Year: 1871

ESTHER WARE; OR, MARRYING FOR A


HOME.


CHAPTER l.


Esther Ware grew tired of standing be-
hind a counter she became disguised with
boarding house life; she lost her spirits in
consequence of living, year after year, with
out any one to care particularly tor her ana
her interests; she longed for some pcrma-
nent home, some companion who should be
more to her than to any one else in short,
she was tired of the tread-mill and joyless
round of her single existence, and she on
cluded to marry.


Esther had often had her own fair dreams
of the welded state. She had builded cast
les, beautiful and high, and called them
CLONE, sweet Home" but as their founda-
tons had all been laid in air, they had totter
ed to their fall ere fairly iinished and at the
age of thirty-fonr Esther was still at her
place behind Madam Romeo's counter; still
at her unloved boarding place in - Square.
No one knew what bright visions had passed
through the brain of the sober and Silent WO-
man. She was deep-hearted and pure mind
ed, and her mental pictures Of married life
were always glowing with true love, or
shaded softly by peace Esther's ideal OF
marriage was a state more nearly allied to
heavenly bless than any other that earth ever
knew To her the idea of unaffectionate and
wrangiing companions, of strife and selfish
emulation was dreadful. More than once
she had rejected what the world called good
offers, because she feared that in her heart
there was not love for him who offered his
hand sufficient to enable her to do her share
towards making all things subserve the Joy
and serenity at home.


Well did Esther know what is that love
| fo; 1at If itS
| object, and hardly then and cOnscientiously
had she intended never to marry any man for
whom she could not feel it; but she SO tired, 4,
so depressed, so lonely, that the tempter
gained advantage Of her; and when at thirty
four, a rich man came who said that he
would take her to his quiet home, and make
it his care that she should never again work
when she ought to sleep, nor walk or stand
waiting on customers, when she ought to
eat nor want for any ease or luxury that
money could purchase, she gave up the bat
! tie and placing her hand in his, went forth,
as he requested, with only her common store
hat and shawl upon her, and was at once
married. The man led her back to the store,
which she was that day to have quilted for a
month in the country, and announced to her
employers that theymust look for some other
lady to fill Mrs. Maitland's place.


''Ihs lady upon my arm mean," he add
ed seeing that they looked bewildered; ''for
she is Mrs. Maitland. My wife now, and no
longer anybody's servant"


Poor Esther Her heart leaped with a new
sense of freedom as she heard these words
A grateful emotion rose in her heart for the
man who had emancipated her after her
twelve years weary toll She looked at him
with expressive eyes, and tried to make her
self believe that his tace bore some rescmb-
To f.,on nfrI, fhn q
things arc seen that lie down deep beneath
still waters. He was pleased at her mute
Thanksgiving, and pressed her hand in his,
and her other hand closer against his side
then leaving the store with all its astonished
eXclaimers he walked off with his new wife
towards his home. She, meanwhile, dream
ing dream, and striving to think it Il reality.


Again she lifted her eyes and swept her
husbands face with a look whose unuttera-
BILE yearning was not unobserved by him.
But he thought il all meant for him, and him
only. All! it is well that our Creator has
raised wall, and hung a veil before the
recesses of every spirit. Our mates may
press to us, side to side, or breast to breast,
they may feel what the pulse or heart-throb
tells, they may read the eye, but out Of the
soul secret chamber we can keep all but God.


Esther had scanned his face to see-what +?
Oh, she never told what; but what she did
see was a goodly countenance, with sensible,
clear eyes, and 4 sweet enough mouth, orna-
mented with even and sound teeth. She saw
also luxuriant and well-kept beard, and a
thick growth of curly hair-but where was
the mellow light, where that halo of tender
ness and spiritual beauty, that had beamed
upon her when her heart was bounding strong
and young in its twentieth year? Looking
) sometimes, with steady, unwinking gaze at
two pictures we may seem to see them draw
together and become one; and by a mental
process analogous to that by which two pic
lures, are made to coalesce. Esther endeav-
ored to combine the reality of the present
with a vision of the past.


For in the past Esther had loved with an
intensity which had well nigh destroyed her
reason, at a man who never warned her as he
held her in his arms, and told her how dear
she had become to him, who never limited Us
upon her lips the burnt loves dearest kisses,
as his ardor melted her reserve and revealed
to him how wholly she had given her heart
into his keeping, that his outpouring of life
and love was worse than in vain, because he
was the husband of another.


But now she was wife, and on her way
to her own home. How happy she ought to
have been. Well she meant to be. The
first sight OF her house, its pretty garden and
its neat, even elegant arrangements flushed
her thin, pale cheeks with pleasure; and her
eyes sparkled so that her husband cried out,
astonished-


"Why, Esther, never thought you hand
some, but believe you are"


81 was called SO once," replied Esther,
and sigh followed the words, while slowly,
slowly faded the brilliant color from her face.


Everything was comfortable and abun-
dant there was good maid of all work in
the Tn kitchen; and it appeared that all that
Esther had before her was just to make her.
sell as happy and contented as possible.


Her husband seemed highly delighted both
with himself and her. Every ten minutes
he would give her hearty salute upon the
check or lips, and say


"There, my girl, aren't YOU clad YOU
married me?