The Victim Of Theory

"Ton ree Margaret that even tliis work, generally etupposed tci be cntirely confined to nian's province, is quito within the power of a determinad woman." Bang went a greal shoyel fuil of snow over the garden fence, into the road as aunt Maria spoke. Dalsy haring nearly exhausted herbreathing apparatna, merely panted out : "Yes, annt," and struggled with her shovel In a snow bank till she raised about a beacnp full of snow, wüicli was even lcss in iiuantity before it reached the outside of the same garden fextce. She was doing her best, and this was the result. Aunt Maria, nearing fifty years of age, five leut ten inches- which, mind you, is no mean measure for a wonxan- gaunt iu frame, strong in liealtli, homely in íeature, wore a water-proof Ulster, an alpaca dress, tueked up to disclose a short scarlot pettlcoat, and long, Indla-rubber boots, and was shoveling snow with oven, strong sweeps of a big shovel, M well as a man could do the same taek. Margaret not quite eighteen, five feet nothing, trim in figure, pretty as a fairy, also attired in ulster, scarlet petticoat, and boots, heroically endeavorëd to follow the noble example before her, and ignominiously failed. Her arms were tired, her feet vere cold, and she was more than half way over the road bet ween wisery and tears, when Aunt Maria paused. 'Tni going to the post office," she said, sticking the shovel into a pile of snow. "There is only the parement to do uow ; so you can easily finish it alone." Off she strodo, while Margaret said faintly : "Only the pavement ! She has thrown every atom of snow from the garden walk on the pavement t" She was nearer still to that burst of tears when she heard : "Allow me, Miss l'airley ! Your arms are seareely strong enough for this !" And before she could utter thanks or objections, Harry Templeton was clearing off the pavement with rapld, dexterous tosses of the shovel, equal to Aunt Maria's best efforts. She did not know, as she strode onward i the village post-offlee, how this same Harry Templeton had been watchlng her from nis own window and pltying Margaret, until the opportunity opened to oifer more than plty. It was by no nieans the first time he had watcbed these new neighborB, and pittied blue-eyed Margaret. He was of some Importance in the place, heir to a house and ampie fortune lelt ly bis father some two years before, with a life income to his widowed mother, but otherwise cntirely Hairy's own property. The little cottage Aunt Maria rented was part of Harry'ï possestlon, and there was only a garden and a liodjro between the liandsome residence of the Tempteton'a and the little humble house where Aunt Maria and Margarei made their abodi'. "Tliey are awfully poor," Harry liad told his mother, "though there ■vvas no objectiou made about the rent, and they do not seem to do any regular work tor a living. Reduced geatlewomen, I think, for the old lady is a lady, iu splte of her eccentricities, and the younger one- " Well, what about the younger one?" asked Mrs. Templeton, quletly. "She is so pretty, mamma '." ■Well !" "And so miserable ! I have seen her crying in the garden. I am sure lier aunt bullies her drradiully. And the house is so uncomfortable. No carpets, iron bedsteads, wooden chairs." "You seem very well informed," gald Mrs. Templeton, dryly. "Well, yon mm-, mamma, they were moving in tlirinsclvcs, without any man about, no servant of any kind, and I was passing, and being their ïandioni, I- well, I couldn't iee that little mlte tuggiog heavy turniture about without offering to help. Now could I '.'" "Hut, Harry. 1 really would not be very Intímate with them." All tliis conversa I ion look place at a window overlooklng the garden of tlie cottage, and while they talked, mother and son watched the two womeo sIkivcI snow. They had been three months Inmates oí the cottage, and Harry had Improved liis oppori unit es as landlord rather more than lii mot lier BUSpected, He liad soon dtocovered that his presence was not pleusing to Aunt Maria, a ml kopt. out oí her way ; but from his vantage ground, the window. he kept himself pretty well Informed o! the movomonis oí that lady. and beoro thla íail oí snow hearlded winter woathor. llaisy. in all hor wallis, was astonislied at the frequency of Mr. Temploton's orrands in the Bame direction she was taking. The pavement was eleared with rapldity. Daiay (did 1 mentlon thai nobody but Aunt Maria ever callod Miss Fairiy by her proper name, Marga rot ?i followed the BhOYel with a broom, and, when the way was cloar. the shovel tollowed the broom into the kttchen. Somethlng etae followed ; that I wfll teil you by and by. But now I want to expíalo that the victim of a thcory whom you were promised in the tttle was this sanie little five-foot nothing- blueeyed Daisy Fairly. Aunt Maria was a votary at the Bhrlne of "woman'i rights," strongmlnded, euergetic, resolute, and Daisy was her nlece and property until he carne of n.ne or marrled. The first era would be in three yean; the last, Aunt Maria emphatically decided, would be- nevor I It was a sense of independence- a longing for protection- that drove women into the bonds of matrimony. vn-lavod" them, as Annt Maria gald, and Daisy sliould be taught perfect ladependence and to be her own protector. The firat stop was to remove hor from all former associations. all intercourse with friend.s of long standing, all danger of formtng an attnchment. So the eottage was rented and Daisy 's niartyrdoni inaugurated. Not a man was allowed to come near the place With Aunt Maria's permission. Every ounce of food was carried by one or the other of the ladies from the village store. Aunt Maria put in her own coal, split her own wood, hauled her own water from the well to the kitchon. Daisy obediently perforniing her portion of the work, with a longing for the strength of body that was certainly