Year: 1877

and complaints.


As she developed into such home treas
ure, tried to aid her in every way in i'm
proving her mind. She was rather ignorant,
and | gave her such books as | thought
would help her, and greedily were they de-
voured. Her room was so clean and tidy
that often fingered a moment to chat with
her. I had always tried to respect the
womanhoOd of even my servants, and i'm
press upon them my confidence in their up
rightness, and my anxiety for their welfare;
and one of my ways to do this was always
to provide them with a comfortable room.
Individually they would always change my
arrangements some of them for the better,
but generally they cared little for the lux
ury of nice bedding, clean towels, neatly
framed pictures and the square of carpet
that had once done duty in the nursery.
But Rachel enjoyed everything in her quiet
way, carefully sweeping and dusting the
little spot with an appreciation of her own
ership for the time being. had not fault
to find in all of her ways or language. In
many things she was ignorant, but little
instruction would always start her in the
right direction, and nothing further would
be needed until she again got to the limits
of her knowledge.


As became more familiar with her | be-
gan to imagine she had some trouble or sor-
row on her mind. She rarely ever cried,
but she always looked sad and lonely, as if
she was longing for something or grieving
hlacc;re, or r1aooura lost pavar rrv
into anybody's affairs or force their conf
dence, but / tried to win her trust so that at
I the proper time she would feel faith and re-
lance enough in my friendship to tell me
all ] allowed the children to be much with
her, and though she was always kind to
Edith she seemed to cling to my poor fragile
Harry. When he was In pain she would
carry him for hours in her arms, rubbing his
limbs, bathing his feyered body, preparing
| tempting food for him, never tiring of min
| istering 10 him. and once heard her in the
night kissing him and crying as if her heart
would break. The next morning she was as
calm as usual, but if possible more quiet.
| She fingered in the room after every one had
left it excepting me, and coming to me she
said brokenly, "Oh, my heart aches So"
''Why, Rachel, my poor girl, what is the
matter? Tell me all. Sit down here by me.
Let the dishes alone" She came to me,
crouching on the sofa, as if in pain. knew
not what to say, but waited for her to speak,
knowing how slowly the words come when
the heart is choking almost the very
| life out of the throbbing breast. MAY
be you will turn me off. 1 expect
you will, but can not live any longer this
way. | might just as well die one way as
another, and can not, can not bear it any
longer. Everybody has hated me ever SINCE,
and though have tried to do right, tried to
get Gods par ion, nobody will forgive me.
Just let me kiss the children, and will go.'
She started up, but / caught her hand.
Rachel, my poor child tell me- 'sDo not
call me your child, for If had been should
never have been what I am Oh, if had
only had mother to have gone TOTO have
loved me and protected mel would to-day
is a woman. You will never let me see them
again if / tell you. You will take Harry out
of my arms and drive me away-they all do
that. | worked night and day for a lady,
and when | told her my past life she pushed
me out of the door and threw my clothes
after me, but she kept nay wages, and that is
why could not tell you at first am to
blame-at least everybody says woman is
and, though / do not ask nor expect to
stay with you after L tell you, please prom
ise me that you will not think me worse
| than / am"


She laid her hand pleadingly on my arm
and looked into ray face with such
an eager longing for pity that, forgetting
what the dreadful story might be that she
was to tell me, L put nay arm around her
| and drew her head to my shoulder. Poor
child! My mother heart was full of my own
childs future. What might not be the story
that at Is she would beg some one to pity
and forgive? Here was some mothers dar-
ling. girl whose baby lips had been presse
with the warm kisses of a happy love, but
whose young feet had been left alone to stray
wheresoever they would, and remembering
her dead mother and nay own innocent
babes, felt only great pity and tenderness
for her. and held her the closer to my breast
She whispered the story of her sin, of it's
consequences, but refused to tell the name
OF the father of the wailing, delicate baby,
whose little life was begun with such bur-
den of sorrow and shame. No smiles. no
warm embraces, no motherly Joy or fatherly
pride greeted the little one. The bare walls,
the narrow bed of hospital, the rough
| hands of careless strangers awaited the
baby boy, who had in all the
world no friend but the agonized,
fainting young mother. She loved as
purely as any honorable mother in the land