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Show I 1 My Mother-in-Law. I jl ' I & ' BY JENNY WREN. X I 1 ! "' IT was hard to realize, as I came homo desolate and forlorn the day of Aiy father's funeral, that I was nlonc hi B,- 'Ihc world; that no longer my first lm-fl lm-fl .pulse on entering- the house must bo to B ily with qi ill. sitcpu to tli .on to ecu B tho l:ar.(itmo head i-iumu i.ia his fl , .' iroi'k of writing with sonic w ou of love , ga run his lips, when now only ah. empty fl .chair and soundless space hereafter H would provo my greeting. Ills illness fl liad been so short, so sudden, that it fl almost seemed as though I should V aiwnken from the frightful nightmare fl 'o'f the past few wcekri and find it all a fl . dream, vivid but urireal. Only a fort-fl fort-fl might before he had been stricken down, B ;md I had sent in hot haste for my old B practitioner, to find him absent and B 'x stranger in his place. At first I felt B TCgrct, but when 1 saw Dr. Phillips and B .-witnessed his earnest, skillful care, that B feeliug gave way to congratulation and B the assurance that if human skill could B avail, he would be saved. It was he B . who told me finally there was no long-B long-B cr hope; he whom I turned upon with B quick fury that he should dnre assert B ' -thatmyfathcr'slifewaslnnbsolutedan-B ,gcr, when In all the wide world we two B 'were nlohe together; he who stood be-B be-B , iidc him at the last, then, with Arm, B -gentle hand, drew me from the chamber B -of death and himself prepared the B keeping draught which sent restful B -, sleep to quiet my strained nerves. In B jny new sadness, my utter despair, he fl -came and went as of old, until it B seemed as though a brother's protects protec-ts ion had been offered me, and 1 began B -to -wait and watch for the hour when B 1 should see him, to feel a keen disap-fl disap-fl -pointment If it passed without him, B until one evening, sitting nlone by the B How, smoldering lire In the first day of B spring, I was roused by his familiar BBj 'step. B "Helen," he said, drawing a chair B , 'close beside me, "Dr. Edwards, you BBj !know, has returned, and my own pn-B pn-B . ,' clients in Philadelphia are demanding BBj ffejhy presencc among them. I have B ., -stayed already longer than I intended." BH r.- AmUyou now are going?" I qucs- H vtloned, while a black cloud swept be- BBJ 'fore my eyes. jV "Yes," he answered, "but if you will BBJ 3ct me, I'am coming back. I did not BBJ racnn to tell you of my love just yet. B I can hardly hope that in all the drear BBJ desolation which has overspread your BBJ life, love had found time to plnnt iv BBJ single germ, but with me it has been BBJ "different. I have loved you from the BBj -first moment I saw you, and my fondest B 4u-4;rabition Is to see you my wife. Do BBJ not answer me now; only .when the BBJ 'birds sing and the flowers bloom try Bjgf -to think' they breathe a message from jY -me, and when I return In the fall, re- BBjt ancmbcr my home will have been made BBJ Tcady for you, and if you can come to H ! my arms, they will open, oh, so gladly! BBf . do receive you." BBj 'So he left me, and I let him go wjtli. BBJ -no answer, for I did not know my own BBJ - 3ienrt. That It was love beating at Its BBJ ,fportals for admission love which had BBJ j madc his coming to welcome, his going BBJ so sad, I could not realize until he had BBJ i ?,'one; and then came only the long, BBJ i .brotherly letters, so full of earnest solie- BBJ itude for my comfort, so unselfish in the BBJ careful guard ever shown in his own B feeling for me, till the time drew nigh BBJ when ho was to come again. Then BBJ doubt, uncertainly, all fled, nnd I knew jB 3ny heart had passed from out of my B keeping. So I went to meet him, stand- BBS lng itl the open door of my home as ho BBJ -came up the pathway, and in answer to BBS his question as for a moment he held me B off while he looked straight into my BBJ eyes: "Helen, is this my wife?" I H could only falter: "Yours forevcr- BBB , BBS The succeeding week flew swiftly by. jjfl l lie suddenly grew Impatient of delay, BBB -nnd declared he could not go back to his BBB woVk until I went with him. The BBB thought of my lonclincbs without him BBB urged me to consent, and so the days BBB "were filled with busy preparation, while BBB in the evenings I sat by his side, content BBB . 7Ui(l blissful, while he told me of his BBB , home, of his widowed mother who BBB , shared it, and of the new, sweet daugh- BBB tqe he was to bring her. But when all BBB was over, when I had stood in my wed- BBB ding robes before the grny-halrcd mln- BBB ictcr, nnd knelt to receive for the last' BBB time his blessing, when my husband's BBB "first rapturous kiss had been pressed BBB. -upon my lips, fen en t congratulations BBB 'offered by the few friends present at BBB -our quiet wedding, my wedding dress BBB exchanged for traveling garb, the long BBB . Journey at last over, it was with a feel BBB ing of tired relief that tho carriage in BBB the dusk of the evening drew up before BBBL -ft handsome house, and my husband i . um vo my home, x . ....iu.! aiu his mother? All day visions had danced beforo my eyes of two loving xrmn waiting to enfold me, of a sweet, motherly face bending over me to hit-tirlnt hit-tirlnt tho kiss of greeting on my cheek, f the whispered words: "Welcome, my laughter," sounding in my car; but no; (he door was thrown wide open by a ervnnt In livery, but the handsome hall !a its long vlstn presented to sight noj thcr occupants, and, to iny amazement, was hurried past the elegant drawing-room, drawing-room, where I caught sight of a cheerful cheer-ful lire burning on the hearth, and upstairs up-stairs into my own luxuriously furnished fur-nished apartments. "And how does my bird like her nest?" questioned my husband, bending bend-ing over me with tender enre as I sank exhausted Into a chair. "So much, Hugh, that .she feels as though she must slay here forever. May I not have, tea here