The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-02-06
Self differentiation
COriginal.1

Esther Barnes was born with club
foot. OF sensitive disposition, her
deformity preyed upon her mind. At
sixteen, an age when girls come to APP
preciate the value of beauty, Esther
realized that her misshapen foot was
q blight, and this so affected her that
she could see no beauty in herself
whatever.
When Esther was fifteen, there came
to live in the little house opposite her
stately home widow, Mrs. Wharton,
with one son, Edgar, manly fellow
of eighteen. Edgar Wharton noticed
the sweet, melancholy face of Esther
Barnes at the windows and longed for
admittance to the house; but, realizing
that poverty and riches~are bad COM
panions, he made no effort to attain
the desired contamination. Esther, too,
noticed the young man coming and
going from his home opposite and long
ed to meet him, but the remembrance
of her deformity came in to interfere
with the carrying out of her wish.
Having no means with which to Sc
cure college education, Edgar entered
store as clerk. He soon saw that
there was no prospect of promotion
for him at home, SO he went out ION
the road" After five years hard work
he had secured valuable business,
asked for an increase of salary and
was refused. Having no capital with
which to conduct business of his
own, he was forced to go on selling
goods to swell the Golfers Of another.
One day Edgar saw an open letter on
his mothers writing desk addressed to
his uncle, her brother. Family letters
were common property between moth
er and son, and he read it. The letter
contained request that the writer's
brother would lend Edgar $4,000 that
he might set up as a merchandise bro
ker, which Mrs. Wharton knew was
her sons desire. Edgar said nothing
to his mother about having seen the
letter and went off on a four months
trip. When he returned, his mother
gave him a kiss and a certificate Of
deposit for $4,000, at the same time
informing him that the money was at
his disposal on condition that he make
no inquiries as to who was the lender.
Edgar, who knew his uncle to be
singular man, made the required prom
Use. When he asked tor the note to
si~~n he was told that there was no
note Then Edgar set up in business
for himself and made money rapidly.
Five years later he bought home SIM
liar to the one opposite.
When Edgar Wharton was thirty
two years old, he lost his mother. 1t
was great blow to him. and It SEEM
ed as ii it would be impossible to oc-
cupy the house alone. Indeed he de-
termined to rent it and make short
trip abroad. In cleaning out his moth
er's writing desk he came upon some.
thing that surprised him, a note from
Esther Barnes. It contained nothing
Of Importance, but Edgar was unaware
that his mother had any acquaintance
with the sweet faced woman who had
lived "over the way" He wrote his
discovery across the face of the note,
requesting permission to call upon one
who had been his mothers friend with.
out his knowledge, and sent It to Es-
ther. In return he received the de-
sired permission, but 20 codly and
formally stated that he determined not
to accept it. A few days later Esther
received brief note from him that he
was suddenly called away and would
not be able to avail himself Of her
kind permission. The writer bad sail
ed for Europe. $500
When Edgar returned, he had made
q resolve to and out the secret Of his
mothers acquaintance with Esther
Barnes. He hunted through her pa.
pers till he came upon note from
Esther to his mother, which read az
follows:
Your note Of thanks Ii received. You
must not consider yourself under obliga-
/ ton to me. II II I who am obliged to
you.
Edgar's curiosity now drove him to
ignore the unsatisfactory wording of
Esther's invitation, and In half an
hour he entered the grounds he had
kept alo0f from for 30 many years.
Esther responded to his card, entering
the room with slight limp and with so
uninviting a manner that Edgar was
repelled. Esther gave very unsatis-
factory explanation Of the secret Of
her acquaintance with his mother. On
the whole, the call was failure. All
he had learned was that the secret
! acquaintance was made accidentally