Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-10-14

should be by subduing and deterorating those
notorious geese, natural geniuses. There are
men of wit who reckon spoons" for game in
society, however the spoons" may be bat
tered in the process. In this case there were
no friends to interfere, to render the conquest
less complete. Lefty heard of George Ashes
Wild purchases and injurious excesses and
wrlng her hands and reproached herself that
she had not gone with him or followed him to
that London, which she said to herself in an
( agony OF defense of the culprt. was drunk
with his own snares and sins. Why had she
been SO selfish 50 mad in her pride? and
now it was too late, when he only regarded
her entreaties to Laugh at them and despise
them, and to forbid her joining him. Poor
great-hearted devoted Lefty, if a woman'>
husband could ever, except in an extraordi-
nary case, be treated With profit her baby.
Months, had passed, and Lefty sat alone
one night, comfortless, in her little sitting
| room, which looked mean even in her own
eyes nowadays, bordering on her own cares.
4 ring came to the bell-and surely Lefty
should know that ring-but alas ! she had I'M
dergone SO many false starts that she dare
not trust her heart. She went to the door,
trembling, opened it, recognized her husband
and fell upon his breast. She had him again,
and she chung to him, without another
thought. She brought him into the parlor,
sun CIdcpIIS Ills liiOuSu TtluTDtu mel
! caress mechanically, and only spoke to her
by muttered greeting. 1t was autumn and
stormy weather, and he looked miserably cold
and knocked up. She lit fire for him,
knesling down and putting at the match in
the laid wood with all her might, drew bis
chair before it and brought him her own
tea and toast, till something better could be
prepared for him. She did not ask him why
he had come without announcing his arrival ;
/ 1 i IL
without rap or luggage, like an ADVENTURE,
or man flying from his enemies. She put
away every thought but that of ais presence,
and built herself up in it till her eyes shone
like stars, and her checks bloomed like blush
roses He saw it, and rose up with a bitter
cry: Lefty, | have brought you back moth
ing. l have wasted it all. | have only
brought back my miserable self"
you have brought back yourself, George, -
repeated Lefty, in her quiet accents of deep,
strong fidelity, in which there was full for
giveness, and under which thrilled and throb-
bed such hidden pulses of fondness as only
beat in such strong and faithful beings
''1ou have brought back yourself, and what
could you bring to me like yourself? We
will be We were before, George. How
gladly we will forget what has come between,
except as warning of evils to be avoided
forever
| am glad that Lefty was not repaid by sig
nal ingratitude and a recurrence of the of
fence. George Ashe was not such an migrate.
He was filled with the forbidden fruit of his
folly, and found his teeth too much set on
edge for him TO crave to bite the apple of
knowledge again. He had no relapse, though
he could not escape a rebound. The sweet
natured, enthusiastic man had taken leayen
into his composition which Ieavened the
whole lump. He had been to school where
he was not only instructed but inoculated in
GOODNESS, skepticism. and sarcasm.
George Ashe had spent an incredible amount
OF worldly substance, but he was not so pen
niless as, in his dispair, he had represented
himself From the fragments of Letty's Iega
cy, enough was saved to buy a small farm to
maintain the couple. Lefty and George went
to that little farm with its pretty northern
name of the Hollens, and there practiced
with economy, being yeOmen, pastoral poet.
and patrarchs. Well, what would YOU have
1t would have been great independence tC
them once on a day, and at least one of then
knew both how to abound, and the hardest
feat of all, how to curb high-vaulting imaein
ations within their own narrow bounds
There the ashes were cordially visited BY the
| Bridgewaters and other friends, and there
| they lived to secure the regard of then
| world, though not in the same degree. He
was wonderful fellow no doubt, well educat
| ed at last, even accomplished, liberal, friend
y; but he was uncertain, a little morbid
| selt-cOnsclous, crotchety. And Lefty wa,
| such a noble-heartcd woman, he was so vel
| Oft with her, as he was thoroughly aware il
In-every respect; she was SO tranquil in heI
comparative eXaltation, so serene under hel
losses, so unpretendingly exact and honorable
| in all her duties, so genial in her quiet way
with such lovable inclination to plants and
| animals and other peoples children besides
her own. People said she was born lady
| that mistress of the Hollens. That was small
| praise-say rather, hers was strong, pure
heart, only anchored in still, profound taitl
in goodness and God.