Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-10
CHAPTER XXXIV.
IN SORROW.


In the scanty accommodations of
the room at Tyndall's Buildings, it
was not possible that all could sleep
that night, and Agnes could by no
means be induced to take the repose
her hostess would deny herself.
Little Ida and the old man-quite
as much the child-were already last
asleep; and the two women agreed,
with little difficulty to keep their
watch by the fire together. This new
afflictiongave her acquaintance a fresh
interest in Nelly's eyes; and Agnes, on
her part, felt she owed it to her kind
hostess to keep her no longer in ignor-
ance OF her own history.
1t was not much to tell, though the
little was bitter enough in the recital.
The listener gathered more from
Agnes's silence than her words, that
the father of the latter had filled but
poorly the part OF parent to her.
Her mother died when she was quite
child, and her father had married
soon after an idle, disreputable, and
dlsorderly slattern, who, though she
contrived to keep in with her husband
by ministering to his vices, led all de-
pending on her a sad life, and to the
poor child became a very tyrant; the
more that her own children died, one
after the other, when young.
Years passed on as the girl grew up;
her father needing her no more than if
she was a servant in the house-her
days more and more painful and
lonely. It was little to be wondered
at that, anxious to escape q life so
wearisome, she hardened to the fair
words of a young man who OCCASION
ally came to her fathers on matters
connected with his trade. Agnes was
affectionate by nature, and had found
no outlet for her feelings; she was gen.
tie. and easily persuaded by those in
whom she felt an interest; she missed
the tenderness of home, and eagerly
accepted that which so fairly promised
it's perfection.
1t was the old story-she loved the
man, she Judged his heart after her
own, and dreamed not of deceit
trusted-as she felt herself could be
trusted, and was lost!
She had feared to take her secret to
her harsh relatives, for she knew that
her services were too valuable to her
step-mother to be easily given up, and
her father had no will but his wTfe's.
But how much worse when days passed
and the lover came not! 1t would
have been easier to tell the first than
that which would now constitute the
tale. There was nothing but shame
and horror left her to face; she heard
nothing from her lover; even whether
he had quilted her Intentionally was
unknown to her.
The time passed and the horror
grew upon her; she had no longer even
the alternative ofeoncealment-to die
of broken hope and ruined affections
was not even to be permitted her.
She fled in the night from her faith
er's house to London, for there it was
he lived, she knew.
She found him-at least his resi-
dence; she asked news Of him. He had
been two months the husband of
woman, rich, and half as old again as
himself.
That was the awakening from her
short dream, and, women who have
loved, Ineed3not tell youWhat she did.
You who have not, [ may assure you
that she did not VOW vengeance on
him, nor make notorious, even as it
deserved, his sin, by blazoning her
shame God help her! she never could
herself tell what passed after that
hour, till she found herself in the bless
ed refuge, where her baby was born,
and baptized in it's mothers tears,
poor fool after his name.
Much care, and tenderness, and aid
shefound there; she and the child grew
strong, and the day came when she
must turn, once more, into the cold
world, with this helpless burthenlook-
ing to her for life, who was SO weak
and shiftless, even for herself; and yet
she clasped the frail thing to her as if
it might have been the pledge of her
safety and welfare, instead of being
Heaven help us in this Christian coun-
try!-the badge of her shame, the
weight that was to sink her down
down in the second scale, till the low
est only should be left her refuge.
I TO BE CONTINUED.