The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-12-17
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: Ss6s looked up. the lady to whom these
words were addresssd-ia . way which
showed they bad struck and hit her. She
was scolloping Shild's skirt, and the needle.
work had followed her rapid .fugers along
the flannel like a line et snowy iOam; but
now the work hn, hnheeded, 10 the floor.
,Ah. Johu, has it come to thatP asked
Mary, the wife of John Malcolm; and the
500 bloom in her cheek vanished away, and
the wosds were spoken with kind Of gasp
IS though jsst beuea'h them lay mighty
swell and rush OF feelings that well high
overpowered her voice. =. s..-...s, Il
Yes Msry.it must come. God knows
Pss struggled as hard as man could struggle
to weather the storm, and could have done
IL, too, ifthose westsrn houses hadn't gone
under. Bat thsy'H.carry US with it,
eIicaIt realize it yet john she said, look
ing at him in half bewildered, half fright
eped way, that was pitibl to see; the shock,
for the moment had hall stunned her.
10 Mary.sit was harder for your saken-
and the words came m that sharp groan
which is terrible to hear nom the lips OF
strong man., The tones reused her At once
into fall consciousness Of what had befal~
len them, and ofthe part she must bear in it.
5tDon't John-don't take it SO hard,' her
voice struggling up through sob into note
Of brave cheerlulness. and her lips fashion,
1. s.,f n..:ia xxrh,oh khouok -
you felt certain would grow stronger all the
tine. 5ust IS yos feel the sweet promise Of
day when the first faint sunbeams struggle
weakly through the mornings mist.
e Il could have borne up, Mary, il it had
not been for you and the children; but that
Thought cuts to tho core--it's more than l
can bear .6... 4 b.. - .s. ...
~ And for the first time the young wife and
mother heard soes from the lips of her has
band, as be bowed down on the arm ef his
chair. The pride Of his manhood gave way
at last, and John Malcolm wept like a child.
Fhsn the woman's heart, the woman's pow
er to cheer and comfort and strengthen,
reused themselves; the waves went over her
but one momeut, and then Mary Malcolm
forgot herself and rose up to the true height
of her woeanheod-to the exaltation Of self
sacrifice. 5a1t
As'Joha,' said The soft, brave voice, do not
ever say that again. Let everything else
tail, the heart Of your wife never will
And now she had come close to him, be
Elt her small arms about his neck, and her
head lay on his shoulder. as tender, as con.
fdingly as iu their days Of brightest prosper
ity. All through the day he had been look
ing forward to this honr, and shrinking away
from it; and once or twice-God forgive him!
he had glanced out of the office window
to the river, which rolled its dark, sullen
waters in the distauee, aud fierce tempta-
tion had rushed over him, TO drop every
thing and hurry ost there and bury his pain
and anguish under the crumpled sheet OF
water. Bat John, in his secret distress,
knew that this was the voice OF the devil en-
,tering into his soul, he was man who fear
cd God and kept his commandments--he he
put the temptation aside. ..~
1.-The young man had not doubted his wifs's
heart for an instant; but he expected to see
her stricken to the earth, with the first ii
dings of the ruin OF the house in which he
Was the heaviest partner. fIe knew that her
youth had been nurtursd in all the grace and
luxury that wealth couers, and he feared the
thought Of going out into the chill and dark
ness Of poverty. He had not looked for loud
laments tion, or bitter reproaches, but he
dreaded this silent tears, the mute despair OF
the white face. ~. -.,.r.f,. ..-.. .s.
So John Malcolm raised his hot face, stain
ed with the tears that were shed Tor her
sake, and looked into the eyes Of his wife,
and shs answered him with smile that set
even her face in new sacredness and beauty
to her husbands eys--a suile so sweet and
tender to him, SO brave and defiant Tor the
worst the world could do for them, that said
to him all her words would, and could not
! R'Ah. Mary, my wiie,' said the merchant,
4 thought when came home an hour ago,
was ruined man, leel now as though
was very rich one
Ruined with me and the children, j ohnf'
and now there was some faint reproach in
her yoicei but she clung closer to him.
But Mary-poor child, you don't know
what it is to be poor, to keep up 50 much Of
ease and luxury, to which you have been &C.
acustomed.' #
You say that John, before you have tried
me, and seen what springs Of courage and
powers of self sacrifice there are in my ma
turs.' The noble words had fitting empha,
sis in the sweet smile--in the steadiast
doubtless tones, GaEs zsread2
But we shall have to give up the house,
Mary. ssao @os sa 80 seym 7'
We'll. wo can feel just as happy in a SMALL
or one. Our love has had broader iounda
ton than stately rooms and costly furniture.
Wen take cozy little cottage somewhere
in the country, and for three servants get
along with one.' sa @ f..E
Hearing these words, John Malcolm look
ed at his wi's; but be did not say then what
was in his heart--a thanksgiving to God for
the angel He had sent to walk with bin
He,teols her hand and held It close 10 his
while he told her Of a temptation which had
bssst him before the failure of his house be-
came certain--a temptation by yielding to
which he could have saved himself from
tha eAr.cte AZ Ria fafiura p,E - ,n,st
have beeu By dishonest means, by taking ad
vantage OF others IN his power--in short,
by A fraud. which though MANS laws never