Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-06-14
FAILING LOVE.

There was look of concern in the
speakers eyes.
Ten years have passed, dear friendn
answered the lady.
Ten years of sunshine--fruitful
years-Hellen, should give the heart
an abundant store of corn and wine.
Your hives are fall Of honey
The shade fell deeper on Helen's
face.
4 am panied at this said the friend
fYour letters have not betrayed the
texistance of secret trouble
4 was guarded
'Guarded!'
You know answered HELEN, rally
ing herself, and affecting lighter state
of mind, that every house has its
skeleton
Real or immaginary. Most of these
skeletons are but shadows
Mine is real.'
The two friends met, now for the
first time in ten years, looked at each
other in strange way. The lightness
of tone had died out in the sentence
mime is real
sThe best of husbands, good children,
and home like this !! Where stands
the skeleton? I can see no place for
SO unseemly an intruder
And yet, Margaret, the intruder is
here, grinning at me all the while, and
growing more and more CHASTITY
Dear friend, how You afiict me =
Helen Ashby's face had became pale
in this reference to a hidden sorrow
which had never found voice before.
1T almost kills me to say it Mar
garet; but Mrs. Ashby check I'd the
sentence ere it found utterance.
'But what? Trust me, HELEN
God gives wisdom to love. Through
my love. He may send healing to
your soul Lei me look down into this
haunted heart-chamber let me see the
ugly skeleton
Il am not loved as I once was, Mar
garet!' There was a cold shiver in
Mrs. Ashby's voice.
Not loved, Helen!
Not loved by my husband.' Tears
fell silently over Mrs. Ashby's face.
You are under dark delusion.'
NO. Love has been steadily fail
ing for years-slowly, almost impercep-
tibly, but surely, I shudder at the con-
trast, when I measure its height and
depth, it's length and breadth to-day,
and think how irnneasurable it seemed
ten years ago!
4 am panied beyond expression,
dear friend! Surely you are III a
dream! Ny brief observation OF your
husband since anne reveals nothing
like GOODNESS or alienation. He is kind,
gentle and tranquil. A. l watched his
countenance last night, while he talked,
and dwelt on the sentiments that tell
from his lips, l could not help saying,
he is fast growing to the statute OF a
,nan-shat is Of an angel' This could
not be if he were getting cold toward
the wife of his BOSOM
'Oh, he is good and true, and excel
ientr answered Mrs. Ashby. 'Purer
better man does not live, reverence.
I idolize him! He stands in my sight
the embodiment of human perfection
But all the while am conscious OF al
increasing distance between us. we
are not so close together as we were
one. two, three, four or five years ago
NV friend this is terrible! Is it to g
on-this widening Of the space be
tween us-until he vanishes out o
sight. and I am left shivering alone II
a universe of darkness Give me an
initiation rather!'
This was the skeleton in Mrs. Ash
by's house no phanthom of the imagl
nation, but a real skeleton. The trlent
sat long before replying. What Heller
now eaid brought into light some thing
casually noted since her arrival-som'
things which had been felt as inhar
monious. Let us briefly refer to them
An awkward or confused servant spl'
led some water on the table, at te
time. in filing a glass. Mrs. Ashby
instead of passing the incident withou
notice, reproved her sharply. Mr
Ashby was talking at the time in
cheerful, animated voice. He oecam
silent, but resumed again in few mo
ments. The most ordinary observe
would perceive a change of tone
marked by a certain depression feeling
Soon after the conversation was re
sumed, MIR. Ashby referred to a lad.
acquaintance, and spoke of her as al
accomplished singer, when his wifi
threw in some remarks disparaging he
"a woman. To these Mr.. Ashby OF
fered few mildly spoken excuses bu
his wife tore them away in manne
that. to say the least of it, was unbeau
tiful. Her husband changed the sub
lect. Again he mentioned with prais