Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-31

4 did think of it, he said; but
there is some business I had forgotten.
There is a train leaves at nine.
should be at home by twelve. and
ready 10 begin my business on Tues
day morning"
'of course you know best" / said
coldly. 1 thought Maggie would be
disappointed, and l did not like this
first symptom of Indifference to my
darling.
rs he like all the rest?" wonder
ed. as 1 saw him silently taking a
glass Of sherry. "Will he care less
for her now that he has won herr"
Il think will walk to Ordley, Miss
Lisle," he said. ct shall be just in
time if start now it is eight
o'clock
Have you said good-by to Maggie?"
asked.
Yes" he replied, in some little con-
fusion; "she knows l am going"
He left me with a hurried fareG ell,
very unlike his usual lingering when
the hour of departure came.
Now" l said to myself, what oG
earth has come to these children :?
Surely they are not quarreling al
ready! What can be the matter with
! them?"
Maggie did not come down stairs.
She sent word that she had head
ache and if l would excuse her she
| vyo,,15 rar,ai, l., 10, xoor,, &c tho,,crb
the very term headache" did not al
most mean a love quarrel! I went
into her room before going to my
own. She was asleep; but even in
her sleep her sweet lips were CULVER
ing, and her face was swollen with
weeping.
Poor little child!" I thought, as
looked lovingly at her-"her troubles
have begun in real earnest" and
almost wished the world could man
age without love altogether; for it
seemed to me that it must always be
accompanied by so much pain and,
misery.
Maggie looked pale and unhappy
when she came down in the morning.
| said nothing, for she did not mention
her lovers name. 1t was the first
time in my life I had ever seen that
panied expression on my sisters face,
and felt grieved beyond expression.
| admired the brave way in which she
set to work; not one duty was omit
ted not one hour seemed to hang
heavy on her hands. Two or three
/ days passed in the same way; my
darling did not go singing about the
house as she had been wont to do
the sweet, happy voice was silent; and
when she spoke to me it sounded
harsh and untutored.
How long is this state of things to
continue?" I said to myself. The
fourth day came, and there was no
letter from Walter.
Maggie" I said, provoked out OF
my silence at last, sis it not strange
that we do not hear from Walter"
walter is very absurd person,
she replied, pettishly.
My poor little Maggie! she did not
know how clearly wounded heart
spoke in those irritable words. Still
| thought it better to say nothing
What should | an old maid, do OIL
know about interfering in such mat
tiers? If my children had quarrelled
they would know better than myself
how to make friends again. If | had
known at the time for how slight and
ridiculous a matter they had both
made themselves unhappy, | should
have felt almost inclined TO snake
Maggie and scold Walter; but | did
not and | dreaded making things
worse by interfering. | began to
think there was, what l had never NO
ticed before e slight element of OBJ
stinacy mingled with the sweet, anna.
BILE traits of my sisters disposition
My theory and firm belief is that no
girls character is fully developed I'M
til she has learned to love. That one
grand passion seems to call into ex
istence qualities both good and bad
quite unsuspected before.
One morning-how we'll remember
maggie came to me, and said there
was poor woman at the gate with a
sick child; might she take some food
and warm milk to them? l gladly as
sented Maggie was exceedingly kind
and charitable; she could not see pain
or distress of any kind without seek
ing to alleviate it. Presently I saw
her tripping down the lawn; the white
wistful face, and hungry eyes that
lpeered through the gate frightened
as she drew near, her hands full OF
food She took what looked to be a
bundle of rags, but was in reality a
sicllly, half-starved child, from the
poor woman's arms, and began feeding
it herself lac mother ate voracious-
ly; the babe seemed too far gone.
Hearing Maggie's voice, in distress,
went to her aid. and found her la
menting over what seemed TO be a
half dead infant | asked what allied
it, and the woman sid it had been i'll
of fever, 'fever of a bad sort" she
added, and she was tramping to Ord.
ley to see if she could get relief there
You should not have let my sis
ter touch the child" said, hastily;
the fever may be infectious"
1T will not hurt her" replied the
woman, sullenly