The Path of Duty, and Other Stories eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 310 pages of information about The Path of Duty, and Other Stories.

The Path of Duty, and Other Stories eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 310 pages of information about The Path of Duty, and Other Stories.
stipulated when my father became pastor of the church over which he presided till his death.  Consequently we had no longer any rightful claim to the dwelling which had been our home for so many years.  They kindly gave us permission however, to occupy the house for one year, but my mother liked not to continue to occupy a home which, in reality, was no longer ours.  After some deliberation upon the subject, my mother decided upon teaching, as a means of support, as her own education had been sufficiently thorough to render her competent for the undertaking.  But, as the village where we resided was small and already well supplied with schools, she wrote to an old friend of my father’s, who resided in Edinburgh, as to what he thought of her removing to that city, for the purpose of opening a school.  She received a very encouraging reply from the old gentleman, in which he promised to render her all the assistance in his power in the way of obtaining pupils, and as the gentleman was well known and much respected in the city, we found his assistance in this respect to be of much value.  The task of breaking up our old home proved a very sad one both to my mother and myself.  The furniture of the parsonage was our own.  My father had left quite an extensive library, considering his limited means.  With the exception of a few volumes which my mother reserved for ourselves, she disposed of the books among our acquaintances at a fair value, as each was anxious to obtain some relic of their beloved pastor.  The kind people, among whom we had resided, expressed many kind wishes for our future welfare, when we left them to seek a home in the great city.  The school which my mother opened upon our removal to the city proved very successful, and soon yielded us a comfortable support.  I assisted my mother both in the duties of the school-room and also in our household work.  We were prospered and lived contentedly in our new home.  We missed, it is true, the familiar faces of our old friends, but we soon found friends in our new home; we were cheerful, and should have been happy but for the sad loss we had recently sustained.  Four years thus glided by, during which time our school continued to afford us a comfortable support.  About this time I became acquainted with Mr. Harwood, who had a short time before commenced the practice of law in the city of Edinburgh, and one year later I became his wife.  His pecuniary circumstances were but moderate, as he had been only a short time engaged in the practice of his profession.  We resided with my mother, as she could not bear the idea of being separated from me.  I continued as usual to assist her in the duties of her school.  We, in this way, lived happily, till the event of my mother’s death, which took place two years after my marriage.  She took a sudden cold, which settled upon her lungs, and terminated in a quick consumption, which, after a short period of suffering, closed her life.  She died as she had lived, full of religious hope and
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The Path of Duty, and Other Stories from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.