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INTO UAmLOUS LIQHT
(Continued from last week.)
To be plain with you, that is the way the imprac
ticability of your views strike me. But I do wish you
would get Annie aroused on those lines, for I think
if she would get enthused over something of the sort
she would not have time to think about the various
little vexations that ocasionally come into the best
regulated households. Accidents will happen
sometimes, don’t you know. I shall take your ad
vice on one point, though, and have Annie go down
to Monteagle for a change. Just because you and
I differ on religious views is no reason why we
should fall out about them. You know me, and
I also know you, so here’s my hand, old boy.”
CHAPTER XXIII.
During the next six months Christiana’s life was
like a wave upon a restless sea. She had spent a
month at the old homestead in the Monteagle Valley.
The first week was one of intense emotion, joy and
sorrow alternating. She felt her desolation as nev
er before. Not until then did she fully realize her
father was gone, never to return. Her lone
liness was almost unbearable, and the monotony of
winter in the country began to pall upon her, even
though she were back in the old homestead with her
aunt and grandparents, who loved her so. The quiet
of the snow covered mountains and valleys seemed
more deafening than the noise of the great city.
The darkness of the long nights that mantled the
world about her made her wish to lift the curtain,
and gaze upon the electric stars of another world.
The days which came and went seemed to have no
sun, the nights no stars. By degrees much of the
suffering of that other world seemed more unreal,
and its pleasures more to be desired. Like Lot’s
wife, she looked back. She looked away from her
recent bitter experiences, and saw only a great, bril
liant city, thronged with gay people, dashing equip
ages, luxurious homes, merry parties, sumptuous re
pasts, and recalled the devoted husband more often
than the faithless one, but above all longed for the
face that had become the inspiration of her life.
When she returned to New York she met her
husband with more warmth of manner than he had
dared hope for. With nervous anticipation she
longed for a sight of John Marsden’s face, but she
kept her secret well. She had learned to hide her
real self and had grown many years older in the one
year and a half. Not in any way had she become a
morally stronger woman. Each time she tried to
rise to a higher life the waves of environment casr
her adrift.
Then an angel came down in disguise and pointed
her upward, bringing to her new thoughts, new
hopes, new inspirations. Her past life seemed as
one long night, brightened by stars afar off—flicker
ing, uncertain hopes and pleasures. Suddenly dav
dawned with the brightness of the midday sun. As
she looked upon the couch where infant beauty lay
she began her own existence in another life. The
rose of her own being had revealed its central fold;
she looked within and marveled at the beauty she
beheld. Trust in a woman’s heart so long as it
throbs in unspeakable joy as she sings a sweet lul
laby by the cradle’s side. No woman has realized
the height of earthly joy until she has become a
mother. As there are heights of suffering that
woman only reaches, there are also heights of joy
and love that she only is capable of reaching; and
she will ever cling to that joy, though she must pass
through the valley of the shadow of death to at
tain it.
The new queen of May, christened Maybelle De
veaux, gave occasion to a visit to the great metrop
olis from Grandfather and Grandmother Bennett.
Nothing could be more amusing than were Mrs. Ben
nett’s comments and criticisms on the city, its closely
built houses, its numerous classes and nationalities
The Golden Age for May 31, 1906.
By LLEWELYN ST EP HENS.
of people, its varied modes of transit, and especially
her suggestions and comments uopn the Deveaux
household, with its retinue of liveried servants. She
pronounced Mr. Deveaux the most extravagant man
she had ever known in her life, and at once decided
to give him a lecture on economy. She insisted on
Christiana dismissing the nurse, and allowing her to
fill that position.
The next morning after Mr. and Mrs. Bennett’s
arrival the latter took the first opportunity to say,
“Christiana, it seems strange to me, when you’ve
got everything so fine, you wouldn’t have give me
and your grandpa a decent bed to sleep on. My
bones ache so this morning; I feel as if I had passed
through a stretch of rheumatic. I just tell you, I
can’t stand that hard bed and them springs jumpin’
up and down every time I turn over, that I can’t.
I was actually afraid to turn over, afraid those
springs would roll me out. I’ll have to home
and get my feather bed, if I stay here any time.”
“No, no, grandmother,” exclaimed Christiana, re
pressing a smile; “we shall Have you a Big fat
feather bed sent up this very day. It was careless
in me to forget to tell the housekeeper about it. I
fear grandfather did not sleep well, either. I must
ask him about rt.”
“Oh, he’d a never said nothin’ about it; but leave
all the talkin’ for me to do, no matter what he
thought, so I could get the blame of bein’ called
the grumbler. That’s the way with men. They put
everything on the woman, especially all the blame
for everything that’s gone wrong from Eve down to
the present day. Is that the way Julian treats
you ? ” l
“I’ll let you see for yourself how Julian treats
me.”
