Year: 1878

Dare's brave dauntless spirit there


was no such word as fail.


One day when wearied, almost ex-


hausted, by her many cares and re-


sponsibilities there came letter


from Gus Hindon, an old school


mate of hers, offering her his heart


and hand. He was rich and famous


and noble, and Alice knew that IL


she married him her father and


brothers would be lifted above this


bitter poverty which so pinched


and hindered them in all attempts


at a brighter, better, higher life.


She knew she could make Gus


happy and be a good, faithful wife,


for the sadder, deeper undercurrent


of her life was hidden and unknown


to all save herself, and it had be


come so habitual for her to smile


and appear cheerfally interested in


all around her, ''to suffer ard be


strong" that it was almost growing


to be second nature with her.


That night when she threw her


self down on the cold, uncarpeted


kitchen floor and shaded her face


with her hand while she read the


delicate, perfumed missiye, SO


fraught with tenderness and chival-


ric devotion, she was alittie inclined


to favor it and write that she would


be his wife. Twas a great tempta-
ton, greater than you can imagine
unless you have looked into the
anxious, troubled face of dear old
suffering father and watched the
furiows growing deeper, tue silvered
threa more abundant from hard
labor and exposure. Last night
when she had sat at the table and
saw the eager wistful faces turn
away in disgust from the coarse
rough food; this morning when she
had heard Rex say with his sweet
unchildlike thoughtfulness, looking
away from his old patched clothes,
Father, you mag take my money;
these clothes will do me this win
ter" she felt like she would do al
most anything to save them from
this cruel, Calling poverty, But
even when she had it in her own
power to serve them and sweeten
these terribly bitter dregs she
stopped and with a woman's con
sciencious scruples asked, "Is it
rightY'


Once as she thought of father free
from care and anxiety-thought OF
the little brothers as useful inteli-
gent mel from the best institutions
Of the land, rejecting honor on the
memory of dear dead mother and
glad the heart of dear old
father who had known so much OF
sorrow and self-denialior them, she
felt like it was almost worth the
perjury of a soul, but conscience
pleaded piteously at the heart of the
poor, strongly tempted, fragile wo-
man. Ambition pointed warningly
to a higher, more heavenward and
beautiful ground whereon she might
tread if she would only climb to it
and not mind the tired aching heart
and weary stone-pierced feet. SO
she pushed off the beautiful, tinted
picture, wrote to Gus and declined
with womanly tenderness his pro-
posal, then turned back to her own
cold gray world.


Ten years swept by on silent,
noiseless wings, and when the last
dropped into the remorseless tomb
Of time it lett Alice Dare a crowned
conqueror on life's battle field. The
struggle had been long and fear
full one to this pale patient woman,
but the end had come at last. Fa-
ther had not been spared 10 enjoy
her success, or probably the gentle,
plying death angel had stopped
and touched his spirit into infinite
life only that he might cross over
TO the other shore aud rejoice with
the sainted mother in anthems un-
touched with sadness, unburdened
with tears, for two months before
she was lifted up by tho popular
wave of applause to the loftiest and
coveted pinnacle Of tame, father had
closed his eyes in that peaceful
slumber which knows no
waking-and Alice was left alone.
The boys were out in the world try
ing the strength Of their new hon
ors, which, thanks to Alice's untir-
ing and heroic efforts, they have
been able to grasp. Rex is "a noble
young sea captain with Alice's BIZ
bic as his compass TO steer him into
safer port and Alice's sweet remem
brance kiss on his lips TO keep them
ever pure and stainless. Eugene,
quiet, dreamy Eugene, has devel-
oped into a wonderfully gifted art
ist of the very truest caste, young
and struggling yet, but the star OF
lame right on before him, and
Alice's spirit of onward, upward all
sufficient 70 push him toward it;
while Lester is brilliant, versatile
young lawyer, and jamie, emerging
now into his seventeenth year and
still at school, has not yet deter
mined what he will be, or as he
wrote Alice in his last letter, has
not yet found his forte unless 'tis
loving sister; but as sister read the
sweet loving missive so full Of beau
,seI ,,oatfc thou0hta and tander