The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-06-26

shrank from that theme, had not the
heart to take it up.
"You have heard about me-" she
said "You think / am some phenome-
nally gifted monstrosity. Really am
nothing of the sort. / am just like any
other girl. can guess things. So can
every woman. My aunt was interested
in-in that subject, and so did it.
am not interested and shall never do it
again"
1t was a pitiful protest, and it car
ried the day with me.
II think you mistake my Grand
said as gently as possible. "Have
you ever had any experience in teach
ingY
She dropped the pencil and stared at
me.
I'VE are planning to open an evening
school in the town where / live" l
continued. "a great part Of the popu-
lation consists of people who work in
my factory, the Hackett & Harrington
carpet mills. Some of these people
and / am thinking now of the young
women especially-have lacked educa
tional training in their childhood. We
are going to give them chance to re
cover the lost ground. They are obliged
to work In the daytime, but many of
them will welcome the opportunity to
study and to acquire some simple ac-
complishments in the evening. We are
not slave drivers. Our people do not
have to drop exhausted into their beds
| ho 1,aiv-
pers."
| At this point Miss Vaughn interrupt
ed me by suddenly falling forward
with her head in her hands. l think it
must have been five minutes that she
wept and sobbed, and was both dis
tressed and alarmed, though she kept
assuring mesthat she was not i'll and
that she was very happy. When she
had recovered some share of self COM
mand, she begged me to give her a
trial in the school.
II should so love that work." she
said over and over again. 81 know
should succeed"
The idea seemed to enchant her. She
spoke of her own powers with conf
|
tic, splendid-in fact, precisely the sort
Of girl to inspire the right feeling in our
young women of Tunbridge who must
take up too late in life the heavy men,
tai tasks of childhood.
| was greatly embarrassed and a vic
tim of that nervous dissatisfaction
which comes to a rational, practical
man when he blunders into good and
judicious action. 1t is species of i'm
posture. perceived that it was a
most fortunate thing for both of us
that / had come to call upon Miss
Vaughn, and 1t distressed me to know
that she would always credit me with
a kindness, even though l should con-
fess in the most open manner that
had come upon wholly different err
rand.
While hesitated the poor girl was
on the rack. Her nervousness was I'M
controllable She began to scribble
with the pencil and to twist the sheets
Of paper in her fingers without know
ing what she was doing. Seeing this, /
came straight to the point.
TITS a simple matter of business"
said I; rather sudden, of course, but
you mustn't mind that. The position is
yours if you'll take it, and, for my own
part, I'm more than content. Well
make the salary satisfactory and let it
Isbegin Immediately, though the school
lxdoesn't open for some weeks"
r The crazy pencil stopped, and the
dear child who has been like my own
daughter from that moment looked ur
into my eyes while the tears shone up
on her cheeks.
Now. this may seem q small matter
to cause so much emotion, but it must
be remembered that Dorothy bad been
at her wits end since her aunt's death,
We forget sometimes that the term "a
living" has close connection with the
verb Ito live" Whether a penniless
girl is alone in the world or man
fighting in the heart of mob feels a
pistol pressed against his head, it is
much the same. We should not look
for perfect calm. And that is the evil
of our present social system, that II
| puts the poor and the distressed ever
at their worst and their weakest. 1t is
grand to see human being stand un.
moved in deadly peril, but as bust.
ness man l cannot say that we produce
the hest possible results in this world
by making life one long, mortal emer'
gency for the majority OF our species.
While l was endeavoring to make
Dorothy understand that was no an
gel sent from heaven, but only carpet
manufacturer from Tunbridge, N. j.,
my glance happened to fall upon the
sheets of paper on the table, and | OBJ
served with surprise that she had been
writing mans name She must have
written it, in whole or in part, at least
hundred times. 1t was Donald Don.
aldson.
81 was only scribbling," she said, de
tecting me in the impertinence of read
ing over her shoulder. "Thats nothing
at ALL"
do you mean that it's a fictitious
manner" l asked, greatly surprised.
"It's nobody that / know" she said,
with a glance of quick inquiry at me.
/ assured her with all sincerity that
the name was a total stranger to my
ears 1t was such an awkward, tongue
twisting name that no one could for
get it.
Ibid you fancy that it might have
been suggested by my mind to yours, +"
l asked; shat might have been think
ing of this MANI"
e,t& .tsA6 n 10