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GREENSBORO, N. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY S, 1876
NO 21
__P0ETE.Y.
Every Bay.
Oh, trUlui!^ t:usk-, so ofifa done,
Yet c\ er to Ikj done aiiiMT f
Oh, care>. winch coa.e whU crery snu.
Mom after morii, the lon^years through I
We shrink Uenearh their paltry eway—
The calls of i-very day.
The rcstle.'S .‘^ense of ^^ as■cd power,
The lii\ 6 DU! r *u;'d of little tilings,
Are hard to he ir, as h->ur by hour
It? le-Uous iter..tion bjings;
Whosiiall evad ■ >r who (i^day
Tiies.nali d-m. mis o' everyday?
Wa j':se U> meet a h -avy b'oiv—
0‘ii* so'iis a sudden briv Ty fills—
But we cu '''T.- 11'.' aiw.iys i.o
.riie d,‘)p by drip -f llttie ill:
>Ve siiil depl -r.- and s:ill obey
Tile hur l b.diesis of every day.
The heart which b- lcl y ftces death
Up >n the i'.a: J ■ fivld, and dares
Cannon a i 1 bay.'ne.,fai iis beneath
Tiie needle poi .ns offrets and cares;
The stoutv'st pirits they dismay—
The tiny swings i f every day.
And even sdnt' of holy fame,
Whose ,*^oul.' by laiih have overcome,
WIi.) vote amid 11-' ci uel flame
Tne molfjn crown of martyrdom,
Bore not witiioot complaint away
The petty pain.s of every day.
Ah, m )rethan martyr's aureole,
And more than iicro's heart of fire,
We need the humble strength of soul
Which daily toils and ills require ;
Sweet patience, grant us if y^ou may,
An added grace for every day.
Jessie’s Test.
Miss. Jerusha Jenkir.son folded her
napkin with slow, precise carefulness,
and tlien followed her pretty little host
ess from the dining-room back tothepar-
3or, where the soft astral lamp glowed
like a silver moon, and the illuminated
stove made red shadows on the brown
rep easy-chair in which Miss. Jenkinson
ensconced herself.
'I really don’t know what to do about
it. Miss Jerusha. If I once thought
Rich was guilty of such indiscretions as
you declare he is, I do believe I should
—d ie !’
Jesse Wintringham W'inked away a
suspicious brightness from her pretty
curling brown lashes, and looked eagerly
■at her guest’s sarcastic countenance.
■‘I dare say there are a great many peo
ple who would say I was very officious,
my dear, because I tell you what I think
of that good-looking husband of yours.
But I feel I have your interest at heart;
and if no one else has the courage and
charity to point out to a young wife of
half a year the goings-on of her husband
—why, my dear Mrs. Wintringham, I’ll
stand by you, and taue your part.’
Her solemn words made little shivers
of vague terror thrill all over Jessie.
‘I dare say you are very kind indeed.
Miss. Jerusha, only I carit believe that
Rich is such a flirt as you say—always
paying such exclusive attention to ladies
•‘.’hen he is a wav from home.’
‘You must think just what you please,
my dear. Only, I suppose if you were to
see for yourself, you would believe the
evidence pf your own eyes.’
Je.ssie’s slightly-flushed cheeks betray
ed tile painful interest she felt.
'Of course, if I were to see ,
Miss Jerusha arose triumphantly.
‘Tlion all you have to do is to take my
advice, and the next time Mr. Wintring
ham has such very important business to
New York, do you go by the same train,
with your waterproof and a thick veil to
disguise you. I must go now, I think,
my dear. I’ll l ave to stop at poor Mrs.
Delacorn’s, and hear if she has heard from
that runaway daughter of hers. Thanks
for the early cup of tea you made so nice
ly—and don’t forget what I told you,
Mrs. Wintringham.
And the abominable old gossip went
her way, leaving the arrows of the dis
trust she had sown rankling painfully in
poor, loving, jealous J.tssie’s heart.
She perfectly adored her handsome
young h'isband ; and as always such pas-
sionatr: affection is accompanied by jeal
ousy, this otherwise sensible little woman
found it no difficult matter to entertain
the doubts her guest expressed.
Rich was so handsome, so stylish, so
gallant—why should not ladies enjoy his
attentions? And, sitting by the cozy
fire, waiting until her husband should
come in fo.r his dinner, Jessie almost de
cided to play the spy upon him at the
earliest moment.
Then, when she heard his latch-key
in the door, and his quick, firm tread
in the hall, and saw his handsome cheer
ful face as he took her cheek in his hands
to kiss her, she felt ashamed and confused.
‘I am afraid I shall have to hurry, you
dear,’ he said linking her arm through
his, and leading the way to the dining
room, where the bright light made a ge
nial glow on silver, crystal, and snow-
white china.
‘Hurry me—Rich, how?’
‘I have to take the seven-thirty train,
very unexpectedly, for the city, on im
portant business that cannot be delayed.
I shall be home to-morrow night, I ex
pect, Jessie, will you have another
piece of the black meat ?’
Mrs. Wintringham toyed with her
chicken, her appetite entirely, destroved
by the news Rich announced.
‘On important busines.' Yes, that was
what Miss Jenkinson had said. And the
night train, too! It flashed hotly
across Jessie’s mind that her husband
was going down to the theatre, and if
what Miss Jerusha had said was true—
not alone!
That second decided her ; and as Mr.
Wintringham arose from the dining-ta
ble, he little knew the thoughts that
were thronging in his pretty little wife’s
head.
