Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-02-09

4 little peace in this house, now Lucrctia
has married off three OF EN-; Sylvie's quiet
enough if you let her alone. bat ii you 60
to stir her up too much shes AS peppery
as any of the lot.
"Why, Sylviei" " said Nnother, when we
sat down to the table, where We're your
witsY You've put on white cups and gilt
| saucerso
"Her ribbons will always match,
whether the dishes do or not, you may dc,
pend ont, said Uncle Shuhael,
! 1t promised to be the whitest Of moonlis
evenings, when Uncle Shutael pushed
back his chair and declared bis intention
of going home without loss q time.
| 81 always go to bed carly when there's a
moon,h he said, "so's to be ogt of tempta-
ton. If a mau ever makes a fool Of him
self, you may he sure that he will do il by
moonlight"
And how is it with etaenf" said
! mother ta
Humphl Moonlight or sunlight's all
one to them, | reckon
| "Mrs. Povser said she would never de-
| ny that women were fools ~ the Almighty
made them to match the men," put in.
who's Mrs. PoyserY Does she live
in these parts ?"
| No"
"Glad to hear that. There's enough
sharped tongued women about here now,
without any more moving in"
"Old Candase knew best" said mother
She said Men was nat ally foolish; but
| they was great deal better than muffin. v
"Please convince Sylvie of that doc,
trine," said Steven, while go home with
! Uncle Shubael, for safetys sake"
They went away together, and nothing
would do but mother must have out the
Spectator and hear me read aloud till bed
| time, while ! WAS longing TO sit on the
doorstep and pile up agony IN the moon
light
1t came to pass after that day that six
mortal weeks dragged out their slow
length without my once seeing Steven
| t'razar
| Sophie's two children came down with
the measles, and |, being the only single
| sister, was of course, drafted for nurse.
| She mentioned once, rs was sitting in
| the darkened room, bathing little fcvered
/ head, that Steven had stopped at the door,
| and left message from mother, but she
| had said was busy just then, and could
not come down to him Oh, the blind
cruelty of married sister with sick
baby Can anything come nigh unto ii
/ in the history of persecution!
| staid with Sophie till herChildren were
convalescent, and then she let me depart
! in peace,
was trailing homeward in very duh
afternoon, sourly adding up the hard work
! | had done, and the small credit which
! Sophie, in her motherly seliishncss, would
/ ever give me for it, when sort Of vision
I of my future unrolled itself before my
| eyes.
| If | refused Steven because he was
| doubtful of the kind OF love he felt for me
/ | knew should never marry any body else
must inevitably come down to cats for
company, and know no change IN life e&
cupt nursing my sisters children through
all the ills that baby flesh Is heir 10. |
was not the woman to "haye a mission,
and hew out IA special niche for myself in
the world. If had "A weakness, ii was
for being taken care Of. Then it flashed
upon me that Steven might consider his
offer as already rejected, and 10 leave nc
no option in the matter. That thought
was like touching a bare nerve the pain
Of ii almost made me stand SIN, but /
hurried on again when | caught quick,
familiar tread behind me.
"Sylyie," said Steven, coming up with
me and shaking both my hands. you
haven't the least idea how glad | am to
see you--that is, what there is lett oi you.
Sophie has worn you TO skin and bone !
stopped at her house, and she told me you
had taken this road. You walked ~ If
your feet were heavy Perhaps after all,
you hare ruJ6frs,' and don't care for my
company"
He faced round suddenly, so as to bar
my path, and held out his hands with
bright yet slightly mischeyous smile. |
put my two hands in his, and laid my face
down on them. ! was too tired 70 do any
thing else.
Poor little thistle Of woman, he
said, in an unsteady voice and gathering
me into his strong arms, Have you
pricked me long enough and VIII you
show me your downy side at last:
"0nly love me little | whispered.
." shall do no such thing ! must love
you with all my heart and strength, or not
al all, DO you suppose that did not see
and pity your troubIee You wanted
lover, who would go eros gartered, like
MaIyolio, ard waste himself in sighs for
love Of you. You could not put faith in
one who pleaded his suit In broad day
light through pantry Windows My dar-
ny, it was vow, and this was the way
came to bind myself 10 it, When | was
in college, mere boy, ! was bewitchcd
into a passion for a girl not worthy 10
LOOK in your face saw her first, in fact
always, in moonlight walks under the
shadows Of elm ices, which must have
sNDtur slfdlrrtltrn1 fassliflstipu nhgut them
A genial dimncss seemed TO pcrvade all
our intercouse till | found myself en-
gagged, Then knew thai
" Colors seen by candeheht
viii not look the same by day
Oh. it was heaven 10 me when | was able
10 break the cords that bound me 10 that
woman without being tlishonorabIe Z
What chain | should have dragged
through life, il / had married her | made
VOW then, that If eyer wOoed another
woman, it should be after the most prosaic
method that | could devise, and in the
broadest possible daylight Ny greatest
temptation 10 break the VOW came over me
in the pine woods. that glorious night
when we so upportunely overlook the old
woman who was going to see her sister
If yos had been cross then, 1t would have
been a great comfort 10 me. Can You for.
give me ?"
don't know that entered in any vet
forra Of wor!s, but steven seemed 10 be
satisfied, and We walked home together
through the foggy air a. lightly as If our
great content had transmitted il t. a golden
haze.
As we passed Miss AIthea Pratt house,
she was out Of door, struggling with a