Year: 1875

was afraid she would be stupid, ana my
reinsurance that l had taught pupils
from II. TO so in age, and from Irish
Norah to the Hon. Mrs. Highfyer in
position, passed between us and then,
after feet were comfortably warmed, and
gloves removed, the lesson began. Upon
the raising of her veil, as she seated her
self, / discovered that her beautiful
brown eyes showed traces of recent tears;
and several times as the lesson pro-
gressed an unconsciously drawn long
sigh or sob proved very plainly that she
had lately passed through some strong
emotion, and that nature was kindly re-
storing the equilibrium.


In the course of the lesson, lat day,
she told me that she was married and
the mother of little boy somewhat over
a year old. She limited at trouble in
connection with her marriage relations,
and of late news that had caused the
past night to be spent very unhappily.
She seemed low-spirited, and deeply
ashamed of her ignorance as regarded
all knowledge of sewing or the construc-
ton of the simplest garment. encour-
aged her-told her that patience and ap-
plication were only necessary, as she
y
would learn easily. But she replied sad
ly that she was afraid that those were
virtues she had never cultivated, nor
even until lately deemed at all necessary.
She assured me that / could form no
idea how useless and helpless she had
been. She had never liked to sew, and
her mother had never wished her to do
SO, telling her that there were plenty of
poor people who would be glad to do
such labor instead. She hoped | would
not laugh at some of herno doubt trifiing
and silly questions, rs she had never
even made garment of any kind III her
life-not even a little one Tor her baby
| laughed good-naturedly l could not
help it and told her that she took too
severe q view of her deticiencies-that
there were plenty of other ladies Just
like her but she said, smiling little
mournfully in return, that if l knew how
bitterly she had lately begun to under
stand what an uneducated woman III
useful matters she was, and how incon-
venient she had found the position. ]
would not wonder at her desire to do
better.


The first lesson was succeeded by
others, for several days following dur
| ing which ! learned that she had been
married between two and three years
! that she had always before her marriage
! led a gay and luxurious existence, per-
! haps because she had never known Of any
other, her parents Deing fashionable but
tertlies that she had passed through a
! great sorrow, peen very sick when her
babe was born, and was now Just begin
ming TO appreciate some of the realities
of life. She confessed that it was when
recovering from a 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 it
was through the advice of kind friend,
who had been with her through her sick
ness, that she had purchased sewing
machine, the friend believing tnat it
would be good beginning III her efforts
to do something useful.


All this my new pupil did not tell me
in SO many words, but it was the sub
stance of what | gathered by degrees.
| was very much interested Gas usual
and one day, as she was leaving, casually
remarked that her husband was no doubt
pleased at her progress III mastering the
mystery. Then / heard what l had.al-
most before suspected, as with tears fill
ing her eyes she said that she had no
husband III one sense-that she had sep
arated from him-that it was her own
fault-an act done by herself in hot an
ger and rage, but now bitterly repented.
She indicated that there were others to
blame, but did not excuse herself ; and
said that she had spent the night previ-
Gus to the day on which she had taken
her first lesson, in great grief from learn
ing 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.


L felt very sorry-never more so for
any human being her repentance was
SO sincere and her sorrow so hopeless. A
dim suspicion had been creeping through
my mind during this last relation, that l
had heard story something akin to this
before and as she was about leaving l
reminded her that although we were well
acquainted as teacher and pupil, had
never yet heard her name. Apologizing
for her remissness, she handed me card
as she left the room. 1 will not say that
Woo WI lAuNli SUI AipNNy III buN
half guessed the coincidence by intuition
when 1 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 within my breast
during the next ten minutes. had not
seen Mr.. Lee for some time; he had
avoided the instruction room-a course
of conduct for which / had been thank
full. / had heard nothing of his inten-
ton of going to Europe, and felt sure it
must be new project, very suddenly
thought of And why Fad my actions
anything to do with itl 1 felt sorely
distressed before l had done thinking
out the whole matter; and might have
been even more so had not possessed
resource always SO dear to women and
children-that of doing something.


Now the rest of this is going to be very
brief. On my bed, that nignt, the de-
sire to "do something" born of the ne
cessity, took practical shape, and saw
my way to my revenge on Harry Lee.
| IltnEono' (tl,t ctn -,