Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-04
THREE NUNS.

am gone"
You viii have Con-" said the back
proved one shortly. What need have
YOU Of us?"
And Con has Cons wife" retorted
the old woman.
She sal deep in her arm chair. her
once stately proportions depressed and
fallen in. Her face had the color of Old
ivory. The nose hooked over to meet
jEe peaked chin and between the two
The SUoken line of the lips closed over
the gaps where the teeth had been. She
mumbled as she spoke, but the hard,
bright glitter of the eyes between the
yellow and crumpled eyelids had no sign
of age,
The room was I'M semi-dsrkness, for
over the long. arrOw-headed Sits of
windows the caves had just unfolded
their green. The three younger women
looked down at their seams and were ST.
lent They were making Ucdergar-
ments. Straight and severed as shrouds
FOR the dead of coarse linen, with not
trace Of the lace and embroidery that
women love
The eldest Of the three lifted her head
and sighed before she spoke. Like her
mother, she wore the black gown Of the
widow. Her eyes, like black velvet,
mad no light in their mournful depths.
Let us so IN peace mother she said.
You know there is no place for us here
S--ca Con brought home the wife with
-ne fortune. Let us fee away like the
dove md be at rest"
You dent think of me, Mary; you
never did; yet you have no cause of COM
plant against me. l did my best for
YOU in the time that IS gone.
you married me 10 John Sullivan
and MS acres. have nothing to say.
He was a kind man, though my heart
vast in him. But had the child.
Tbs child filed my heart
You are your mother over again,
/ Mary. though you set yourself against
me. The child would have been what
| Con was to me. They are born of us.
ana they are masters and We slaves.
He would have come between you and
God at your prayers. You would wrong
/ anyone for his sake
perhaps that was why God took
1 him" said the widow, and her eyes filled
/ with tears so that she could not see the
seam.
BE thankful that He took him. 1t
would be harder il he had lived 10 bring
/ in a wife CT the floor 10 YOU TO Srudge
YOU your bit and sup, and your few
days above ground. Yet twas that
amCe the match. How | have tOiled and
noiled and PLANNED and lain awake al
nights to get him Susy and her fortune,
I had her in my eye for him for long
time. Many and ma9y time thought
/ he'd have taken his own way and mar
riei a poor girl
You spoilt him always" said her
! second daughter.
she was passionate and black-brow-
ed with deep black eyes in which brood
e5 a stormy beauty. She had more Ifs
chan the other TWO. more vitality in the
p quick brown fingers and the bright
rings Of curling black hair. She sewed
fast. and a smile beautiful and strange
as winter sunshine, lay upon her lips.
Il split him. It's true. Boys are for
spelling. / was proud of him when he
drew at my breast and s,ruck at Bridget
, there, his twin, les, she should have hel
share
Bridget was your flesh and blood
, too"
She didn't take her own part like
. Con. It's the natural thing for women
70 be pushed on one side all their days,
They must give in TO men,"
d Con should not give in to Susy about
You. He should make her understand
| hon. IS n he ~ NJ -
There was silence for few moments
except for the regular ticking of the
clock on the manteipiece and the songs
OF the birds outside. The old woman
leaned on her staff and watched the
three women sewing as silent as thc
fates She spoke presently:
you were always my handsome girl
Coma I little thought TO see you max
ing such things against your wedding.
That flannel is as coarse as the brown
habits Of the dead
The girl smiled her quiet, radiant
smile.
we shall be dead to this weary
world. Twill do us while we're wait
i1g for our wedding garments"
you've forgotten Laurence Archbold,
Coma"
Il have not forgotten him. He did
me a good turn when he set an ugly fcce
with a fortune to 1T against me. | shall
be happier when they wrap me in gar
ment like this for my grave than if
had stood up at the altar in silk to get
| Laurence ArchbO.d'S ring on my I'm
E=r"
The Archbold's were always a poor,
mean set"
The girls dark cheek flushed.
Hes no worse than his fellows. He
had a right to a fortune. He gave one
TO his sister when she went out of her
fathers house"
You forgive him them"
/ have nothing to forgive. If l owed
him anything but prayers and gratitude
because he flung me on the love of God
us not him l blame mother, but you.
You know that girls without fortune re-
main unmarried But what did it mat
ter about girls?"
Deed then that's true. I never
! thought We of much account beside Con.
Mary there knows what I mean. The
! son takes the marrow out of your bones
and the blood out Of your heart"
The neighbOrs Will think you have
cause for pride when your three daugh-
| tiers enter in one day." said OOna, with
q sudden change of mood"
Deed they will so. l never heard
the like of anyone else. If We perseyere
twill be greatly to my glory in heaven.
And here, too. The mother Of priests
and nuns is always thought well OF.