Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-13

tuO uOlhCA'
81 don't know that should even do
that much" Mary returned. Then she
suddenly clasped her hands together and
looked appealingly at the excited wom-
an opposite to her. "Oh, mother! Don't
you understand why I cannot do this
thing? Have you been so unhappy in
our little home that you want to sell
me to the first bidder2 I've been so
contented in working for you. Has it
all been for nothingf"
working for mel" Mrs. Hamilton
exclaimed Indignantly. working for
me. indeed! And what have I done all
these years9 Look at my hands, work
ed to the bone. cooking, scrubbing.
sewing, contriving, making my own
bits of clothes and never place to
show them in in this desolate wilder
ness of bricks and mortarl No one to
associate with, living pensioner on
your bounty, without pleasures, inter
ests or change of any kind! And then
to have your workthrown in my teeth
indeedp'
"Oh. mother!'
"It's all very well to cay, oh, moth
erl' But I'm speaking the truth. All
these years I have struggled and striven
for you. And now. when you have a
chance of letting me end my days in
peace. you turn up your nose at man
whom any woman might be honored by
marrying
"You married for love yourself, y
said Mary in very low voice.
Mrs. Hamilton caught up the words
and echoed them in the high pitched,
querulous accents of a thoroughly selfish
and superficial person. Married for
love-" she echoed shrilly. eyes, and
what did love ever do for me? mar
ried for love, married on ESQ year,
drudged on it, slaved, toiled, almost
starved on it. Don't talk to me about
marrying for love, Mary-love in a cot.
tage is a will-o'- -the-wisp that leads
many people astray, and your poor ia
ther and I were among the number.
Was it natural, right, proper, that he
should die at S5, wornout, prema-
turely old man, leaving me helpless,
homeless, penniless, to struggle on as
best l 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 now when provision has
come it is only to be rejected. J."
Mary Hamilton sat still while this
incunsequent 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 cne
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" che said gently,
"cannot you for my sake endure this
life a little longerH After midsummer
we shall be better off. 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
a charming house and garden, 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. nc
thinking about the rent or how to get
seven days dinners out of certain
sum. You will have
"Oh, don't. mother; please don'tP
the girl cried. II know all these things
are temptation to you, poor dear. II
must be to you just like opening q
prison door and seeing lovely view
over which you may walk forever on
one condition. But the condition, dear
mother. the condition! Think! 1t is
that of reaching the fair pathways over
your own child's body. Oh, worse,
worse-over her very soull 1t 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 hel
better self. Don't ask me to do it, dear.
Pray, pray don't. Twill work-oh, how
I will work! How thankfully and CRATE
fully will bring you every farthing
that l make, so that you may be more
content. lees straitened. Mother, dear,
speak for mel For my fathers sake, say
that you won't urge this upon me.
But the words of appeal, glowing
passionate, heartful as they were
failed to touch the shallow nature o1
the woman who in her day had married
for love and had found the dinner o.
herbs turn to dust and ashes between
her teeth. She rested her head detected
ly upon her hand and gave several long
drawn signs of misery, calculated tt
move the heart of a stone.
"Dear mother" murmured Mary
from the other side of the table.
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