St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-03-01
From Scrihner's Monthly.
How One Woman Kept Her Husband
COSCLI DED.

"Sally want to tell you in the he
ginning how | thank You for your 81
lcncc. All winter have known that
You have been seeing what | saw, feel
ing all felt, and keeping silent for my
sake. never can tell you how much
| thank YOU: it was an unspcakable
comfort to know that you sympathize
with me mt every point but to have
the sympathy expressed even by look
would have made it impossible for me
to bear up. As long as live, darling,
shall bc grateful to you. And more
over it makes it possible for me to trust
You Imrescrvedly now. had always
done You some injustice, Sally. did
not think You had so much sclf-con-
troll
| Here she hcsitated an instant. 1t
WAS not easy for her to mention Johns
name ; but it was only for Il second
| that she hesitated With an impetuous
eagerncss unlike herself. she went on.
"Sully, You must not blame John.
| He has struggled as constantly and no
bly, as man ever struggled. Meth
er must Won blame Emma. They have
neither of them done wrong. | have
watched them both hour by hour
know my husbands nature so thorough
" that know his very thoughts almost
aS soon as he knows them himself.
know his emotions bctOre he knows
them himself saw the first moments
in which his eyes rested on Emma,
face as they used to rest on mine. From
that day to this have known every
phase. every step, every change of
his feeling towards her; and tell You
Sally that pity John from the bottom
of my heart. | understand it all t;l
better than he does. He loves her ri
once far more. and far less than yol
believe. and he loves me far. far NOR,
than Won helicvc, lnu will say, i'll the
absolute idealization of your ineNpcr
fenced heart. that it is impossible for ;
man to love two women ut once.
know that ii is not. and | wish | coulC
make You believe it, for without heliev
ing it YOU cannot he just to John. H'
loves me to-day, i'll spite of all this
with sort of climging tenderness born
of this very struggle. He would IA
rather love me with all his nature if h,
could, but Just now he cotHHOt. St,
very clearly where Emma gives hin
what he needs. and has never had il
me- | have learned many things from
Emma Long this winter. ! can neNc
he like her. But | need not have beer
50 unlike her as | WAS. She has arme,
me with weapons when she least sIls
pccted it, But she is not after all, 0l
the whole, so nearly what John need
as | am. If | really believed that h
would be better man, or even Il hap
pier one with her as his wife, | shoul'
have but one desire. and that would b
to die. But | know that it is not ST
1t is in my power to do for him, and t,
: he to him what she never could. | d.
not wonder that You look pityingly an,
incredulously. You will see. But i
order to do this | must leave him"
sprang to my feet. Leave him
Are YOU mad ?"
"No, dear, not at all: very sane an
very determined. | have been 81
months coming to this resolve. bega
to think of it in very few hours afte
I first saw him look mt Emma as if h
loved her. | have thought of it da
and night since, and know | am right
If stay, | shall lose his love. If &C
I shall keep it, regain it, compel 1t.
l. She spoke here most hurriedly. .
. have borne now all can bear withOu
betraying my pain to him. | am jeal
ous of Emma. 1t almost kills me t
y see him look at her, speak to her"
"My poor, poor darling" | exclaim
=. ed land | have been thinking you di
:. not feel it..
She smiled sadly, and tossed bac
u the sleeve of her wrapper so as tn shov
her arm to the shoulder. ! started.
D. was almost emaciated. I had agai
and again in the course of the wintt
asked her why she did not wear he
usual style Of evening dress, and sh
:. replied that it was on account of ht
cough.
l. at is we'll that my face does not sho'
loss of flesh as quickly as the rest pal
of my body does" she said quietly.
:. have lost thirty five pounds of flesh i
four months, and nobody has observe
it. Yes, dear" she went on, 81 hd'
felt it. More than that, have felt
increasing every hour, and can be;
no more. Up to this time | have nev'
5 by look or tone shown to John that
knew it. He wonders every hour VIII;
it means that | do not. | have nev'
by SO much as the slightest act watcl
ID ed him. have seen notes in Emma
$ handwriting lying on his desk, and
- have left the house lest | might
tempted to read them, | know that
Z has as yet done no clandestine thin