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Stockton, Frank Richard, 1834-1902

"The House of Martha"

"
"And did she approve?" I asked anxiously.
"She did not disapprove. She knew all about you and your family,
although she had never seen you until you were at her island."
"It is strange," said I, "that I should have happened to go to that
place at that time."
"Yes," she continued, "it does seem rather odd. But, as I was going to
say, a letter came not more than an hour after we had had our
conversation, which totally altered the face of affairs. Sylvia wrote
that she had resolved to devote her life to the sisterhood. This was a
great blow to her mother and to me, but Mrs. Raynor had firmly resolved
not to interfere with her daughter's resolutions in regard to her future
life. She had done so once, and the results had been very unfortunate. I
was of an entirely different mind, and I resolved, if the thing could be
done, to change Sylvia's purpose; but I failed, and that is the end of
it. She is not to be moved. I know her well, and her conviction and
determination are not to be changed. She is now on a visit to her
mother, and when she returns she will enter the House of Martha as an
inmate for life."
"Yes," said I, after a little pause, "I know that. I saw her a few days
ago, and she told me of her purpose.


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