Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-11-03
Only One Fault.

one you may have heard. Flowers grew
about her tomb and the turf lies softly
over it. You would scarcely guess her
life and its sad end as you stood there.
Rather would you fancy that love and
tenderness surrounded one, over whom
such a costly pile of sculptured marble
rears itself, from her birth unto death.
1t is story such as seldom write
this life of hers-one that cannot be
ended by happy reunions and the sweet
sound of marriage bells; but there are
too many such stories in this world to
be quietly passed over, if haply, there
be any warning in them. The lives of
others are, if we read rightly, the best
sermons ever preached, and this of Ruth
Holly's IS only too true. Yet it began
very sweetly, like some old pastoral
poem She loved. and was beloved
again, and the man she loved had only
one fault. He was young, be was brave,
he was witty. 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 eloquence had thrilled many an au-
dience worth the thrilling What he
wrote touched the soul to the very quick.
He was an ameteur painter and musician,
aud everywhere was loved and honored
and admired He 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 as bad as
might have been. and he would SOW his
wild oats some day, they said, loving
him as lis friends all 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 most eloquent eyes, long before
he put his passion into words but so
did not think Ruth Martins father.
This one fault of Edward Holly's over
shadowed his virtue in his eyes, and he
refused him his daughters hand. giving
him the reason why, plainly and not
kindly.
You'll be drunkard yet. Ned Hol-
ly," said the old man. shaking his head
sternly. '.l've seen men of genius go
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 dissi-
patton. My sons are not too brilliant
to be sober men. thank heaven, and as
for my daughter, only sober gentleman
shall have her for wife; you'd break
her heart, Ned Holly"
So the dashing man of letters felt him.
self insulted, and retorted hotly and the
two were enemies.
Ruth suffered bitterly she loved hel
father, and she loved Edward to disc
hey her parent, or to break her lovers
heart, seemed the only choice offered
her. She had other lovers, she had seer
much society, and had been introduced
to the highest circles in France as wei
as in England; but amongst all the mer
she had known none pleased her as Ed
ward Holly did. Not what one style.
an intellectual woman herself, she rev
erenced intellect, and her affections wer,
intense. The struggle in her heart wa
terrible.
She met her lover by stealth. agains
her fathers will but for long wlil
she resented his entreaties to marry hin
in defiance of the old mans refusal. A
last, angered by her persistence IN ODE
dience, Edward accused her of fearing t.
share the fortunes of one comparativel,
poor-one who must curve his own wa
up life's steep hill without assistance
The unmerited reproach sunk deepl
into her warm heart, and in sudde
impulse of tenderness and sympathy sh
gave him the promise he had so lon
sought in vain. They were married tina
evening, and before morning were upo
their way to a far off city, where Ed
ward. sanguine and conscious of power
believed he should make for himself
name and position of which any woma
hight be proud. To her father Rut
wrote long and loving letter, implol
ing his forgiveness, but the answer crusf
ed all hope within her bosom.
GAS you sow, SO must you reap wei
the words the old man wrote. II hay
no longer a daughter and Ruth kne
that henceforth-for she had been mt
therless for years. she had in all tt
world only the husband for whom ST
had sacrificed fortune, and, what is wort
far more, the tender protection of f;
ther.
In those early days Edward did h
best to make amends for ALL and 81
was SO proud of him, and so fond of hi
that she soon forgot to grieve.
She heard his name uttered in pral
by all. She knew that he had only
! keep steadily on, to mount to the prou
est seat in fame's high temple, and for
, year she had no fear of his falterin
Now and then feverish something
! his voice and manner, strange light
his eye, greater flow of eloquence
/ IL