‘Don’t be lonesome, darling, will you ?
Or shall I stop and tell Florrie to come
up to-night ?’
Jessie laughed—a little foicedly.
‘You over anxious fellow ! What do I
want of sister Florrie ? 1 shall not be
lonely at all.’
‘Brave little woman ; kiss me good
night, then, dear.’
He was so kind and thoughtful ; and
Jessie’s fond, foolish heart almost misgave
her as she watched him off.
‘It is downright wicked to distrust
him ! but then it is just these elegant, fas
cinating men who are so agreeaUe to
other w'omen be.sides their wives—at least
Miss Jerusha says so, and she's old
enough to know,’
She watched the ivory hands of the
cuckoo clock hastening toward seven-
thirty.
‘Well—I shall do it—this once, any
how.’
And she went up to her room with
sparkling eyes and glowing cheeks.
‘Is this seat) engagod, sir ?’
It was alow, sweet voice that address
ed Mr. Richmond Wintringham, as the
seven thirty train steamed on after call
ing at the bast station before reaching
the Jersey City terminus.
Mr. Wintringham arose courteously,
glancing at the small, graceful figure n
navy-blue waterproof and double veil.
‘Take the seat by the window, madam.'
She glided in, and Mr Wintringhim,
sat down beside her, all unconscious of
the sidelong glance from a pair of eager
eyes under the veil.
‘How handsome he is, and he hasn’t
the lea.st idea who I am !’
Fur of course it was Jessie who had
taken the train at the same station with
Rich, but had waited until the last sta
tion had been reached beiore she changed
her seat in the ear for the one she now
occupied.
‘I wonder if he docs know me ! Of
course he doesn't, only he don’t seem
very eager to say anything to me. Then
a little fragrantly perfumed handkerchief
fluttered accidentally (‘f) to the floor,
Jessie made a deceitful little dive after
it displaying her daintily kidded baud,
and round, neatly cuffed wrist.
Rich quickly anticipated her, aud
handed the handkerchief quietly to her.
‘Allow me, madam.’
‘Oh, thank you! I am sorry to troub
le you so much. I was very awkward.’
Jessie's cheeks were blushing furiously
under her double dark brown veil.
‘I will give him a chance, anyhow,’
she thought.
But Mr. Wintringham only bowed
gravely, and maintained a courteous si
lence.
The train slowed up, and Jessie, with
persistent determination to draw him in
to conversation, made a feint of alarm
that amused herself as she peered out of
the window, then at her seat, mate.
‘What are we stopping for ? This isn’t
a station—oh ! is anything the matter ?’
Rich smiled—this little woman was
such an odd one.
‘There is no need of apprehension,
madam. We are entering the tunnel.’
‘The tunnel 1 oh, dear, the tunnel!'
But Rich didn’t "take” at all. He on
ly settled cozily back and slouched his
seal-skin baton his forehead, leaving his
companion to fight the imaginary terrors
of the tunnel as best she might.
The train had come to its final stand'-
still at the depot, and just as Wintring
ham arose to leave the car, he felt the
timid touch of fingers on his coat-sleeve.
‘Please pardon me—but—but—there
is a ferryboat to cross in—isn’t there ?
and if you would be so kind as to tell toe
which way it is to the St. Julian hotel ?’
Rich buttoned up his overcoat deliber
ately while she spoke.
‘The ‘‘St Julian f ” I am going there
myself, madam. If you are unaccompa
nied I will see you there. This way,
please ’
At last! Jessie's cheeks were as hot as
fire now. and her eyes bright as stars as
she walked tnrough the Idng depot and
ferry-house beside her husband. In the
ladies’ cabin Rich gave her a seat, then
left her to join a group of gentlemen who
were conversing near the door, and at the
New York dock he escorted her to a Si.
Julian transfer coach, much as if she had
been a child in his charge, whom he was
bound to do his duty by, and yet consid
ered somewhat of a nuisance. As it hap
pened the transfer coach had other pas-
sengeis, so that the hot color had time to
die out from Jessie's face, although she
mentally regarded him “a barling pro
voking fellow !”
‘If you please, sir, an answer is want
ed ’
One of the waiters at the St Julian
handed a tiny notelet to Mr. Rich Win
tringham just after that gentleman had
inspected the arrangements of his room
and wa.s settled down for a half hour’s
examination of sundry papers in his
memorandum book.
‘An answer 1—a letter for me—oh, yes,
from Ned Hathaway, about the shares—’
His eyes opened widely as he careless-^
Iv tore it open, to find, not a business
communication from Ned Hathaway, but
a dainty little note, in a graceful, flowing
back hand.
“To THE GENTLEMAN IN THE SEit-L-SKlN cXp ;
“You have made me desire very much to See you
asaiu. Is there uottimeto attend the theatre?’’
‘‘Your Lady Admirer.'’ -
Rich drew a long breath of surprise.
‘So that’s the little game, is it?’
Then he rapidly wrote an answer and
dispatched it by the man, who grinned
knowingly as he received a t'»enty-five
cent stamp from Jessie's trembling fin
gers.
‘Now, then, I’ve caught him this time.
Suppose he consents—’
The ebbing color on her cheeks, the
quivering of her pretty mouth, was .am
ple evidence of the state of her feelings;
aud she opened the sealed envelope as
one does a telegram—trying to assure
one’s self nothing is amiss, and )'et feel
ing it necessary to be prepared for the
worst.
iCmieluded on payed)
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