Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-06-19

made Tom blue. You want your wife to
adapt herself to your needs-to be your
child, friend, sister, mother. What would
you do with woman forever pulling
back from your leading hand, with about
as much insight of you and your love as
lap-dog in ribbons! Why the manufac-
ture Of women without souls goes on, /
know not, unless it be because there is
demand for them among the unsupplied.
Ada's spirit lay bleeding ever. Be
cause her dress wasn't flounced like Mrs.
Smiths or was flounced like Mrs Browns;
because Toms paper sent him North,
when he could see, if he were not utterly
selfish, that she needed a trip South; be-
cause he scrubbed until late at night, and
because he didn't scribble enough; be-
cause he didn't make fortune, and be-
cause he didn't lavish more on her;
because she couldn't go to Washington,
and because she did go to Washington,
but couldn't keep up with the Cabinet
ladies. But in all her wailing, it never
occurred to her wall that she was no fit
ting wife for the proud and sensitive
young man, who had made such good
fight for the position he could give her.
Neither did she lift up her voice and weep
because her disposition developed his
bile and made him desperate.
Misfortunes gloomed around Tom. His
paper changed hands, and instead of be-
ing beckoned higher, he was put in a
more subordinate position. "Jove!" NUT
tered Tom, "This to the end of the chap
ter?"
"You don't seem to care what becomes
of your wifer' whimpered Ada.
Then he fell sick, and some clever fell
low stepped into even this lower
place. Tom was put to one make
shift and another. Had a good
berth half promised to him here,
and brilliant prospects opened to
him there; but when he put out his hand,
they weren't there. Just my luck!" he
fell into the habit of saying. He did the
meanest literary work, except toadying.
This he never was driven to, even by Ada's
one cheap boarding place to another
Tom walked the streets towards sunset,
gaunt and weak, yet watching to ''meet
something" Tom was imaginative; had
often enjoyed other peoples blessings by
his very sympathy with them. But sick
ness and Ada's long attrition had blunted
this beautiful faculty. So he didn't steal
much happiness as he went past, out of
rich mems houses In fact, he saw fine
gracious faces which hurt him. II Won
der" thought Tom, 'if some woman could
not have endured what she has with me,
without making such row about it?"
He paused on bridge. The draw was
open. While waiting for it to be closed,
he watched the slow, fascinating current
under him. He began recalling all the
suicides he had reported, and decided that
of all the independent routes to the next
world, passage by water was the best.
"Soon under and soon hid,' muttered
Tom. Friends haven't the trouble and
expense of a funeral. If you are fished
out they can't recognize YOU"
The draw was closed. People passed
over, but Tom fingered, watching the
evening star skate across the water.
II suppose if / scramble hard. / can
get through life in make-shift fashion =;
but what's the use Of making the effort?
1t might as well end now as ten Oxtwenty
years hence I'm failure and fool.
No use being sentimental and saying I've
had drawbacks. Most men have, but they
come out, while / go under. Couldn't
have been put up right in the first place.
Here's your choice: swing through the
air, natural gasp or two, then maybe a
better chance at your next beginning, II
the Lords fair; or, long crawl ahead,
broken-backed snake fashion, and likely
as not missing heaven at last. Adau be
comforted. She'll 60 home to her fathers
and carry black bordered handkerchiefs
for year, and then she'll do the charm
ing widow to some fellow, as she did the
charming girl to me, and he'N begin to
pay her bills and get ready for eternity"
Here dashed suddenly through his mem
DRY sarcastic paragraph he had once
written concerning young man bent on
self.destruction, who rushed to the brink
of bluff, cast one long, last look below,
and then-returned home.
"Jove!' muttered Tom, "before I'd
make up my mind and 60 back on my
word, I'd jump out of self-respect. Bet
ter not be much longer thinking about it,"
He was seated on the edge ofthe bridge.
He braced his hands firmly on each side
of him, looked up at the fair twilight. sky,
at the city beginning to twinkle with
lights, the smoke belching from tall chin
neys, people running like ants in the dis
lance
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No: there's q cross for every one,
And there's a cross for mel"
Now there happened diversion which
proves the ruling passion strong in death
Tom, quick with reporters instinct, as in
his palmiest days, turned his head and
co x,y a ctroof praachar Standing on a CaSk,