The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-08-03
TIE ESCAPE.
J How Martha Sessions Attained the OF
iect Of Her Ambition.
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q iect Of Her Ambition. n
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For 20 years the town of st. Johns
had taken the drudgery of Miss Martha
Sessions for granted. Her place. it was
tacitly admitted, was in the kitchen of
the Witherspoous. This did not mean
that she was the servant of the Wither-
spoons-no. no. There were two respects
in which she differed from the ordinary
servant. One was that she received no
salary. The other was that she was of
high birth. 4 common person may re-
ceve pay for service and rejoice in it.
But Miss Sessions, daughter of the Hon.
Peter Sessions, now many years with
his respectable and dull forbears, could
not, even had she been offered money,
have accepted it. What she did was to
live in the home of her married sister,
conscious morning. noon and night of the
fact that she was the recipient of bounty,
and to do anything and everything that
other folks objected to doing.
Sarah WitherSpoon had not been one
TO let the distinguished name she bore
die with her generation. She had given
seven pawns to fortune in the shape of
her sons and daughters. and for each and
every one of these little ones Martha
Sessions. her sister. had cared. In short,
Martha was the lubricator of the do
mestic wheels and did everything for the
family that she could do. from-hemming
the napkins to sitting beside sick beds.
She was the first up in the morning and
the last to bed at night. She started the
kitchen fire at dawn. and she locked the
front door and wound the clock after the
others had retired to their rooms.
Yet it was generally understood in the
Witherspoon household that Aunt Mar
tina was to sit silent at the table. espe-
cially if there was cpppany. Itsa dinner
wars given. she did tie most difficult part
of the cooking. and if she did not stay
in the kitchen to direct the serving she
perchcd uneasiy OH the edge Of her chair
ready TO rush into the fray at the slight
est sign of aonfusiUi.
There wuk orc cause of chagrin. how
eyer, which eEell> this ral)daH Gdselfia
did not boar patisnSy. Sac WIS bao much
occupied on the Sabbath to attend chureh.
for tile largo family dinners and the sup
pers Mt which friends were informally
and generally invited kept tao household
drudge AT her post Mt the hours of serv-
ice. Moreover. she had the pain of hear
ing her own particular church and rector
spoken of in terms of ueriSion. and the
understandable cultivated and conServa-
tive congregation of which she would fan
have been uue WAS the source of much
mirth To the WithcrSpoens who went to
the smartest of sacred cdtices and whose
preacher WAS renowned after din
nor speaker and social lion.
But one day an astonishing thing hap
pencd. 1t is difficult to believe it. although
it is now ancient history. Frederick SEES
sions. -rarduucle to Martha Sessions and
to Sarah Nitherspopn. died at so great
an age that he seemed already to have
been dead for 4 decade whsa his obituary
was published, and in dying he beQueath
ed to Martha Sessions, the most uncom-
planning and self sacrificing woman of
my acquaintance. all lands. funds and
properties Of which stand possessed"
The news was brought to Martha SEES
sions one morning when she was sorting
over the weeks washing. and she came
down to the parlor in her worn gray
frock and white apron and met the intel
ligenc- with incrcdrlity. But when she
was quite convinced nf the truth of the
thing she astonShcd the little lawyer by
laughing in Il youthful way. lie had ex-
pected nervous and grateful tears.
And when can | have possession of
this property. SIR she inquired
The formaliticS are few, Miss SEES
sionS. considering that you are the only
heir. Within Il few days you can do as
you please with your own. and can atl.
vance you money today to any amount
you may desire. What would you like"
Miss Sessions did not entirely under
stand the drift of the question and an.
swered with Il vague smile:
II ShOLld like TO ask the rector to tea"
"Madamw
THE Rev. Mr.. Ellison. you know. I'm
not much acquainted with him. but he's
the rector of my church. only unfortu-
nately I've not attended church for the
last few wears. But | can now. Do
You think. sir. that | could have a new
bonnet by Sundays
Il will write you Il check for any
amount You desire"
Thank ynu. | should like to build
house if possible before had Mr. Eli
son to tea. 1t would be much pleasan:er
to entertain him at my own board. of
course. than
Certainly. Miss Sessions. Why not
build Il house, He was an aStulr and
sympathetic little man. and he knew
something of the story of Miss Sessions
life and understood by sort of intuition
that she WAS cropping for her individual
form of expression. To have the min
lister to tea WAS her dream. and the law.
yer reflected that each human creature
il entitled to his own particular sort of
dream.
But he was entirely uuprepared for the
decision with which this hitherto patient
woman acted.
"If you'll be good enough to wait for
ne n moment. NJ. OSterman," she said.
"I'l put on my bonnet and 80 down town
with YOU"
''To the hank?'
''To see Il contractor about my house"
1t appeared that here was rampant
Imagination. given rein for the FIRST time
n its existence.
''Yaur family will he much interested
a your sood fortune" said the lawyer |
kindly. But Miss Sessions spilled an
eJpss10ish smile and uaa&e no reply.
q2rat evening when the faMfly sat IN
the drawing rOsm Amt Martha. to the |
smnzemcnt Of every ono, entered and
took seat as one having something to |
say. Every one looked up in surprise |
and waited. They knew the occasion |
could not be an ordinary one. She told |
her news with dignity. There was |
gasp, and the face of Sarah Witherspoon
turned scarlet.
"Of course you will not permit such an |
unjust thing to happen!" she cried. 1T |
has always been my expectation that / |
would be Uncle Frederck's heir Think
Of the times | have entertained him and |
the favors he has received at my hands"
Martha Sessions smiled dreamily.
"Of course you will see that the prop
erty is divided half and half, Martha"
pleaded her sister.
Martha shook her head slowly.
"No," she said, sit is mine. have
never had anything before. l am going
to keep what is mine"
Her sister sprang TO her feet, blazing
with wrath and incredulity at the turn of
the worm
Il shall contest the WILL" she screamed.
Her husband pushed her into Il seat.
"Sit down, Sarah" he said in n mag
nifcent voice, 'and let Inc talk with this
viper we have nurscd in our bosoms, this
beneficiary of our bounty, who forgete
the little children who have played about
her knee and all the years she has lived
upon our generosity"
But Martha interrupted him and arose.
I'm afraid haven't time to disten,"
she said. Il know what you will suggest.
You will kindly offer TO invest my money
for me. You will speak to me about send
ing the boys through college and the girls
to n seminary. When have any of YOU
young or old. come TO the room where /
sat alone, wondering what l had done to