A Daughter of Maryland — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. ~J17 labor! Let us take from them their slaves, and we have no more to fear in the great industrial competition.’ They mean to do it, and with the way they have arranged it we have got to look sharp or they will. The vote of a pauper there is enough to tie the ballot of the richest slaveholder in the South. In the election of Lincoln the North has nothing at stake to lose, the South everything. But I do not wish to embitter your life, my daughter. A man’s home should come before his country, for ‘the strength of a nation lies in its homes.’ I am afraid my anxiety over political matters has robbed you of that solicitude right- fully yours. You are too noble a representative of the Lancier and the Aurian to be unfaithful to the house of Sylvania. ’’ ‘I trust, father, I am a true daughter of Maryland,’’ she replied, laying her hand in his, while he stooped and kissed her. ‘‘I am afraid you are letting these gloomy thoughts trouble you too much. TI do not like to see those lines of care coming so rapidly into your countenance. ’’ ‘‘Perhaps I am puzzling my old head more than I ought to with affairs that really concern the next generation more than mine. If so, it is because in my wisdom of years I see what they fail to discern. Now that careless Robert gives more thought to a fox hunt than he does to a presi- dential election. There is not much Lancier to him, I am sorry to say. I am almost afraid to trust you and Sylvania to him; but it seems the inevitable course of nature. . By the way, darling, I have been thinking that it might be best for you and he to have this matter between you two fixed up before the trouble comes on.”’ ‘‘The matter between us, father? I do not understand you. ‘‘Has he said nothing to you of—of—demme, if I can say it !’’ ‘‘What can you mean? Is there any message Robert——’’ _‘**Nothing, child, nothing! I believe I am growing <¢om C 900 . ~. “st or ee