Year: 1874

venient she had found the position,
l would not wonder at her desire to
do better.


This first was succeeded by others,
for several days following, during
which, learned she had been mar
ried between two and three years
that she had always before her mar
riage led q gay and luxurious exis-
tence, perhaps because she had new.
er known any other, her parents
being fashionable butterflies; that
she had passed through q great sor.
row, been very sick when her babe
was born, and now was just begin.
ming to appreciate some Of the re-
alities of life. She confessed that it
was when recovering from sick.
bed, and among the new and strange
feelings that came with the birth of
her babe, that she had awakened to
the truth, and listened to the
promptings, always before ignored,
of her more practical nature. That
t was through the advice of kind
friend who had been with her
through her sickness, that she had
purchasedla sewing machine, the
friend believing that it would be a
good beginning in her efforts to do
something useful.


All this my new pupil did not tell
me in so many words, but it was
the substance of what I gathered
by degrees. was very much inter
ested (as usual); and one day, as
she was leaving, casually remarked
that her husband was, no doubt,
pleased at her progress in master.
ing the mystery. Then 1 heard
what l had almost before suspected,
as with tears filling her eyes she
said that she had no husband in one
sense-that she had separated from
him-that it was her own fault-an
act done by herself in hot anger and
rage, but now bitterly repented.
She indicated that there were others
to blame, but did not excuse her
self; and said that she had spent
the night previous to the day on
which she had taken her first les
sou. in great grief from learning
that he was very soon to sail for
Europe, and the thought that they
would then be utterly and forever
separated had nearly driven her to
distraction.


/ felt very sorry-never moro SO
for any human being her repent
ance was so sincere and her sorrow
so hopeless. A dim suspicion had
been creeping through my mind dur
ing this last relation, that l had
heard a story something akin to
this before; and as she was about
leaving l reminded her that al
though we were we'll acquainted as
teacher and pupil, had never yet
heard her name. Apologizing for
her remissness, she handed me
card as she left the room. l will
not say that 1 was very much sur
prised, for 1 had half guessed the
coincidence by intuition,-when l
read on the card held in my hand,
"Mrs. Oracle Lee" ..'


Yes, it was Harry Lees wife who
had been my pupil. A great many
strange feelings were at work with
IN my breast during the next ten
minutes. l had not seen Mr.. Lee
for some time; he had avoided the
acknowledgements course of con.
duct for which had been thankful.
/ had heard nothing of his inten-
ton of going to Europe, and felt
sure it must be a new project, very
suddenly thought of. And why :!
Had my actions anything to do with
iti felt sorely distressed before l
had done thinking out the whole
matter; and 1 might have been
even more so had l not possessed a
resource always so dear to women
and children-that of doing s0.'s
thing. ..,.- '


Now the rest of this is going to
be very brief. On my bed that nights
the desire to ''do something," born
of the necessity, took practical shape
and saw my way to my revenge on
Harry Lee. Dickens Christmas
stories were then in the height of
their popularity I had been facinat.
ed by them, and to their influence
and that of the approaching season
perhaps my plans were chiefly due.
1 hope my imaginary bushes may
be spared, when l say that to ac-
complish it l took occasion to throw
myself into Mr.. Lees way (of course
by apparent accident), and that