Year: 1867

do in the matter of supplying the physi


cal wants only of these healthy, rest


less, turbulent immortals. L am en-


dowed with kind of violent discretion


which, while it stops my tongue has nc


power over my eyes, and my presence


was anything but agreeable to the doc


tor; still l could not keep away. Per


haps it was not my duty to work like &
poorly paid seamstress every moment
| out of school hours to help clothe my


little nephew and nieces, but how could


l help it, There was no compassion


in the doctors face when his eye rested


on the delicate girl mother who hourly


bent over the cradle and sewed and


sang sweet minor tunes to the wide


awake baby who clung to its mother


all day long, and invariably chose the


most restful hours of the night for colo


and teething spasms. 1t was to him


simply woman's duty, her destiny


which she could not well escape, and


for which she needed no pity. over


heard one day his complaint of elder
sisters who invariably whined over
young mothers with much pretended
fsympathy. There was more in bis tone
than written words can express. /


knew what she never dared think
that she was less than hired servant
in her own house. The man who was
generous among men, was worse than
thoughtless in bis own family. Her


woman's rights which she should have
demanded for the sake of her own self
respect were never granted. She was
afraid of him, with that fear which
should have made him reverence her.
He could never appreciate the pitiful
economics she praeticed that herself
and children should be comfortably
clothed with as little aid as possible
from him, Her wedding outfit served
for time, and when that was gone
there was no habit of asking on her part
and none Of giving on his to fall back
upon; and there she was wounded to
the quick. Once only did / beard the
lion in his den with q wish you had
had one extrayagant wife, Doctor Fer
Iry,' and the lion unmoved replied.
sThen1I should never have had another
And this man who would give ten dol
lars, TO any friend or enemy in need,
and aid in every good cause in church
and society, never seemed to feel that
she who was always in need and wholly
dependant had any claim on him.


How well had learned to read her
in a few months! It was something
new to economic so for children, and
$50 pleasant. knew the thought of
asking him for mere pittance cost her
many a fearful night; and l knew too
well that when she had counted the
cost Of several needful articles she al
ways asked him for little less than


would suffice, and blushed for very
shame that she should be so cowardly,
and he whom she would gladly honor
so mean. Besides, she lived in constant
fear of my discovering this, and thought
her little articles tlinded me.


One day ! asked her to go with me
to the town ten miles distant hoping
that change of air and scene might
bring little of the old color to her
cheeks, and restore the lost appetite,
The young country girl, finding the


place a hard one, had left, and an old


nurse must be procured to stay with
the babies, and Saturday was my only
leisure day, But / arranged it all, and
came for her unexpectedly during the
doctors absence, glad that l need not
enter into explanations with him.


The early part of the day was spent
with an old friend, who, shocked at
Emily's changed face and manner,
spared no pains to make her comforta-
bic, and TO rouse her from her unnat-
ural, quiet mood. Afterward we went
shopping for an hour or so, and l busted
about the presents with which 1 de-
signed to surprise her, and for the sake
Of which | had denied myself many a
comfort for weeks past, forgot how


weary she must be, till, turning to look
after her, l was started by the strange
expression of her face. Begging her
pardon for my neglect, | was both sur
prised and grieved to see her burst inte
tears, and distressed at the thought of a
scene in so public place, hurried her
away to the station, and took an earlier
train home than | had intended. Be
fore reaching the house l decided to
spend the night with her, and reasoned
myself out of a nervous dread of en-
countering the doctor. l had new
fear added to those which daily har-
assed me. Her symptoms were those
of a mental malady l dared not think
Of. The doctor was absent through the
night, and watched under plea of
taking care of the baby while she slept,
if fearful dreams and sudden awakings
and frightened cries ending in sobs can
be called sleep. In the gray light of
the Sabbath morning heard tee sound
of horses feet and hurried to the door
that my poor child might not be dis
turbed in her own quiet hour of rest;
but instead of the doctor, whom /
dreaded to see, two officers with a
seareh-warrsnt confronted me. 'Pm
sorry to say it, ma'am," said the first
speaker, "but after you and the other
lady left the store on - street, yester-
day, several pieces of silk were missed.n
"And," added the other, ''the younger
lady acted very queer. We don't ike
to search the house, but it can't be
helped, you see."


But they found nothingl You are
wrong. Fastened within the folds Of
Emily's dress was part of a roll of fan
mel, so soft and comfortable for tender
baby limbs; in the dress pocket three
pairs of little shoes and three of wooden
stockings. That was all, and the silk
must be searched for elsewhere; but
there was sufficient evidence that these
little things were not paid for.


Begging the officers to suppress my
sisters name in any report they might
make, searched every drawer with the
aid of the doctors private keys, and
happily came upon his purse, which l
pressed upon them, ignorant of its con-