Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-09-10


light wood for tie chambers, tempt
Ing things for the little diuing-roon,
and ,mplete outfit for the kitchen
and in due time all vas ready.
i viii not touch ny l,omeroom,a
SHE said q her mother. u viii leave
it jast y he Other eirls did theirs
when they were married. Let it be,
an viii look into it sometimes Tor
the sake q comparis ~"
So she went cat from The dear old
home to the little new one. why
asked they all. WHY asked the
world And that eve ing, as she sat
alone IL Z midst Of the daintiness
which loneliness changed to desola-
ton, Annie, herself, asked ~Why?'
Bus the answer did not come then,
and she wisely lefs it 70 time So
must we. Skipping alone over two
busy years, we look in again upon
the mistress oil the "snuggery," as
the little maids home had come to
be called.
In this time the house had taken
to Itself wings, not to fly away, but
to shelter. Bread, low-pillared
pofcbes ran around three sides, and
a long room * end,d IRON the back
whose grand attraction was an i'm
mcnse fireplace.
During this tine, on these polches
and about this fireplace Annie bad
gathered as her guests many and
many who never elsewhere had good
times in all their lives. She had
made herself friend of the girls
who were looking for snch cheer
ard courage as she could give in
beautiful way. Living alone and
doing just rs she pleased Loot its
charms with its novelty. Annie
found such Il selfish, aimless life I'M
satisfactory and with an eager inter-
est she had taken up this work
among working girls. She has not
patronized" or matronized," sim
ply beiriended.
She invited them to share coy
dinners, pass quiet evenings, peace
ful Sundays or restfal weeks with
her. She made for them holiday
feasis; she gave musicales of a char
acter they could enjoy and appre-
ciate. She provided papers, books
and magazines in her library, to
which they always, had cordial well
come. In short she had put herself
right into the work, becoming a sis
ter to each one, sympathetic and
trusted. She vas very much OBJ
sorbcd, very busy and lappy in the
work. The "wby" Of enterprise Lad
gradually evolved itself to the APP
psoval of many who did not intend
to approTe, The good she had done,
the evil she had averted, no tongue
could tell.
And yet-and yet-this last year,
though ore Of growing success, had
not been one of growing satisfaction.
Taere had come occasionally onother
visitor to the house, usually on Hofr'
nights, for cczy confidential chats.
This visitor had stirred new feelings,
awakened new thoughts, opened new
vistas which dazzled the girl with
their possibilities. While they glori-
fed life they also changed all things.
Sic struggled gain.t the distraction
IN vain. This little cloud en- the
whole devotion OF her being 10 her
work, tails cloud at first no larger
than mau's hand, became at last,
in the definite offer OF mau's hand.
sufficient 10 entirely obscure all
other interests.
Frank Murray, ia his perfect man
liness and manly love, conquered
absorbed The little mistress Of the
Snnggery. He proved himself to be
the one man who would not be
"tsl&ed oot' or "talked down"
What = world this is!
When the question Of new LONE
making came up, Annie said:
"Yes, l will GO with you. This is
beautiful home for the girls; they
shall have it. Lena Marks shall take
charge of it for me. l can come here
when | will, but we must make
home nest for ourselves"
And when it was made, how hap
Ply they were in it As the years
brought new loves, what n revelation
home was to them Annie smiled
when contrasting the other home
with il, saying to Frank as she
clasped his hand:
"That wss good-idell in its way
a beautiful home for the girls till
they open their eyes and discover
that real home making is love-