Long before this time last year,
Bluebird and his mate were here.
—J. Torrey Connor.
MABEL RAY’S LESSON.
BY ROSE SEELYE-MILLER.
Times had been hard, harder than common this past year, and it seemed to Mabel Ray as though there was little bright to look forward to, and less to encourage her in trying to do right, trying to be the Christian she wanted to be some years ago. She had married Harry Ray three years previous; he was a thriving young merchant, but the past year it had seemed to the young wife as if he had grown taciturn and almost fretful if she wanted money for any little thing which she deemed necessary. Only this morning he had refused her money for the fur cape that she really needed so much, especially if they were going to her folks for New Year’s day. She had always had what she wanted when at home, and if Harry begrudged her the necessities of life, why, she almost believed she had better go back to that home, for she was an only daughter and was idolized by her parents. She sat and thought, and thought, of her wrongs until the tears came, and then, after having a good cry, she went into the conservatory and began picking flowers for the church decoration in which site was to take part. There was to be a concert and recitations and such entertainments, and the funds were to go to help the needy ones in the parish. For there were many who needed, many men were out of work, and their families were destitute indeed. Mabel was always ready for work of this kind, it relieved the tedium of the days when Harry was at the store, and then, be it known to you, although Mabel would have blushed had she realized it herself, she liked the notices in the city personals about the charming and philanthropic Mrs. Ray who took such a prominent part in every good work.
Her time was her own; there were no little ones for her to care for; her household was managed by a competent housekeeper who looked well to the domestic arrangements; so, altogether, Mrs. Ray rather needed something to give her an idea of usefulness. She was selfish, I am sorry to say, but when you think that she was an only child, reared in luxury, with everything she desired procured for her, it is no wonder that she learned to think that what she wanted was the first thing to be considered.
Harry Ray really loved his wife, but he was bearing a heavy burden of financial care, and then, besides, he did not possess the means that Mabel’s father had. He would do anything, sacrifice anything for her, but she seemed thoughtless about his sacrifices, and did not realize that perhaps she too had a duty to perform.