to-night?" "Oh, darling, mother would he so disappointed dis-appointed not to see you 1 Come, chnnge your drqss nnd look your prettiest; that I may present you to her." Change my dressl Even to-night, in th6 quiet home circle, must I remove my dust-stained garb and go through the exertion of a fresh toilet ere my husband's hus-band's mother extended to me her welcome? wel-come? Ilut I. could not refuse, ond when, my toilet completed, Hugh's proud glance of approval met mine, I felt rewarded. re-warded. Then he led me downstairs, and we entered the drawing-room together. to-gether. In tho farthest corner a tall figure rose from an arm-chair, and In all the rustling dignity of velvet nnd lace npproached me. "My wife, mother," Hugh said, while I felt a cold hand take mine in a passionless pas-sionless grasp. A kiss r.s if a fallen nnowflnke had rested on my hrow, and. Mrs. Phillips fell back whit graceful ease into the chair from which she had risen. ' - - , It was some six weeks before her birthday that I once heard her express a wish that she had a picture of her boy (for so she ever called Hugh), and instantly in-stantly a resolution was formed In my brain. I had always had a talent for painting. Before my father's death it had "been my delight and his pride, and J determined upon carrying u miniature of Hugh" I possessed to an artist 1 knew well, and afik his assistance in transferring trans-ferring the likeness nnd painting a portrait. por-trait. Perhaps I thought as mj- work it might soften her heart toward me. So the next morning I started out, and, to my inexpressible delight, I found my desire feasible, and received the: artist's permission to use his studio, for four hours each day the hpurs I knew Hugh would bo away from home. It was not long ere I saw that Mrs. Phillips watched my coming and going with suspicious sus-picious eyes, but I, picturing her shamedlook of surprise when she found my mission, went silently on my way until the picture was almost completed, and I had received the artist's congratulation congratu-lation upon my success, when, entering the house flushed nnd happy, I overheard over-heard her voice in the library addressing address-ing my husband: 'Tour hours every dny, Hugh, she is absent. Whnt can be- her purpose? 1 told you when you brought a young, giddy thing into this house you would regret It. It is your duty to see where she goes nnd what she does." But I could hear no more, as, with flashing eyes nnd head erect, I entered the room. "Since I entered this house six months ago a happy bride, a joyous girl, I hove met,, madam, at your hands, with insults in-sults and scorn, which I have suffered in hilence. As my rewnrd you now try to tnke from me tho last thing left me my husband's confidence. What my mission has been you shall know- to-, morrow. Accept It as my gift the gift of an injured woman to a cruel injustice. Hugh," (turning to my husband) "the snme house no longer can hold us two. Choose between us!" and I turned and left the room. My husband, following, strove to calm me, but in vain. "I will not live with your mother," I said. "If you must have her share your home I will go." "Darling, I cannot ask her to leave it when old age is creeping upon her. She does not know you yet. "Watt! Have patience yet n 'little longer, and ydu will find your way into her heart, and once there, you will know how realjy warm it is, which sho conceals beneath n cold exterior." "ne has chosen between us. He will not give her up." With this thought hugged to my heart for comfort, 1 saw him leave mo next morning with an anxious frown upon his brow, and I, quickly gathering together; a few things, called a carriage, and was driven rapidly to the depot f rpm which I had determined to take tho first outgoing train. My plans wcro nil formed. I would go to the house of my old nurse, who would care for me In my coming trouble, nnd if I died there would be none to regret me, since even Hugh had given mo up. "My babe, my bonny child!" Oh, how the words of motherly greeting fell on my heart as Bhe clasped me in her arms when I nlightcd at her door, and I told her In broken words as much of my story as I thought necessary. But as the weeks grew Into months, and I spent long, busy hours In fashioning the tiny garments the little stranger coming wns to fill, softer memories began to creep into jny heart, and a dim wonder as to whether I had let my pride gain too much ascendancy, and If Hugh really had given up his mother for my hake, could I still ha e loved him so well ? So. drppby drop, the gentle dew of repentance repent-ance fell on my heart, and tear after tear upon my work, until there came a day -when nil was done a day when o child's cry broke for an instnnt updnmy car as if a sound from Heaven had reached me, and then darkness closed round, and I knew no more. In the anxious time which followed I was aware of some one near me with Hugh's eyes, some one with Hugh's voice, nnd I would try to cntch and bid if. stay, but in vain, until one morning tile mists cleared up, and I opened my eyes to sec his dear face bending over me, but he sealed my lips with kisses, ns he murmured: "Not a word, my darling! We enn-not enn-not expect, a woman's 'wisdom from a child, but our little mother must grow wise now for her baby's sake." Then, with a happy, dreaming smile, JL fell asleep again, his hand clasped close in mine. When I was stronger he. told me how he never had lost sight of me, but thought it best to let my own better self work out the end, und when he whispered: "There is some one, Helen, waiting to see you some one who said no one could tnke care of baby as she could. May Bhe come in?" I gave glad assent; and when, a few moments later, a sweet, motherly face bent over mine a face from which all the hard lines seemed forever fled, as her arms clasped close a sleeping infant, in-fant, and her gentle voice whispered: "My daughter" in my ear, I could only clasp my arms around them both and answer: "Mother!" X. Y. Ledger. |