Year: 1879




toward his home, to school himself to q
proper control Of his feelings, and to re-
member all the excuses ElinOr hersel
had made for his mother. HecOuld nO
help feeling that such self-renunciatiof
would ultimately touch her heart anC
cause her TO cease her opposition to hi
marriage with one whom he now felt
more than ever before, to be the mobiles
woman he had ever known, as well az
the lOvellest. No longer tormented by
the doubt that first seized him wher
Elinor refused to marry him, he rested
iD the firm assurance that be was be-
loved by her, nevertheless. This con-
seiousness gave him In his calmer mo-
ments a greater feeling Of charity and
| forbearance, and inspired him with hope
that, although loneliness might be his
portion for 8 season, happiness would
surely come afterwards, the greater fol
] its delay, all the sweeter for the bitter
ness OF separation preceding it. He re-
membered ElinOr's words, "Be kind and
/ faithful to your mother for my sake"
and realized as he had not before done
how greatly his conduct might infiu-
enee his mothers judgment Of ElinOr.
AS this thought occurred to him, he re-
solved that he would convince that
prejudiced mother that she was mis-
taken in her estimate Of Elinor's char
acter, even if he accomplished no more.


Elinor would have been greatly
grieved if she had known that her lover
would interpret her words in this way,
for she meant only to try to induce him
to do his duty to his mother, because il
was right that he should, and she wished
him, for love Of her, to be guided in the
path Of duty.


Frank, on reaching home, proceeded
to his own room, from whence he was
soon summoned, however, by his moth
er's frightened maid, who told him that
soon after his departure his mother was
taken suddenly and violently i'll.


She talked volubly, as they together
hastened to the sick-rOOm, OF his moth
er's suffering aud OF her own trouble,
because he and Miss Elinor should
both be gone at once"


"And nobody but me, and the nurse
the doctor sent, to take care Of her, sir.
aud she that sick she looks like death
already" said the woman, willing to
hurt him some for being away just then,
and feeling a little spiteful because she
could not solve the mystery Of Elinor's
sudden departure, which had been the
constant theme Of discussion among the
servants since it occurred, and which
she felt sure was in some way connected
with him.


When they entered the room, Frank
was shocked to see how sick his mother
looked. She was subject to neuralgic
attacks, and this was the severest she
had ever experienced, and the first since
his return home. Although she had
been sick but a short time, the excruci-
ating pain she had endured had made
her look worn and haggard, as though
she bad been III a long time. The
young man could not realize. as he
gazed upon her wan features, drawn and
distorted with suffering, that only two
days before she had appeared as well as
usual. She was in such a violent par
oxysm Of pain that he could not speak
to her for some time after his entrance.
and he bitterly reproached himself for
the harshness with which he had
spoken to her last. Elinor's exhorta-
tions came back to him with renewed
force, and he thought. humbly:


"She knows my mother better than I
do, and has more real sympathy for her
and more patience with her Poor
mother, cannot know all she may
have had to trouble her aud warp her
nature, and will try to be patient and
gentle, as my sweet saint would have
me be-"


Many good resolutions were formed
while be stood there gazing helplessly
on the painful scene, and nobly he tried
to keep them, too, during the long,
weary days that followed. As soon as
possible he approached his mother aud
gently expressed his sympathy for her
and his sorrow to see her suffering. But
she seemed utterly Indifferent to him,
aud repulsed him, saying that she could
not talk to any one.


Thinking that knowledge Of the
truth would do her good, and seeing
plainly that she would only be annoyed
by his presence till she did know, he
took the first opportunity when they
were alone few moments to say, as
gently as he could:


"Elinor has sent ME back TO you.
mother, because she would not break
her promise to you. She said she would
never separate US"


But his hopes were doomed to disap-
/ pOintment, for his mother said, angrilv:


$50 you would have abandoned me TO
die alone had not that hussy changed
her mind aud treated you as she did
Hartley aud Talbot. She served Won
right. You are as undutiful son as a
mother ever had. Leave me; 1 want
to rest" she said, turning her face away
from him.


With heart swelling with sorrowful
pain, the young man turned and left
the room at once, feeling that his bur
den was heavier than be could bear.


"What has my poor Elinor not en-
dured from her?" be thought; and be