Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-10-27
Continued.

The girl herself wondered at her
own strange training. There were
times when she half feared, half sus-
pected that her father intended her
for the stage, a profession for which
she had no inclination. Although she
it was strange that her taste, inter-
ests, inclinatiOns, and ideas did not
agree with his. The blood OF the
loyal old race of HattOn ran in her
veins. She was a Hatton, without
one OF the characteristics which dis
tinguished the Rays. While Martin
Ray made a hero of oliver Cromwell,
and Worshipped him as the saviour
of his country, Leah hated the name,
and loved the memory of the hand
some, graceful, graceless Stuarts;
while Martin saw nothing but heroism
in the Paris mob who dragged their
beautiful queen to the scaffOld, Leah
loved and admired Marie AntOinette.
So through all the pages of history;
and yet he thought to make her a de-
nouncer Of royalty!
Leah Ray was just sixteen, and
beautiful as the opening bud OF
June rose; grace, dignity, and passion
were marked in every line of her face.
The brow was somewhat low ana
broad, full Of ideality and thought;
the eyes were dark, the eyebrows
straight. It was face perfect in
shape and harmony, with a proud but
sensitive mouth-a face difficult to
read. The Iightness and brightness
of girlhood were not on it; it was
slightly mystical and dreamy, and the
lustrous eyes had a shadow in them.
The noble head, the graceful figure
and it's movements, the mass OF dark
waving hair, so fine and abundant, de-
lighted Martin Ray. The more beauti-
full she was, the more sure was she to
influence men. He never thought
whether she would be willing to de-
vote her young life to the propaga-
ton of his ideas, whether she would
care to give up all the allurements
and pleasures of the world to dedicate
herself to the people. He had never
thought that she would refuse the
mission he had appointed for her.
The man who preached liberty to the
world never dreamed of giving it to
his own daughter; he who openly
taught rebellion against all authority
never imagined that his daughter
would disobey him.
CHAPTER w.
Martin Ray was living in one of
the crowded streets of Manchester.
The north was better suited to him
than the south, because the great
centers of industry were there For
some few months he had been IN
fortunate. Heaven had blessed the
bountiful land with a fair, warm sum-
mer; the harvest was plentiful, the
fruit ripened in rich abundance; there
was a general air Of prosperity; no
foreign war caused anxiety and agita-
tiOn at home; orders from abroad had
come in freely, and people were busy
at work. There was no time for con-
sidering how the land and money Of
the rich were to be divided; men did
not care to be drawn from their work
by agitation of any kind; and Martin
Ray had had fewer lectures to give
The contributions from different COM
mittees came in slowly. He was COM
PEELED to be content with writing
pamphlets, which, before they were
published, underwent so much re-
vision as to make them pointIess.
He was all the more eager to bring
Leah forward
The girl has genius-she has fire
and power" he said to himself. "My
mantle must fall upon her. Men will
listen to words from that beautiful
mouth that they will not hear from
mine"
He had trained her splendidly. She
was well-read and thoughtful. She
was girl Of magnificent talent, full
of energy and the restless fire that
prOclaims genius. He had never told
her until now what his intentions
were with regard to her; and on this
day he had called her into the
miserable little room he dignifed by
the name Of study, to communicate
his plans to her.
"You have grown very beautiful,
Leah" he said, looking at her quite
calmly-"very beautiful: and it is
time you know for what purpose
Heaven has sent you that same
beauty"
The girl smiled and bIushed. She
die not remember that her father had
ever used such words to her before.
Martin Ray went on
You have a grand mission in life,
Leah. You must not be as other
girls; you must not think that dress,
gayety, enjoyment, love, and mar
riage are the end and aim of your ex-
istence. You have a far more i'm
portant future in store for you.''
She looked up at him in wonder.
Il did not know that [ had any
mission, father" she said, quietly.
What is it?'
"The greatest, Leah, that ever fell
to a woman. have been preaching
and teaching all my life. I have
given up everything in this world for
the cause of the people-all my hopes,
my ambition. I have served them,