El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-02
(C1pyrizit. 1913, by Frank G, Carpenter)

conditions OF declaring the young
party Of age and giving him, as
member Of the family, themanagement
OF his patrimOny- Jonathan became
possessed with the notion that an ar
rangement ought to be made that
would prevent the new farm from be-
ing settled and cultivated, as in the lat
ter instances, indiscriminately by per-
sons removing from his and Mary's
estates and confine the privilege to
those going from his own, and in
perVerSe humOr which had seized him
he listened to suggestions that Mary
had undue advantage from the Selec-
ton of head stewards (presidents),
which had happened to have been much
oftener out of her tenants than his
Now the prejudice suddenly taken
I'D by John against the equal right of
Mary's tenants TO remove with their
property to new farms was connected
with a peculiarly in Mary's person
not vet noticed Strange as 1t may ap-
pear the circumstances is not the
less true that Nary when a child, had
unfortunately received from a certain
African dye a stain on her left arm,
which had made it perfectly black
and withal somewhat weaker than the
other arm. The misfortune arose from
a ship from Africa loaded with the
article which had been permitted 10
enter a river running through her
estate and to there dispose of a part
of the nOXiOuS cargo. The fact
slavery in the south) was well known
to John at the time of their marriage,
and if he considered it an objection,
it was in a manner reduced to nothing
by the comely arm and pleasing fea-
lures of Mary in every other respect
and also by her good sense and
amiable manners, and in part perhaps,
by the large and valuable estate she
brought with her
Looks at the Black Arm.
'Tn the unlucky fit. however which
looked q
the black arm and forgot all the rest
To such a pitch of feeling was he
wrought up that he broke out into the
grossest taunts upOn Mary for her
time to remind her Of his fOrbearance
to exert his superior voice in the ap-
pOintment of a head steward
He had now, he said, got his eyes
fully opened; ne saw everything In
new light, and was resolved to act ac-
cOrdingly. AS to the head steward
(the president of theUnlted StaIes),
he would let her see that the appoint
ment was virtually IN his power, and
she might take her leave of all chance
Of ever having another of her tenants
advanced to that station.
= las to the black arm, she should, il
the color could not be taken out
either tear off the skin from the flesh
or cut off the limb. For it was his
fixed determination that one or the
other should be done or ne would sue
out divorce, and there should be an
end OF all connection between them
and their estates
' 7 have examined he said, well the
marriage settlement, and flaws have
been pointed out to me that never oc-
CURED before, by which I shall be
able to set the whole a side. White as
am all over I can no longer cOnsort
with one marked with such defOrm-
ity as the black on your person"
Mary was so stunned with the Ian
y Ga eHnn hot mo-
before she could speak at all. As her
surprise abated,, she was almost choked
with the anger and Indignation which
was swelling in her bosom. Generous
and placable as her temper was, she
had such proud sensibility that she
could not suppress the violence of her
emotions as TO the unjust and degrad-
ing treatment Of Jonathan. Her Ian
guages accordingly, for moment was
such as those emotions prompted. But
her good sense and her regard for John,
whose qualities as good husband she
had long experienced soon gained an
ascendancy, and she changed her tone
TO that Of sober reasoning and affec-
tiOnate expOstulatiOn.
80 Ny dear husband, you see what
passion you have put me into. but 1t
IS now over, and I will endeaTOr to eX-
press my thoughts with a calmness and
good feeling which become the relations
Of a wife and husband As to the case
Of providing for our child. (This may
be MISSOURI We both have such a
tender regard for him and such a de-
sire to see him on a level with his
brethren as to his chance for making
his fortune in the world, and I am
sure that the difficulties which have
occurred viii in some way be got over.
But ] cannot pass so lightly over the
reproaches which you have cast on the
color of my left arm. and on the more
frequent appointment of my tenants
than of yours to the head stewardship
from our joint estates
Known Before Message.
Now, as to the first point you seem
to have forgotten, my worthy partner,
that this infirmity was fully known to
you before our marriage and is proved
to be so by the deed Of settlement it.
self. At that time you made no objec-
ton whatever to our union, and indeed
now could you urge such an objection
when you were conscious that you
yourself were not entirely free from a
ike stain on your own persona
The fatal African dye, as you well
know, had found its way into your
abode as well as mine, and at the time
had scattered spots and specks over
your body as black as the skin on my
arm, and although you have by certain
abraslons and other applications taken
them IN some measure ont, there are
visible remains which ought TO soften
at least your language when rejecting
on my situation.
"'YOu ought surely when YOU have so 1
slowly and imperfectly relieved your
self from a notifying stain-although
the task was comparatively so easy /
to have some fOrbeartnce and svmpathy
with me whose task is so much more
difficult to perform. Instead of that
you abuse me as if / had brought mis-
fortune on myself and would increase
II at Will or as if you had pointed
out a ready way to do it. and I had
sighted your advice. Yet so far is
this from being the case that you
know as well as 7 do that I am not
to blame for the origin of the sad mis-
shape. You know that I am as an
iOus as you TO get rid of it and that
you are as unable as I am to find out /