“He seems powerful devoted before me and your
grandpa, but I didn’t know how he was behind our
backs. We thought it was dreadful for Mary’s baby
to marry a play actor, and it seems we never can
get used to it. It was all your pa’s Join’s, though
He always did have the queerest ideas about things,
so fancy-like.”
Christiana was getting very nervous, and it was
fortunate that her grandfather came in just then to
change the bent of the conversation.
“Good morning, dearie. It seems as if I must be
dreaming to be so far away from my home in my
old age, and to be in such a beautiful one all be
longing to you. But yon deserve it, dearie, you
deserve it. Nothing could be too fine and nice for
you. Even when a child you were like no one but
yourself, so different from other children in the
neighborhood. You always loved pretty things so,
and now I am glad you have been so blessed. Let
me take a peep at the wee lassie by daylight, to see'
if she looks like her mother. Ah, to think that I
should have lived to see Annie’s daughter. I am
ready to go home and die quite content now.”
“How sweet to have you here, grandfather. I
wish you would never go back home, but live with
me always. Nurse, hold Maybelle up where grand
father can have a good look at her. Does she look
at all like me, do you think?”
“Just for the world, dearie, just for the world.
Come Rebecca and see what a striking likeness of
Annie when she came to us. It seems but,yester
day. and how the nineteen years have flown by.”
“Now, Clement, don’t go to callin’ up those sad
times. I think of the time my Mary was taken away
so sudden-like often enough without being reminded
of it. I don’t see that the baby looks like anybody
yet. You must claim to have a powerful good mem
ory to remember how Christiana looked when a baby
nearly twenty years ago.
“As if I could forget how Annie looked any day
since she came to us, like a sweet flower in a
desert.”
Mr. Deveaux came in to give Christiana an un
usually affectionate good-bye for the sake of making
a good impression on her grandparents. He invited
Mr. Bennett to drive out with him and made himself
especially agreeable; but the old man was tired from
the long journey and the tension caused by the for
mality and style of his surroundings, so begged to
remain at home and rest for a few days. He was
quite content just to be with Annie, and talk over
the sweet old days of her childhood and girlhood.
Mrs. Bennett was the one who was on the alert,
curious about everything, especially that-which con
cerned Christiana’s home.
Before a second day had passed Mrs. Bennett had
examined every piece of furniture in the house, ask
ing the price of each. She had counted the china
and silver. Sh& had numbered the servants and
learned the duties of each. Then she had Chris
tiana’s maid to show her the different wardrobes of
the Deveaux family. This accomplished, she was
ready for war. j
<r Christiana, I feel in duty bound to give you
some good motherly advice. You’ve got everything
powerful fine here, but you know what the good
Book says about riches takin’ wings and vanishin’.
You always did hold too high a hand, and you cer
tainly are a keepin’ it up here. You’ll be sure to
have a terrible downfall some day. Now, just mark
my words. You ought to live plainer and give to
those that need. Remember the rich man and Laz
arus.”
“Why, grandmother, I have had nothing to do
with securing all that T have, no more than you
have. And I often tell Mr. Marsden never to allow
anyone to go in need where money can give relief,
for Julian gives me all I ask of him to supply calls
for charity. Ido not see any reason in voluntarily
giving up comforts and pleasures to make ourselves
miserable, just because other people m the world
somewhere might be in need, unless our so doing
would help others.”
“But there is no use in havin’ unnecessaries just
for show like you have here. Now, I have already
counted nineteen servants, and am lookin’ for others
to pop up every time I turn aroun’. It seems to me
yon must have nigh onto a Solomon’s household. It
must be a sight of trouble to you. How did yon
take to such a job of housekeepin’? You never did
cnre nothin’ about honsekeepin’ before your pa took
you away from me. Then your aunt spoiled you
after your pa took you to town, and let you do just
ps you pleased, doin’ nothin’ but studyin’ books and
playin’ the piano, and paintin’ pictures. You know
I always said they seemed to be preparin’ you for
a rich man. Your pa was dead set on it. But rich
or no rich, all this household must be a sight o’
1 rouble to you. I don’t see how you ever get time
to do anything else.”
“I have no more to do with the housekeeping
than you have, grandmother. Julian engages all the
servants and looks after everything. He does not
wish me to do anything except- always to be ready
to entertain his friends.”
“Entertain his friends! Well, do tell! How in
the world do you entertain his friends? It appears
to me that the husband and not the wife is the one
to entertain the men visitors.”
“Oh, I do not mean Julian’s gentleman friends
only, but all our friends, both ladies and gentlemen.
We have a great deal of company.”
“And who are they?”
“Dear me, grandmother, there are hundreds and
hundreds of them. I could not begin to tell you
their names. Julian has known most of them for
years.”
“Good many of them play actors and play act
resses, I reckon,” ventured Mrs. Bennett.
“Oh, yes, of course,” answered Christiana, un
able to repress a smile.
“Dreadful to think of my poor Mary’s daughter
livin ’ among such awful people! How do you stand
it after bein’ raised by such good people as your pa
arus.”