“As my education had been sadly neglected in my childhood and I began to realize it, I determined yet to master it, so my evenings were now devoted to study. My sister, a very pretty and charming girl, when she became old enough also added her mite by becoming a factory girl. Her beauty made her position a difficult one, and her warm love nature, which had been starved into a craving hunger, caused her to fall an easy prey to the handsome, wealthy young scoundrel who was the son of the factory owner.
“Her condition soon became apparent and when I questioned her she broke down and confessed the whole pitiful story. She had not even the tender words and caresses of her lover, now, to support her. He had tired of his plaything and cast her aside. I understood what arts are employed to lure to her destruction a poor loving creature and could only pity her from the bottom of my heart. Not so, however, my mother. She had been reared within the narrow confines of the church. Her standard of virtue was, ‘touch me not,’ regardless of what the circumstances might have been. So the mother who should have been her stay and comfort only cast reproaches upon the head of the despairing girl, driving her almost insane. My brother, too, would not forgive her for the disgrace she had brought upon him. He would not speak to her. I have often seen him draw back at her approach that her clothing might not brush against him.
“Of course he was very young then, only a boy, not yet fifteen, but it would cut me to the heart to see the blood mount to her face. When it became unbearable she would fly to me and I would try all in my power to pacify her; drawing upon myself the condemnation of the others, who could not understand how I could countenance such shamelessness.
“But even my sympathy could not sustain the breaking heart, and when the trying hour came her strength failed, and with a little stillborn girl-baby folded in her arms my beautiful sister was laid out of sight.
“Although my mother wept bitter tears, I fear she felt much relieved that the matter ended as it did, for now grass would grow over the grave of Millie’s shame. Robert, my brother, also seemed deeply affected. But her name was never mentioned now. I knew best what the poor girl had suffered, and it was a long time ere I could forgive either my mother or my brother. Robert was not very sweet-tempered at best. From his birth he had been delicate. A puny, fretful infant, he came at a time when the nightly debauches of my father set my mother almost wild, souring an otherwise gentle and loving nature.
“Notwithstanding his ailings, however, he was his mother’s favorite. Though his advent had been dreaded, upon his arrival her heart went out to him with a spasmodic passion. She never refused him anything it was in her power to give, thereby showing a decided weakness of character.
“This was the worst thing she could have done, as it had the tendency to develop all the bad traits of Robert’s weak character. As he was physically unfit for work the support of the family rested entirely upon my shoulders. But as the years sped by there came a change. A saucy black-eyed maiden crossed my path and my fate was sealed. I loved her with all the strength of my passionate nature. To me she seemed perfect and I had no greater desire than to make her my wife. First, however, I felt it my duty to tell her of the sad history of my early life. She gave the black curls a saucy toss and said she could not see how all this should possibly effect us any. I caught her in my arms and strained her to my breast, my heart filled with admiration of the grand nobility of character, which I thought was exhibited in those words; never once dreaming that it was her very lack of character which prompted that declaration.”
CHAPTER XXXXI.
“In a short time we were married. But my dream of happiness was short lived. My wife and my mother had little in common, and often the passionate red lips would utter words that wounded the elder woman to the very heart. I soon saw how matters stood but was unable to control them. I pleaded with Annie, I reasoned with my mother; but the two beings whom I loved better than any others in the world had no love for each other. Several times I spoke sharply to Annie and to my surprise Robert sided with my wife against me and the mother who worshiped him. This seemed to break her heart and it was not long until she closed her eyes in her last long sleep.
“When all was over I again sought to reason with my wife. I folded her to my heart whilst I could scarcely repress the sobs that would well up from its depths. It seemed to me that she at first shrank from me, but I thought it must be only imagination.