desirable as a companion to strength of mind she was supposed to be acquiring. But die had her hours of comfort, though she was loyally true to Aunt Maria, and made 110 complaint to Harry Templeton. If he met her whenevor slio went out, it was accident on hor part. If he was always in his garden when Aunt Maria was out, Daisy was innocent of any uppointment with him. Hut if he seemed to the little tircd out victim a rest and a refuge, was she to blame ? AVhen Aunt Maria lectnred upon the economies of mankind, the wiokedness of every masculine he.irt, the depravity of every male in every station, Daisy mentally checked off every sentence with - "except Harry Templeton." She loved him long before he took her shovel into hls stront hands. He went homo jnst as Aunt Maria slainmed the pardon nato, and found li is mother sewing at the wlndow Where tte had left her more than an hour before. "Mamma," he said. nittiiis apon a low stool at hor foot, and captnrlng both her little white hands in Iiis own ■trong ones, "don't you tliink you would like to have a daughter ?" "But, Harry," she cried, aghast, "you havo only known her three months." "Yes - but - " "And thoy aro ho miscrably poor." "I am rlch, mamma. My wife will not be poor." "But you know nothing about her -you - " There she pansed, lor hor boy' liandsome head restod upon hor shoulder, and his volee was luw, tender and pleading, as he said : "Mamma, I love her ! She is poor, worried, and unhappy, and that shedragon tnakea hor work like a slave. I oannot bear to havo it so, when I can make her happy, and give her ease und comfort. You will go to see her, will you not ?" ■ os- yes. I will go to-day." For she had nevér crossed him in all the three and twenty yoars of his life. Harry was right when he Raid Aunt Maria was a lady. Mrs. Templeton met a courteous reception in the bare-floored parlor with the wooden chairs, as she had ever met in a volvot-draped saloon. It was rather a roluetant oonsont Aunt Maria gave to Dalay'a spendlng the ttext ilay witli her oallor ; but she did consent, for the pleading blue oyes were very dear to hor, in eplte of her theories. Slio also submitted when Daisy put aside the cheap alpaca and print apron ol ovorydny wear a ml appeared the next morning with what Aunt Maria grimly calloil "all hor war-naint and fállala." Very pretty war-palnt it was. The soft brown hair. that had boon tigtati. coiled tor tbree montha, was looseiy arranged in becoming style, with a frlnge of soft nat mal curia over the forehead. The dreae ol lip blue silk was fashlonable yet, and the soïtesi of laoo was round throat and wrisi s. i iiii.imoiit ip. dead gold, sim]iio yei rlch in effect, completed the al ' Ire, at which Mrs. Templeton gased in soino astonislinioiit as its wearer entered her drawlng-room. Bhe was alono. haTlng requested Harry to abeeni htanaell ontil dinnor time, and Bhe was Burprleed to see how ranch more eaey and graceful Daisy was in her Bweeping train and hondeóme dreea than In hor coarse attire of the day before. Aunt Maria's absence had its weighi in ihis, but Mrs. Templeton only gneaeed thlB. She gave Daisy cordial weicoma; bo cordial that very soon the little oramped beart expanded ander the genial warmlh of lier new friend'a marnier, and she grew eonHdentdal. Hut, iny dear," Mrs. Templéton Mtld, alter a lottg hour of easy, pleasant talk. "If your mot her was Margarei Thatcher, you nmst be the daughter of Robert Fairiy. Ure greal oii merchant." 'Yes, of coorae 1 am ; but papa and mamma are both dead, you know." "But liow carne jrou to lose your property .'" ixjse it : I havent lost any iï it. I suppose I am worth nearly hall i ïiiillion." "But how do you come to be living in tliat miserable cottage and wurking like a servant?" 'Oh, we are testing Aunt Marla'ï theory. and 1 promteed to do exactly as Bhe wishes for six montha. We are provlng," and Daiay here eteared her throat, struck an attitude, and pui' a fine burleeque of Miss Maria's oratorical efforte- ''we are provlng that man. as a useful element of soClety, can be entirely dispensed with. We have our mental tncapaclty, our physiral weaknoss constantly (luoted 'as an argument to keep O in B state of subjection, against whlcb we rebel. For our mental incapability let the nH-dicalstudents, the lawyers, the authors of our sex rise in coutradiction. As to our physical strength. it needs to be developed ! Developed I And I am to be a practical illustration of what a magnificent coal-heaver and snow-shoveller can be made of-" "The dearest little dot of girlhood in the world," said a merry voice at the door. "Don't interrupt the speaker !" cried Daisy, offering feeble resistance to a pair of eneircling arms, and the pressure of a moustaehed lip. "Are you not ashamed, before your mother ?" "I imagine mamma will get accustoined to it !" said Harry, coolly. Mrs. Templéton laughed merrily, and the dinner-bell sounded. There was nmsic in the evening, and I)ais 's fikilled fingers revelled in the grand piano, whlle her sweet voice rang out in new fascination for Harry, vlio was passionately fond of music. He was lier escort home, and on hls return hie mother told of her discoveries. At about the same time Aunt Maria, with many groans and dire prophecies of woe to come, learned 1 lint all her teaching, example and training had ended, for Daisy, in Harry Templéton and matrimony. However she graciously admitted that "it might have been worse," and returned to the city to prepare a gorjeóos troussean and a magnifIceni wedding. "For," ahe said, "if slie must be married, it is as well to havo sueh a wedding as lier ïather would have given her !" And wheuever Mrs. Harry Templeton becomes rebellious, her mammainlaw BWeetly inquires if Bhe would not like to shovel the snow off the garden walk and prove herself fully able to dispense entirely with the assist a nee of any horrid man.