Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1892 — AWOMANS INFLUENCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AWOMANS INFLUENCE

BY LULU JAMISON

CHAPTER XVl—Continued. “I suppose that Is a pWbuke to me,” Margaret made answer to the Doctor. “You see, I am always ready to improve everything and everybody but myself." “Which needs improving sadly,” iriterposwl Brian, entering at this moment. “I have a scolding for you, Margaret. I thought " “I know,” answered Margaret, rather contritely. “I am really very sorry. Doctor Wilson has excused me, and I -have promised to do better for the future. So no more, please. ” “No more. That is always your cry when you need a lecture. I see you and Wilson are friends already. I thought .you would be. Effects of kindred tastes. Where did you walk this afternoon? To ■the end of creation?” “Oh, no. Only within the bounds of New York. I was not gone so very long, really; but I decided to go so late that ” “Another inopportune decision. I wonder when you are half way to heaven if you won’t turn back and try the other place, just to differ from the rest of the world. Wilson, behold the very incarnation of self-will. Leaving out this little failing, she deserves Bertie’s eulogies, and I am wonderfully proud of her. ” “Very consoling. I thank you, sir. For reward I’ll give you your dimmer. I dare say you are ready for it.” “Decidedly, Margaret. I had a wretched lunch and my appetite is now in prime condition. I wish W ilson would make a like admission just to keep me in countenance. I don’t expect much from you. Shall we progress?" “I have been telling Mrs. Leigh howjnuch I admire your charming Home,” remarked Wilson when they were comfortably seated about the tahle. “I have always had a prejudice against apartments, but this one has thoroughly converted me.” “I like them,” said Brian, following Wilson’s glance around the room. “Much more cozy than a house. This one was my choice, though Margaret gave me the cue. I must let her have the credit for all these fixings, however. This room was much more eny>ty when we first moved in; now it seems real homelike. It is astonishing what a woman's hands can do.” “Astonishing,” repented Wilson, musingly. “Don’t make me bewail any lonely estate more deeply, I beg of you. Think how these delightful rooms compare with my dull quarters. No wonder you don’t care to show yourself there. You are such a stranger that I was wondering to-day what you do with yourself. ” “What?” repeated Margaret In her own mind, while she gave Brian s rather Searching glance. He pretended not to see it, however. "Oh, I’m around generally.,”’ he an- • swered rather unsatisfactorily.. “I don’t find any difficulty in occupying my time. I’ll run in upon you some night. Though while Margaret is here " “You will be taking her about a great deal, of course. Under those .circumstances don’t consider me. iihope you like sight-seeing, Mrs. Leigh. Otherwise you must find it extremely tiresome. Or perhaps you are one of those fortunate Individuals whose cnducanoe is always equal to the emergency.” “Endurance,” repeated Margaret, starting from her train of thought. “Do you know, Doctor, I think endurance is nothing more than determination .or will. It is with me, at least. If I make up my mind to bear a thing I always bear it, and if I don’t, I don’t You seem amused, Brian, but I’m sure you can say the same thing if you would. When I was a child I used to pinch my arm to see how long I could Btand the pain without crying, but ft reproving tap from my old nurse sent me into spasms of weeping. That was all will, ■you see.” “All will," repeated Brian. “I thank you for telling us, Margaret. I can imagine how you tried that poor old murae. What are you intending to illustrate?"

