Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-12-21

found too heavy.to bear. Remembered
my cold and angry words. L had given
him no comfort when he came home
crushed, wild with misfortune. I had
shared his brilliant days. 1 recalled
how he had lavished all on me, and 1
had shrank from the days of gorrow-I
who should have been his dearest stay.
No wonder death seemed less bitter to
him than life.
oh, Walter-oh, my husband" I
cried, throwing myself down by him,
and kissing the rigid hands. "oh,
come back-we will be happy, spite of
all. What is it all to me if L have lost
you? Oh, God, have pity ~
But those rigid lips made no answer
to my cry, and God does not open the
gates of Death for mortal prayer, that
the traveller once departed from that
bourne may return. felt something
in that rigid hand-a scrap of paper
L seized it read, although my brain was
on fire, and the letters swan in a white
mist.
Margaret, my wife," it read, "per-
haps you will forgive me now, and
teach the little ones to think of me
kindly. I cannot live; 1 cannot bear
other misfortunes. l am a coward to
escape it all in this way. If you had
borne up, 1 might have had courage too.
We might have struggled together. But
1 see you are not made of heroic stuff.
Your taunts have stung me to the
heart. 1 hope there is rest in the
grave. God forgive me.
"WALTER TERHUNE."
ooh, God forgive me !" shrieked, as
1 threw myself by his side, "I have
murdered him. Ny heartless words
gave the fatal stab. Oh, my darling
my darling F."
My cries seemed to rouse the house.
l heard footsteps hurrying in, but sight
great flood of anguish that suaged
over me. Then I felt a hand on my
shoulder.
"Why, poor little womBn," said a
CHEEKY voice, has she fallen asleep
over her work ?''
1 opened my eyes, and saw Johns
kind face bending over me with smile.
l looked about in bewilderment. Yes
there was the frill of little half-worn
garments which had served as a pillow
rendered somewhat uncomfortable by
| buttons. .. ..
| seized my husbands hands, to make
sure that did not float out again into
the sea of phantoms where I had been
wandering. ~ ..r...... ......-.-
"Oh, John is it really you," 1
cried. ~ am the happiest woman in
the world" 81. ....-..
Indeed" he said, quizically. "You
were in a different mood this morn
ing
l know 1 was impious then, said.
az dared to believe that Gods ways
were unequal, that some had all the
roses, while we had all the thorns. But
I've learned better now, since I've been
in my neighbor's Shoes"
| He looked at me wonderingly, then
said, How sound asleep you were, Sue,
not to hear me, or the man who brought
the parcels"
Yes! There they were, sundry brown
paper parcels, very suggestive in ap'
pearance.
Have you no curiosity, little wo
man ?'' he asked, as silently regarded
them.
His face looked beaming. "The lit
tie ones will have rare Christmas after
all,' he went on. "Did you not won
der that stayed SO late, dear. Well,
met my old employer as I was saunter
ing home moodily, looking at happiel
fathers in the crowded toy stores. HI
has come back from Cincinnati, and i
going to open at the old stand. "Hav,
you a mind to come back, John ?" b.
asked. GA mind" 1 cried "and
: think 1 made baby of myself, thel
and there. You know what a generou
soul old Latham is. 1 told him tn
whole story, and the dear old fellow in
, sisted on going into most gorgeou
Paradise for Infants near by, anC
sending a memento to the children
Endless toys, there they are. And thel
a Christmas dinner, a turkey bursting
its skin with fatness, and here it is, ant
! plums, and sugar and citron, and her
they all are.'
Oh, John," 1 gasped, half believing
{ that these were phantoms which woul
/ vanish too, not sure yet that 1 stood il
$ my own shoes, chow happy 1 am"
"The best of it is, am taken as hea
: clerk, and we'll have twice as much t
S live on this year, and it's a pleasure t
serve such a man. God bless oil
+ of this this morning when we were i
n such doleful dumps. Eh, Suer'
Such a prayer of thankfulness wen
q up from my heart as 1 never uttered b.
e fore, but 1 could not speak.
t We went up together to the nurser!
) where the little ones lay. Meg wit
= the pearly tear yet glittering on he
long golden eyelashes. I searched OF
v the gayest and longest stockings, ant
e with many happy whispers, we file
d them, till they were distorted, an
e shapeless with strange Jumps. Br
there were quantities of things whic
@ no stocking could hold. There was tE
>, great waxen doll for Meg with ha
= golden as her own, and far more con
e plete wardrobe. There were balls an
e tops and small velocipedes, and a sol
t woody sheep for my tiniest little lam
,r who lay with his rosy little feet all ba
e on the pillow, and his hossy little hes
n 1T the wrong end of the bed. Wnat
" happy tumult there would be in tt
d morning to be sure.
d glanced out of my window before
went to bed. There stood the thr
1T great houses, with their lights and la
r curtains, and hanging flower -baske
1T It made no difference that the tragedi
l 1 had dreamed were only visions.
a. knew that in each one some sorr'
to lurked, some thorn stung, some DIR
of bitterness favored each cup. For
t. must be so with all the draughts
n earth. And I thanked God fervent
Id that I was not in "my neighbo
in Shoes" .sz--=--