The Holly chieftain., 1903-05-29

! likely have begun to make some in
1uiries before we came to Beverly, as
/ to my chances of finding employment
| ought TO have done so, but as have
already said, | was weak enough 70
put it off little longer. | am pro-
posing merely to carry out the plan
| have had in mind all along-my life
work.
Emma looked at her curiously.
You are talking gibberisl. Do you
not consider it part OF a woman's life
work to be well married."
IF it SO happens. certainly"
SO hapens.' One would think |
were referring to the bite of mad
dog. ! am older than you, Eleanor,
and | have seen the world There is
nc more foolish, not to say unnatural.
attitude for woman to assume, than
to set her face against marriage. A
self-chosen old maid Is pitiable per-
| son."
Il have no wish to be an old maid"
said Eleanor, with smile Indeed,
/ hope to be married some day.
Then why this rigmarole?"
Il do not see what my being mar
| r!ed or not being married has to do
with the question of supporting my
self"
Supporting yourself? Do you not
know, Eleanor, that, in bringing you
to live with him. your uncle Harold
took upon himself your support? That
| Is no longer an open question. He in
| tends to provide you with home until
| you are married, or, ii you persist in
remaining single, you need have no
fear that he will turn you out of doors
or leave your future unprovided for.
Your uncle is just man."
Il know hesis, and that both of you
are far kinder to me than | deserve.
But do you not understand, Aunt EN-.
ma, that l would rather make my own
way, that l prefer to be independent
and not burden on anybody? | am
grateful to you, and shall never for
get all you have done for me, but |
shouldn't be happy to go on in this
way any longer; l want to do some.
thing"
The eager words and demeanor
startled Emma. She bent her brows
on her work and rocked restlessly.
She could see nothing but ridiculous
folly and misguided waywardness in
the proposition. Harold would never
consent to such a scheme; it was
almost foolish to think or argue about
1t. Still, the child seemed alarmingly
in earnest, and it could not safely be
predicted what she might not be
capable Of. Presently, Mrs. Stagg re-
piled with deliberation:
There is no objection that | can
see to your doing something, as you
call it, Eleanor. You may do whatever
you wish. If you think it necessary to
your peace of mind to earn a little
money by your own exertions-which
strikes me, must say, as slightly
quixotic, considering how well off
your uncle is-but, as | say, if 1t
would make you happier, there is no
possible reason why you should not
utilize any talents you have. / know
or several girls who have dressed
themselves or added materially to
their incomes through what they
have made by painting on china, or
Ni'i ioo'ihS W the iHdSdElHeS OF Dy
giving whist lessons Whist is so
much the fashion now, that, dare
say, If you insist upon it, could get
you a class easily enough. In that
way, you would be able to satisfy your
conscience, and still at the same time
avoid any radical change in your sur
roundinss."
Il am afraid said Eleanor. shaking
her head sadly, that my conscience
could not be SO easily satisfied, or
rather, Aunt Emma, that it isn't
question of conscience only, but of
preference for particular mode of
life. am interested in study and in
books. and-and in the atmosphere
which belongs to them, and | should |
never be happy among people" She |
stopped short, embarrassed how to
proceed.
Why don't you finish? | know
quite what you wished to say-.among
people who don't go in especially for |
anything of the sort Well, We don't
pretend to be more literary than the
average person, but there are other
things in the world fully as important
as books, Eleanor. and one of them is
common sense. Some women in my
place would say: Go and be teacher
in Western college. if you wish
to-, and wash their hands of you But