“rStmply that our wills have everything to do with our feelings. Dr. Wilson wants to know if I find sight-seeing tiresome. lam afraid I do. But I like It, .and so I quite forget that the hard pavements tire my feet most dreadfully, and that when 1 ride I’m jostled almost to death. Really, Doctor, you may say what y«u please about your wonderful city, but I think its streets are an everlasting disgrace to any civilised town. ” “I have nothing to say in their defense,*’ admitted the Doctor, with a laugh. “They are bad. Does your idea of endurance extend to social duties also?” “Yes, certainly. Why should they be called duties. I wonder? I have a special distaste for that word. It carries with It the sense of obligation, and obligation is always disagreeable.” “Always?” questioned Wilson, rather quizzically. "I dare say you are right, though. Duty can be most unpleasant. We are queerly constituted at best.” “I think we are rather natural,” added Margaret. “It isn’t to be expected that we women should like to do what we feel we ought. Just put must before a request and it grows disagreeable immediately for me. I might go to a ball and dance all night with a raging headache, but I wouldn’t think of going to church in the same condition. I’d be much too ill. I’m giving you a dreadful example, am I not? Well, I can only advise you to do neither as I say nor as I do.” “I always thought you religious, Margaret. ” “You have never thought anything of the kind,” returned Margaret, meeting Brian’s mischievous eyes. “Why should you think so? Simply because I’m a woman. What a reason. I believe the world does think religion was made for women rather than men, though it is the men who really need it. Poor women! They are obliged to walk stiff and straight in a certain beaten track. They mustn’t do this, they mustn't do that, and they mustn’t do the other, until they are so and mustn’ts that ~1 wonder they have any individuality left. ” “Thank heaven you haven’t lost your Individuality yet, Margaret. Wilson, you were regretting your lonely estate awhile ago; after listening to such remarks from the mouth of one woman, beware of all others and rejoice at your escape. ” “Come, Doctor,” said Margaret, before WilsoH could reply, “we will go to the parlor, and I promise to be very quiet and sedate for the restof the evening. ’No doubt, you will find Brian’s conversation much more Instructive aad entertaining.” When Wilson had takes his departure

an hour or so later, Margaret turned to Brian with the remark; “I am so glad you brought him, Brian. I like him so much.” “Then I don’t believe I’ll bring him again. I’m jealous of him. But, seriously, Margaret, he is quite a fine fellow. I wish I were half as fine. You should have heard the nice things he said about you. He is very anxious that you should see more of New York, and he mentioned several places that I had forgotten about. He says you would like to see them, and so you shall. I’ve left you very much alone lately, but I intend to be more attentive hereafter. ” He knew that Margaret was pleased, from the happy light that stole into her eyes. “I believe that I shall be glad of the day I met Doctor Wilson,” thought Margaret, as she crept into bed un hour later.

CHAPTER XVII. A LIFTING OF THE CLOUDS. To Brian, the knowledge that Margaret had not lost all feeling for him, and that her faith in him was Btrong, notwithstanding his many falls, brought new strength and courage. With the power of strong determination he teemed to be gaining a victory over that old habit. Not an entire one, of course. Margaret could not expect so much. Sometimes a friend could lure him away, but this was seldom, and never since their talk in her room hod he lost the entire command of himself. Under these circumstances Margaret felt her heart considerably lightened. She could look forward more hopefully to the future, and her letters took on something of her own cheerful spirit Brian ooukl not fail to see the change, ■and it was equally apparent to Wilson, In his few brief visits. He onlydropped in upon rare occasions now, seldom stayed hang, and always claimed that he was too busy even to find time to see bis friends. “I suppose we must aoeept your excuses, Doctor," Margaret replied one ■evening to his usual plea. “Can’t you teach your patients some idea of the fitness of things? Why should they all get sick together? I think .a few might wait 'until the others .are well. ”

“.So they might, Mrs. Leigh, if they could see the matter from your point of; wiew. Unfortunately, however, illness, ■ like time and tide, waits for no man. We have had a very itrylqg winter, and pneumonia is very prevalent. That has added considerably to my labors. I confess I am thoroughly tired <out when night comes, and only too glad to creep into bed.” “And sleep in the comfortable sense ■that yourrest Is well earned.” “Yes,”.he laughed, “though that is no proof against its being broken. The only time my prof ession brings .-a regret is when I hear my .night bell jingling and I am called from a delightful map.” “Just as I’we always said,” observed Brian, with a side glance at Margaret. “A doctor’s life is all work and no plgy.” “And you like the play beet; don’t you?” she rejoined, quickly. “Still, play or not, Brian, it is a very moble profession, and when I was .a ohild I always deolared I should be a doctor’s wife.'" There was a decided question iin the •eyes she fixed upon him. “Poor Margaret,” he 'replied, joining in Wilson’s laugh. “What a miserable concern you managed to-get. Only the ■beginning of one.” “Don’t .be so generous with your sympathy, please. A beginning is better than mothing. An acorn is only the beginning of an oak, but we don’t despise the acorn beoause it is mot .an oak— ; yet. ” Wilson, as well sas Brian, caught the ■delicate 'emphasis on the yet, and he answered with a half smile: “Brian will become an honored member of the profession before his days are undod. 1 predict that, Mrs. Leigh. ’’ “Ah. I hove quite decided it,'" returned Margaret promptly. “Brian knows that as well as I do. I ■oouidnU have all my childish saleulatimms mpset. 1 used to think Uncle Stephen the very personification of all things good and noble, and I wondered then if his son were anything like him. You see I had not met Brian. ” “And now, Margaret, that you have met him?” Brian came behind her chair with this question. She glanced back at him and smiled.

