Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-12-02

only by trivial pleasures. which, III
their turn. had to be paid for by in
creased cares.
She thought that ii would be very
strange If she We're to find q lover. and
one too, whose nature seemed SO vel
in accord with her own. after all these
years-Judith was twenty-eight-and
just when she was beginning to hav,
1t forced upon her that her youthful
bloom had Vanished. Indeed, the
dream was too sweet. She had for sc
long now made ii her creed TO say
unto all kinds of happiness. II can dc
without thee" that she dared not dwell
upon any chance of change in her life
but could only put it from her with
the sign, IF ii come to me, how happy
| shall be! 1t not, l must endure,'
And endurance meant putting aside
entirely all thought of self, and con.
tinuing TO be devoted only 10 the in.
terests of the family.
Mr.. Hatfield. the son of a clergy
man, possessed literary tastes which
had prevented his choosing any pro
fcssion. AT an early age he married a
woman two years his senior who had
five hundred pound n year, which sum,
In the early days of their marriage sus-
tanned them well. enabling him to in
dulge in dreams of future fame with
out necessitating his working too hard:
but. as his family increased. he found
il incumbent to contribute something
toward their maintenance. He had
written a few novels which had hit the
public taste and had given him a Ger
tain standing in the ranks of litera
.ure, though not that position Which he
thought he held in reserye.
Mrs. Hatfield was little fitted for the
cares of n family. The daughter Of
wealthy but eXtravagant parents, she
had been brought up in a self-indulg-
ent fashion that precluded the posi-
bility of her proving a sensible moth
or. Her children had been left to the
care Of servants until they were in
their teens, so that whatever virtues
or grace OF mind they possessed were
natural TO them.
After the birth of her youngest child
Mrs. Hatfield had fallen into delicate
health through neglecting a cold. Ju
dith. being then fourteen and grave
and practical beyond her years. was
called upon to try her hand at manag-
ing the family affairs. and. having sue
ceedcd, had been kept at it. The task
would have devolved upon Grace, as
the elder; but that young lady. who
had no taste for household cares, was
so attractive that her mother thought
she would marry quickly: and she did,
having arrived at the age of six-and-
twenty ere doing SO, and she was new
or called upon to take up her share of
duty.
Judith had more than enough to do
to know how to provide for the family,
consisting of n father who, for the
most part. lived in dreamland. know
ing little or nothing of what t~ranspired
in his household; a mother, who was
never happy or resigned; q brother,
John. aged twenty-six, who. owing to
rough usage at school. had been n Grip
pie since he was fourteen. aud whose
natural amiability was married by his
misfortune; Elsie. who was more fond
of dress and pleasure than her means
warranted: BERTHE. aged twenty, who
was articled to a solicitor in Claxton;
and seventeen-year-old Frank and tiff
teen-year-old Lucy, who were still at
boarding school.
Judith and John wero the only mem
iters of the family who resembled their
mother in appearance. strangely
enough, they were the two Mrs. Hat
field was most exacting with; and,
with a more considerable mother, Ju-
dith's lot would have been happier. 1t
was no wonder that the girl sometimes
looked forward to emancipation from
ker cares, and the prospect of having
won Claude T~ownshend's regard APP
peared to her almost too happy a fate.
TrI.g~ nIayxt Innvtlt. aud
only late the next morning remem-
bered her conversation with Judith by
noting again her mothers alternate
liveliDess and melancholy.
WIN do you sigh so, mOtherg' she
ut length asked, when Mrs. Hatfield
turned restlessly on her couch after a
short silence following upon a spirited
description by Elsie of what she had
seer and done in London. The two
were alone, Mrs. Hatfield being out
and Judith being up stairs with John,
who had had a restless night.
did / sigh. ElsieY' Mrs. Hatfield
responded, with yet another doleful in
drawing of her breath. Il was think
ing Of Judy, dear. Can't you see what
reason I have to be upsety'
No replied Elsie, wonderingly: L
Thought SIG Sctbittt ali iiSht-ihitNts
rather brighter than usual. What is
tho matter with hery'
Hasn't she mentioned it?'
mentioned WHAT" queried Elsie, In
establishment. II thought there was
something; but when | asked her. she
cvaded the question. What is it, moth
err
why. your father and / greatly fear
that Mr.. Townshend has taken n fancy
to her''-one would have imagined that
some great catastrophe was likely to
befall the family. Il don't say that Jul
dith returns his liking: | hope she has
more thought. for she must know that
for her to marry Mr.. Townshend
would be, practically. ruin to us. Who
would copy your fathers manuscripts
and write ut his dictation when he is
tired and John is too i'll? Who would
manage the servants and look after the
tradespeople? Who would keep the
boys in order and attend to poor John
and me? l try TO give as little trouble
as | can and bear my hard lot silently
land / am sure you are not tit to take
her place. Indeed, / hope you Will
marry. as Grace has DONE"
HAS it gones so fary' demanded
Elsie, In amazement. why. Mr..
T~ownshend hasn't been in Claxton two
mOnthsi'