Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-07-12
,ollen. Don't it make him look conf.

pollen. Don't it make him look comi
cal? Let me wipe it off, Amos"
''Go away, Mipnie," he said pettish
ly. 81 wish you wouldn't act SO child
She strained herself up and moved
back few steps. Her eyes were I'LL
ing with tears, and her voice trembled.
as she said
"Don't you want the flowers, Amos?'
"No, l don't. I want you to &c
away"
The cup Of her bitterness was full.
l was almost startled as noticed the
strange fire in her eyes. l would not
have thought that she could look so.-
Her face was very white, and her lips
ashy and compressed. There was
much of firmness in her step as she
passed into the sitting room. -..-.
"Amos, you are a brute" said,
angrily.
"You have certainly reason to be
proud of your relatives, then! Jane,
you can go away, too"
His passion was up. / walked away,
half frightened. l knew that some
great sorrow was coming. -E
Minnie was not down to breakfast
the next morning. Amos sent me up
to her room. She was not there. On
the table lay the following laconic
note: -r ..s..
"AMos:-- You said Ishouzd go aacay.
Wen l have gone. MINNIE"
l handed Amos the note. He turned
very pale when be read it. His lips
twitched nervously, and he looked into
my face in nervous inquiry. There
was little sympathy there, and l had
no information to give him.
Amos left no means untried to dis
cover her place of retreat. He spent
weeks in search and inquiry, but all in
vain. The strong man was bowed
He often came to me to talk of Minnie,
his lost wife, and to weep. His books
were neglected. He grew quiet and
yielding. He would stand at the win
dow and gaze ou: vacantly upon-the
lawn for hours ; and sometimes through
out the whole night | could hear him
walking up and down IN his room over
head. He saw his error, and was but
learning how very, very dear the little
child wife had been to him. He regret
ted his coldnees; he was unsparing in
his self ordinations he made strong
promises in reference to the future.
Months passed on, and yet nothing
was heard of Minnie. Perhaps she
was suffering want and privation-
nothing but her love and her strong
faith preventing her from turning aside
into path Of degradation and shame
It was in the autumn, and Amos and
| were standing in the orchard. My
wedding with John l. was to come
off OH the evening following, and the
fact brought strongly to his mind the
memory of his own. He was leaning
against a tree, weeping like a very
child. Indeed be lately had become
like chiid-so passive.
s,Oh, Jane"' + wish I were dead !"
he cried. Oh, my poor, lost Minnie
Oh! how bitter this punishment for
my 1Olly. L WISH yOu COuiu iOON AuCO
my heart cow. Oh, Minnie, come to
me -
There was a rustling among the
leaves. A dimlnutive figure, ghost-like
in its whiteness, glided from among
the trees. ...
II was Minnie! She knelt at the
feet of her husband, and sald---
"Amos, you said should come
Well, / have come"
Almost the same words used in her
letter of departure, but much sweeter
in this significance to Amos.
A moment afterward, Amos had her
in his arms. My heart was full Of
pleasurable emotions, and I very SEN
sibly walked down through the orchard.
How beautiful Minnie looked on my
wedding eve. The old light was in
her eyes. Amos seemed to be proud
to have her leaning so contidingly on
his arm. l have been married now
three years. / have been very happy
in my welded love, but not more SO
than the little child wife, since the
time that she came back to Amos in
the orchard. =