The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-04-12
Tender and True.
BY t. S. ARTHUR.

It was the remark of a gentleman
standing near me. L did not hear the
reply made by his companion, who was
a lady; but, from something in the man.
ner of the gentleman, | concluded that
her idea of the person referred to, was
not in full accord with his.
At the lower end of the room q beau |
tiful young woman stood leaning on the |
arm of her husband, into whose face |
scarcely any one could look without ad- /
miring its manly beauty and signs of in !
tellectual strength. IL was, moreover, /
q true face; and yet as my eyes fingered /
upon it, and then turned TO the sweet, /
loving countenance of the bride, a /
shadow erept over my spirits.
"Strong and manly and true as steel.n |
Yes, you saw all that in the finely cast /
face; in the full lips; in the large wide /
eyes and nOstrils; in the ample forehead. |
"Strong and manly and true as STEEL" |
Even so. And, yet looking still into |
the tender, almost dreamy face of the /
bride, could not feel all at ease touch
ing her future.
Grant Baldwin I knew well. We
were old friends. His bride had not
seen until this evening. There was
something more than beauty in her face
something that held your gaze like a
spell. Her eyes were of a deep hazel,
large and soft; her countenance very
fair, almost to paleness; her form slight
and her staure low. | noticed that, as
she stood by her husband, she leaned to-
ward him in kind of a shrinking, de
pendent way, and every now and then
glanced up into his face with wistful
sort of look that did not understand.
/ met them not long afterwards in
their new home, and was more than ever
II. - Dol h.,
pure and sweet and gentle, and he was
strong and manly and true as steel
meet compliments of each other, one
would think; and yet, as on that first
evening, felt the lack of some element
to give a complete haImony to their
lives. 1t troubled me. / knew my
friend well-knew him to be man of
high honor and strength of character; q
little cold and undemonstrative, as we
say; rather more inclined to hide what
he felt than to give it free expression.
1t happened that did not come very
near them again for several months, and
then noticed with pain that an invisi-
BILE barrier had grown up between them,
and that neither had found the sweet
pleasure anticipated. During the even
ing spent with them, saw the tears
spring to the eyes of Mrs. Baldwin more
than once; and noticed in them a hun
CRY kind of look as they rested now and
then ON her husbands face. was puz-
zled. What could it mean?
a few days afterward, meeting Mr..
Baldwin asked after his wife.
"Well," he answered.
But in his tone of voice my ear read:
mot WELL"
"How does she like her new hOme?'
l inquired. he had brought her from a
neighboring city.
My friend sighed involuntarily, mot
too well, Pm afraid" he answered.
''She still feels strange"
'TThe tenderer the flower" ;" remarked,
''the more difficult to transplant"
'Yes,n in an absent tone.
al should say" Iadded, ''that yOurw
has highly sensitive spiritual organi-
zation."
"Undoubtedly that is true,n answered
my friend. "But are not persons so or
ganized difficult to understand?n
Sometimes"
"Always, should say" he returned.
/ did not know what reply it was best
to make, and so kept silent. After a
little while be said with some feelings:
~ would give all the world to make her
happyw
dHappyp' My surprise expressed it.
self in my voice.
eyes, happy" he said with emphasis.
"AIy wife is not happy and it troubles
me beyond measure"
ado you make no guess at the cause
of her unhappiness ?' L asked.
"I am at sea. Sometimes / think she
don't really love me. mol Nop' he
added quickly, mot thatl am sure of
her love-"
as she as sure of your love?' said I.
The question seemed to hurt him.
'Have / not chosen her from among
women to be my wife? ?n he answered,
with some of Indignation in his voice.
"Am / the man to say Il love- and not
, mean it Did L not promise before God
to love and cherish hertill death? Sure
of my love? fl have any element ol
character more strongly developed thar
another, it is the element of truth. Wher
| told her that / loved her, told her al
abiding truth. She is as dear to me a:
the apple of mine eye. The very thought
{ ofadOubton her part hurts me like an ac
= cusation of wrong.n
n A light came into my mind, bringing
revelation of the real ground o
trouble, and | said: fsHaye YOU been a.
: tender to your young wife, always, a
true ?"
: His eye flashed; but the fire went ou
: of them instantly.
n ''Mere truth in character is often re
s served and proud,r said 1. 'fTrue stee
4 is all well enough. But steel is hard anC
cold, and chills by contact"
g Baldwin looked at me strangely.
t ''Tender and true, my dear friend
|, Tender and tTuei Love will have moth
ing less" ventured to add.
. Woodworking" he said in a vOic
lie 1 scarcely recognized, and turning from
Ie me he walked away.
ts Had 1 offended him? We did no
meet again for several weeks. Twas &c
- ing homeward one evening, when
10 heard quick feet behind me- A han
re was laid on my shoulder and a familia
N voice spoke my name. 1t was myfrien
Baldwin.
III 1Come home with me-" lie said.
l tried TO excuse myself, but he woul
take no denial; so 1 accompanied hi
at home. His manner as we walked w;
of frank and cherry.
b How is Mrs. Baldwin ?'i / naturall
It. inquired,