“I never form an opinion of a book after reading only its first page. I must go deeper to see if it will realize or disappoint my expectations. Besides, I don’t air my views in public. Speaking of views,” she continued more lightly. "I have some I want to show you, Doctor. You must promise to think them very beautiful, or I shall be disappointed. Brian, will you get them, please?” At this request Brian got out a small folio of wood cuts and pen pictures of various scenes about Elmwood and the surrounding country. They were all excellent, and Wilson’s appreciation was was warm enough to satisfy even Margaret’s enthusiasm. “Do you wonder that I am proud of Elmwood?” she asked, after, an animated description of several of Its finest points. “Do you wonder that I Should love it so dearly? My wonder is that Brian doesn’t care for it as I do, for he was born there. I think he has the least bit of fondness fora Bohemian existence. lam sorry for him, because I do think it a most unsatisfactory sort of life. I aferee with George Eliot that we all should have one home spot that shall stand clearly out in memory, and to which our minds and hearts may always return, no matter how far we may have wandered from it.” Margaret broke off with a sigh “This,” she added, taking up another picture in some haste, “ is a side view of The Cedars, Colonel Barton’s home. Brian and I were speaking of Bertie when you came in. He has finished his book and the publishers predict a great success for it. ” ."Yes, I read it in the manuscript some time ago. I thought it excellent. Bertie is lull of pluck and deserves success. By the way, I met him to-day. He was in cheerful spirits. He tells me he has a charming wife. Ycu know her, of course, Mrs. Leigh,” “Almost like a sister, I may say. I hear from her quite frequently. She writes very delightful letters. Bhe is constantly expressing the fear that I shall become so infatuated with New York and its pleasures that I shall forget what she calls their rural delights. I try to convince her that there is no danger of that. ” “No. 1 fear you are too firm In your opinions ever to be converted, no matter how earnestly we may try. ” As he spoke, Wilson left the table and drew a chaty clpse beside her, and Brian busied hitaoelf in gathering up the scattered pictures. “I acknowledge that I like your city the least bit better than I did, ” admitted Margaret, “but further than that I can not go. I forgot to tell you that I saw yotr little eripple to-day. I Should think she was very 111. ” “fiar lift is a matter of but a few

weeks at most'," was his answer. thauk you for your interest in her.* “please don't thank me. I’m wonderfully self-satisfied, and I may begin to think I’ve done something meritorious. Brian, do oome from behind my chair. You make me think of Satan. Get in front of me, please.” “Thanka for your compliment. Youi candor is really lefreshing. I want to hear about the new unfortunate. I guessed from your face at dinner that yoli had been on some errand of mercy.* “I am sorry my face can not keep a secret better. Don’t persuade Dr. Wilson that I am an indefatigable St. Elisabeth, ever bent on charitable missions, when I am merely a young woman who wants —who doesn’t quite know what she wants.” “Doesn’t she? I think she succeeds very well in getting it. If you will play SL Elizabeth, I suppose no words of mine will have any effect. I can only mildly hope that you will not quite kill yourself. But seriously, I do not like to think of you going around In all sorts of neighborhoods and meeting all kinds ot characters. Of course, wherever Wilson recommends, is ail right Don’t go entirely on your own judgment, though. I shudder at ths thought." |TO BE CONTINUED, ]