Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-24

many people aStray, ana your poor IA
Their and l were among the number.
Was it natural right. proper, that he
should die at 50, wornout, prema-
turely old man, leaving me helpless,
homeless, penniless. to struggle on as
best could, to drag you up as best l
could2 That was what marrying for
love did for him, poor fellow He never
would own it. He died with his hand in
mine-his last words The Lord will
provide'-and now when provision has
come it is only to be rejected.
Mary Hamilton sat still while this
inconsequent torrent of recollection and
vexation poured from her mothers lips.
At the vision of the red faced. burly,
bluff sailor being regarded as provision
sent by the Lord to take her from an
independent life of honest work to one
Of degrading idleness, she almost laugh
ed aloud. but she resolutely choked
down the inclination and spoke quietly
and reasonably to the excited woman
on the other side of the table.
Dear mother" she said gently,
'cannot you for my sake endure this
life little longer9 After midsummer
we shall be better of. Even now we
can well afford to have woman in to
do the rougher work-it has always
been for you to decide how the money
shall be spent For my sake. dearf"
"And why not for miner" asked the
mother fercely. "Listenl He has laid
all his plans before me. You will have
charming house and garden, a couple
of good maidservants. a handsome
housekeeping purse. an ample allowance
for your dress and pocket money. There
will always be room for mel am to
live with you-to give the benefit Of
my advice, my experience in house,
keeping and all such things. You will
have as much society as you care to
take-there will be no anxiety. no
thinking about the rent or how to get
seven days dinners out Of q certain
sum. You will have
"Oh, don't. mother; please don'ti'
the girl cried. 81 know all these things
are temptation to you, poor dear. It
must be to you just like opening a
prison door and seeing lovely view
over which you may walk forever on
one coholIloh' hut the conditlon. Gear
o.nea' 'he conui'ioh! lhihkl II IN
elat Oh feacning .he talr patnWays over
worse-over her very soull It means
the sacrifice Of all that is best in your
child's life-the giving up of her free
dom, her honor, her ambition, of all her
p De..ei seii pon ASK ne 70 90 II, Gear.
: ray, pray uoI =. WIN wUrA-on' now
e. mu WIN .'':i noM 'nanAiuiiy anu glate-
.uiy "ia ihg you every tarth1hg
wa. na ,As 90 .na1 you may W more
s ssul,a - iess s' E n.o1nei oear,
speah ior ine' roi my iatner ) SAKE, say
'nas you "on urge inns upon me-
Out Tue Woros OF appeal glowing.
passionate heartfui as they were,
talieo 70 touch tne swallow nature OF
!ne woman VINO IN ner oay mad married
ZOE love ana nao Iound the dinner OF
nerDs turn 10 oust ana asnes between
ner teetn. she rested her head detected
y upon ner hand ana gave several long
Drawn signs OF misery calculated to
move tne heart OF stone.
Dear mother murmured Mary
nom the other side OF the table.
But MRS. hamilton shook her head
resolutely. mo, Mary. it's no use your
SAYING Dear mother! It's worth moth
ing; II means nothing can't make
you marry Captain Conway; indeed.
I've no wish to do So an'tmake you
ses what Is best for you, although you
might trust your own mother to give
you good advice on such subject. i
can do nothing but bear my disappoint-
ment with resignation and fortitude.
After all, IT Is only one more bitter pill
to swallow, one more drop of bitterness
IN my cup of humiliation and self sacri-
ice. III say nothing more, Mary, only
-only-don't prate to me about love
and devotion. I've proved the value of
both today. And, after all my struggles
to give you the best OF education. it's
hard, It's heartbreaklng.
A sudden thought flashed across Mary
Hamllton's mind OF certain clerical
charities which had from the time of
her fathers death provided her mother
Win inc wherewlthal OF living, OF the
great institution wherein she had re-
ceived her education free of cost to her
mother and because OF the position in
life which her father had occupied, but
she said nothing; she felt that it would
be useless,
so my dream ends, said Mrs.
Hamilton bitterly 1T says somewhere
IN the Bible Her children shall rise up
and call her blessed. It's fallacy,
nowadays at least' for veneration for
parents has gone cut OF fashion.
Mary Hamilton sat back in her chair
wondering whether 1t would be best to
let the storm pass in silence or not.
and went blindly toward the door. 1
say bilndly because she went stumbling