Year: 1877

rows, ana WepJ In secret. one was SelunS
out of the ways of fashionable society; she
was too busy to think of the fit of dress or
the looping of ribbon, and'seldomly went
any where but to church. The girls made
her have one stylish costume" and once
in awhile she donned that and made some
calls. But Mr.. Chase was as particular as
ever, and his commands to his tailor
rivalled those of the best dressed men in the
city, His hats were always the latest style
and his linen irreproachably neat and with
his two beautiful daughters he went to
places of amusement, to church, but he
went off on his business trips" alone. Some
times Mrs. Chase thought she would try to
the cares of her house had pressed too
long upon her hands, and they
had lost their cunning, and she was forced
to give up in despair. She was always tidy
and daintily clean, but usually wore her
simple plain wrappers and house dresses.
She had not been out of the city for five
years, and half timidly she had promised
herself the long pleasant day in the woods,
for she thought she would go to the picnic.
Mr.. Chase was going with his lodge in few
weeks on an excursion, but she never ac-
companied him, for he disliked the bother,
and, she must acknowledge the truth, she
was getting weak, and every day or two her
head would ache until she would almost be
crazed with the pain. She told the girls that
they need have no trouble about the dinner
or any of those vexing little details of pic
nIcs generally, and while they were riding
about the city seeing who intended to go
and what dresses would be most worn, their
mother was busy in the kitchen making de-
licious things for the lunch basket Their
one servant was ironing and so Mrs. Chase
had all the baking to do, and with kindly
memory of her young days she worked in the
hot room until her face was flushed and her
body ached with weariness. She thought of
the picnic when her husband, then bashful
young man, asked her to walk with him.
and when away from all others under the
beech trees, in the hush and quiet of the
woods, he had begged her to love and marry
him. The little gold ring of betrothal was a
mere shining thread now, but she pushed it
close on her finger and even then, after the
lapse of thirty years, blushed at the memory
of the warm kisses he had pressed upon her
lips. She knew that Kate and Sue had
sweethearts, she knew that the two young
men so constantly with them were lovers,
but she had never been trusted with the
confidence of her daughters hearts and she
could not, mother though she was, ask for
the secrets that were daily whispered to
friends and acquaintances. She had tried to
always meet them in love, never to turn
them from her, but they were growing from
under her control, and she weuld not muir
mur; it would do no good.


AS she sat in her room listening to their
words, the tears filled the faded blue eyes,
and she took off her spectacles and the
drops fell fast upon the dress she was
finishing for Sue. ''No place for mother, no
place for mother" she said over and over
again, with strange, odd, choking voice.
II am getting old, and they are ashamed of
my old fashioned ways and speech, and this
is the first step away from my side. They
do not want me with them. / am a bother
TO my children. o, Father in heaven, take
me to those who never knew what trouble
a mother was" Poor old womanl Living
in a comfortable home. the wife of Mr..
Chase. the well-known merchant, mother of
two handsome intelligent girls, and yet
care of them, he is their IDOL and they would
not after little while ever miss me-" The
sharpest thrust had entered that mothers
heart that human hands could give-the
knowledge that ''she would not be missed"
II is more bitter than death, sharper than a
two-edged swOrd She had given the best of
her days to them, and now they were plan
ming how to rid themselves of her presence.
They we're neither unkind nor harsh to her.
They never spoke impudently nor improper
ly to her. They obeyed ker slightest 'oom-
mand, and gave her filial respect, but they
had seen her all their lives working for taem
and denying herself for their fathers sake
change matters at all.


Quietly she batned away her tears and
went on with her work, and though the mist
would gather in her eyes she would wipe it
away without a SOB. She told the girls she
had changed her mind, and antended ne
maining at home, and though they watched
her face they could read nothing there, and
congratulated themselves that without any
trouble the problem had been solved, and
that there would be 10 intruder upon their
happiness and courting. She kissed them
good by, gave them their lunch and shawls,
and though they attempted to joke with her
about some of her preparations, something
in her face saddened theG, and they drove
away with miseisings.


The day was unusually sultry and close.
and when at night the tired picnickers came