The Van Buren press., 1869-11-09
MISCELLANY.
Only One Fault.
By HENRY DALLAS.

ia AiLNh' DAbA'hos
You may see it in Greenwood Csmete-
ry-a splendid tombstone with woman s
name upon it. Not Ruth Holly--though
that is the name under which you shall
know her--but n prouder name, and one
you may have heard. Flowers grow
about her tomb, and the turf lies softly
over it. You would scarcely guess her
life and the sad end as you stood there.
Rather would you fancy that love and
tenderness surrounded one over whom
such costly piles of sculptured marble
rears itself, from her birth unto her death.
1t is story such as seldom write
this life Of hors-one that cannot be end
ed by happy reunions and the sweet
sounds Of marriage bells; but there are
too many such stories in the world to be
quietly passed over, if haply there be any
warning in them. The lives of others are,
we read them rightly, the best sermons
ever preached and this of Ruth hHolly's
is only too true. Yet it began very sweet.
ly, like some old pastoral poem.
She loved, and was beloved again, and
the man she loved had only one fault
lie was young, he was brave, he was wit
", he was handsome, he was generous ;
his love was devotion, his friendship no
lukewarm thing OF words he had great
talent and great power His eloquonce
has thrilled many an audience worth the
thrilling. What he, wrote touched the
soul TO the very quick Tie was an ANA
teur painter and musician, and everywhere
was loved, honored, and admired. lie
had only one fault in the world-he drank
too much wine at times. When he did
so he turned, so said convivial friends,
into very demi- god. 1t was wrong (;
but not 80 bad as might have been, and
he would sow his wild oats some day,
they said, loving him as all his friends
loved him; and so Ruth thought. Sweet,
loving, beautiful Ruth, to- whom he had
plighted his troth, and wooed in verse
and song, and with his nest eloquent
eyes, long before he put his passion into
words; but SO did not think Ruth Mar
tins father. This one fault of Edward
Holly overshadowed his virtue in his
eyes and he refused him his daughters
hand, giving him the reason why, plain
ly andnot kindly. a9n9 Llsdll A
Z" You'll be drunkard yet, Ned Holly
said the old man, shaking his head stern
ly. 1--WE seen men Of genius 60 the
same road before I've often said I'd
rather have no talent in my family, since
it seems to lead so surely to dissipation.
My sons are not too brilliant to DO sober
men, thank heaven and as for my daugh-
ter, only q sober gentleman shall have
her for wife. You'd break her heart,
Ned Holly 1.s3
So the dashing man of letters felt him.
self insultcd, and retorted hotly, and the
two were enemies.
Ruth suffered bitterly; she loved her
father, and she loved Edward to disobey
her parent, or to break her lovers heart,
seemed the only choice offered her. She
had other lovers, she had seen much of
society, and had been introduced to the
HIGHEST circles in France as well as in
England; but among all the men she had
known none pleased her as well as Ed
ward Holly did Not what one styles an
intel llestual woman hersclf,s she rcverenced
intellect, and her affections were intense.
Tho struggle in her heart was terrible.
y She met her lover by stealth, against
her fathers will but for long while she
resisted his entrcatics to marry him in
defiance Of the old mans refusal. AT
last, augered by her persistence in obe-
dcnce, Edward accused herof fearing to
share the fortunes Of one comparatively
,oor-onc who must carve his own way
mp Hfe's steep hill without assistance.
The unmeritcd reproach sank deeply into
her warm heart, and in . Sudden impulse
of tenderness and sympathy she gave
him the promise he had 80 long sought
in vain. They were married accordingly,
and were upon their way to the city,
where Edward, sanguine and conscious
Of power, believed he should make for
himself name and position of which
any woman might be proud. To her
father Ruth wrote long and loving let
ter imploring his forgiveness, but tho
answer crushed all hope within her bos-
ON.
As you SOW, so must you reap, were
the words the old man wrote. IL have
no longer daughter and Ruth knew
that henceforth for she had been moth
erless for years. she had in all the world
only a husband for whom she had sacri-
feed fortune, and, what is worth far
more, the tender protection OF a father .
In those early days, Edward did his
best TO make amends for all, and she was
30 proud of him, and so fond of-him,that
she soon forgot to grieye.
She heard his name uttered in praise
nv all. She knew that he had but to keep
steadily on, to mount to the proudest seat
n; III to,,nio and for war al r