Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-10-17
A SPINSTER'S TRIALS.

some accounts, but ii also has its draw
backs. Ever since left home. Is years
ago, have tried to please and satiss
my numerous relatives. ] haven't sue
eseded and row am going to see II /
hnnot get a little happiness and con
fort In my own way.
Twas like this: My relatives disap-
proved of my attempt to earn nv owe
living. and said ! would never be able
70 do it did il. however for thers
seemed nothing else to do after certain
somebody and | had a falling OUT and i
renougced matrimony
AIoher and father were both 6es6
and had no home except with hro'h
ers or sisters where | was not needec
and whore I could rot feel free 81
happy Mother -aj w2nted to lsat
her small property TO me, or at las
the income from it, as |. the younCc
was alone il the world. while ali tht
rest were prosperous, but | knew (
would make trouble in the family for
her TO discriminate in that way. so |
talked her out OF the plan and when
she died was left with the income from
only few hundred dollars.
| have enjoyed my independence
barring the interference of my rela-
tiyes. who, with the best intentions II
the world. have insisted on debating
what ! should and what / should not
do. Notwithstanding the fact that WIS
woman in years and experience and
was earning my own bread ana but
ter.
When | came to Cincinnati in order
to have better treatment for my throat
than / could get in NJ, where | had
been living, they were shocked. 1t was
/ terrible for me TO leave the safe shell
ter of that little city where there was o
second cousin handy 10 direct my ways
When l persisted in exposing my
self to the dangers OF big city" thes
insisted that / should board in the
suburbs with brother Johns son, VIC
had lately married.
arrived in the summer. when cieri-
cal positions were hard to secure
doubly so for stranger, and of course
had to take what | could get. NJ
fate happened to be one whore II had to
work about half the evenings in the
month. Under some circumstances
would not have accepted 1t, but doctors
bills are a heavy tax and | needed the
money.
OF course | wanted to please John, so
agreed to go to the country, and, in
convenient as 1t was, took up my abode
in the spandy new home of that young
couple They meant well, but oh. my,
All their interest conferred in themselves
and their house. Every time moved a
chair from the particular spot they had
chosen for il, they shuddered and | could
feel their anxious eyes following every
movement made in fear that / would
injure in some way their polished floors,
their shiny woodwork or their wedding
collection of bric-a-brac.
To earn my extra money | had to put
in certain number of hours. For that
reason l seldom went out to supper.
usually took nine o'clock train, ard
the supper provided for me when
reached home CD was tomato soup, be-
cause that could be made quickly. To-
mato soup is something | have always
abhorred. and though | expressed my
sentiments as gently as possible, to-
mato soup was what | got, and | vert
to bed in consequence hungry, irritated
and discouraged with life generally.
Their bathroom was the pride Of their
hearts 1t was supplied with soft water,
l {,-fA lxr Iav
from the cistern below. They bathed but
once a week, so the refreshment Of a
daily bath after escaping the dirt and
heat of the city, was denied me. No
sooner would | set foot upon the tiled
floor of that bathroom than there would
be protest from Louise against muss-
ing the clean tub and using up the wa
ter IN the tank.
used to lie awake nights scheming
how could get away from there 70
board in the city without hurting my
nephew's feelings or offending brother
John, but there seemed to be no way
so l stayed on and on.
At Christmas time | thought liberty
was at hand, for they wanted to GO
away for two weeks visit, but they
did not like to leave the house un-
warmed. so they asked me to say and
look after the furnace was fool
to consent. but l had the ever present
dread of Johns censure.
Imagine me, If you can, returning to
that lonely. dark house each night at
ten p. m. BY the t@le had searched
it for lurking robbers, raked down and
replenished the fire. | had little ambi-
tion LETT for the preparation OF my sup
per, and that meal generally shrank TO
bread and jelly eaten from the pantry
shelf.
had to get up before daylight to at
tend to the furnace, get my cup Of cof-
fee and take an early train for the city.
All this time, mind you, was paying
for my board as much as 1t would have
cost me in the city, paying railroad fare
in addition, and getting very little to