic
street of the city poetic, and charmed
out-of-doors the most persistent stay
at-home.
Alice Eaton was busily at work in
the back basement, singing gaily,
with no longings for the outdoor
beauties. This was not because she
did not have strong love of nature,
but because she had stronger love
| for home and it's circle. She was
slight girl of twenty, with no beauty
| to recommend her to the notice of
stranger, except voice tuned to the
key of love, that would hold the at
tention, but the commonplace APP
pearance of the owner would dispel
any romantic ideals aroused by the
winning tones. Nothing in Alice
Eaton suggested the heroine, but she
was one.
Her first recollections of a home
we're of lovely stone house standing
in park of beautiful trees and lawns,
dainty and elegant surroundings,
welltrained servants, horses and car
riages, and all that goes to make life
charming, when to it are added cul-
ture and refinement and deep affec-
ton based on the highest Christian
and moral principles. No change
came to hel until her eighteenth year.
She scarcely knew there was such
thing as money, or that lives were
limited and burdened for want of it.
In one week came a complete
change: her father was ruined by the
dishonesty of trusted employees; her
home was given up, and few weeks
found the family, consisting of the
father, mother, two brothers and
sister younger than Alice, settled in
cottage in a small village miles
away from their former home. The
family were dependent on a small in
come derived from the remnant of the
mothers fortune. This was but a
fraction of the amount to which they
were accustomed. In short time
another change was made to less
desirable location in city where the
boys would find employment and
Alice might be able to get small pu-
pills. The boys were successful, but
Alice found the market overstocked
with young girls anxious to teach
small children, and she soon discov-
cred that a knowledge of the kinder
garten system was an absolute neces-
sity to obtain pupils. This she did
not have, and had no means of &C.
curing. She became almost dis
couraged with the struggle.
Her mother, never very strong, gave
evidence of breaking down under the
strain imposed upon her by the linn
tied means of the family and the eff
feet of their misfortune on her hus-
bands mind. He had no peace, be-
cause he blamed himself for his mis-
fortune, saying over and over to his
wife, Margaret, if l had been trained
to my business in life as you were to
yours, this would never have come.
1t was due to ignorance" No love,
no argument, could change this feel
ing, which deepened the cloud that
Swallowed the home.
Alice had been trained by her
mother to a knowledge of all depart
ments of household work. She had
rebelled against this, as none of her
school friends were required to do
any household work. Many times
these imposed duties had interfered
with her girlish pleasures, and she
felt even now that her time might
have been better employed.
One day she came in from a call
with both cheeks shining, her breath
coming and going quickly, and a
large brown paper parcel in her
hand.
"Why, Alice, what is the matterl
What have you gotG"