Mower County transcript., 1904-09-28

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The major resumed his reading, ant
Mrs. Cranston went up the smooth
winding stairs to her daughters room
Lydia was seated before the fire.. hel
beautiful and abundant: hair hanging
loose over her shapely should lders.: ID:
II thought I'd see If Tom had made
you good fire, DEAR" Mrs. Cranstor
said gently. -a-~. ~-'
"Oh, yes; it's all right, mamma
thank you," Lydia returned, with 6
smile.
Mrs. Cranston hesitated. "When de
you look for Kitty to come" she asked
Next week, toward the end, think
mamma. She wanted, to stay over fol
the guards ball. Then she'll be ready
for rest here"
Mrs. Cranston pinched Lydia's fire
Redeemed cheek caressingly. "Don''
you miss all those things dearesty'
mot one bit, mamma" Lydia gave
her mother her eyes trustingly. 'Tr
fact, sometimes I'm just little asham
ed Of all I went through since realize
the beauty of this full, vigorous life
here I'm the mountains. Mother, car
have better time on Prince, gallop
ing helter skelter over these roads and
fields, than ever had vy1ng with 9th
er girls for the most dances and IA
vors in the german with lot Of boys
Oh, mamma" Lydia laughed, some
times I'm awfully ashamed of having
done all that when-when'-
"When what, darling?' Mrs. Gran.
ston's lips were compressed, her eyes
fixed half fearfully on the speaking
countenance.% Il. ::..~ y 5.49 ]:
when there are so many of Gods
creatures here in their shells Of power.
ty and misery trying to rise, trying to
grow out into the sunshine Of life.
think I could be perfectly happy If
could only help those people in some
way. want to teach them, to encour-
age them, not to believe in their degra-
dation. Mamma, just the other day I
saw an old woman selling eggs from
a wagon at the gate, and In the wagon
was her daughter, poorly dressed. but
her features were finely drawn, and
when I stopped to speak to them the
girl looked at me as If were prin-
cess. Oh, mamma, that sort Of thing
cuts me. have not done anything to
deserve that, and, poor thing, what has
oh IN cAor No+h I,,,f t<>
fall into the sort of life her mother is
leading
'That's all true," agreed Mrs. Gran
ston, but there are different grades Of
society, and we can't alter the con-
dition." Then the speakers face be-
came more rigid, her tone tense and
tentative. "And the mixing of the
elements, my DEAR" she put in guard
edly, sometimes produces sad COM
plications. You remember how Halle
Dunwoody married beneath her in
Lexington and that it actually killed
her father and broke up a happy
homer
"That was awful. simply awfulv' re-
marked Lydia. "You know I saw her
two months afterward, and the poor
thing tried to keep me from recog-
nizing her. She told me she was try
ing to adapt herself to the ways Of
her husbands family, but could not
do it. Her husband meant well
enough, but even he seemed unable
to make it bearable for her."
Mrs. Cranston sat perfectly still; she
seemed hardly breathing. She was
very anxious to have her next remark
seem casual.
II have never heard you say before
what you thought about that marriage,
dear, but never thought Halle treat
ed her father and mother right"
mo, she didn't" answered Lydia.
Halle knew the extent Of her father
and mothers pride, and she had NO
right to crush it for her own selfish
love. If she had sacrificed her own
desires, and even those Of her hus.
band, she would have been happier
In the consciousness Of having done
her duty. don't think self sacrifice
has ever brought about bad results
In the long rum
Mrs. Cranston breathed freely. Sht
was all aglow as she bent and kissed
Lydia good night.
Going down to the major, she said
'I've had very, very satisfactory tall
with Lydfa-oh, no, not openly on tha
subject" she fastened to correct a.
he raised his brows in surprise, ''bu
In a roundabout way. We need no
be afraid Of her. If she cares par
t1cularly for George Buckley sh
doesn't know it, and if she shoult
realize that she was drifting in tha
direction she would pull herself up"
"Well, I'm glad she's that sensible
said the major as his eye fell to tn
paper and began to search for a re
membered paragraph. ~ didn't thin
she was a fool"