The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-07-10

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all thought of that other n entirely
away.
Oh, if the thousands that take that
sacred duty would only look at it in its
true light, how many wretched, heart
broken lives would be saved. You take
each other for better for worse until
death. Faults that before have been
hidden come to light. Those little
loving attentions that make courtship
so much like an Eden are sometimes
dropped, and we see each as we are.
How sad if We have only made our idol
to find it clay. On the man rests the
greatest responsibility he has taken
one frail woman to fight LIES great bat
tie ; he promises to shield and protect
her from all rough hardships, to cher
ish her as the greatest blessing God
gives him to love for ever and ever.
But I am m%oralizing. Forgive me,
dear reader, for wearying your patience.
Linnie Claton left the church Linnie
Burton. She had entered on q new life.
They passed the first few months at the
brides fathers, and then went to
housekeeping. Linnie, although never
used to work, learned rapidly. Very
gentle and tender was the husband
with his young wife's faults. Linnie
had regained all of her old sweetness,
and no happier couple could be found.
Years passed on, and Linnie could
look back and view the romance of her
life with calm feelings the past seemed
like a sad, sad dream. You ask, per-
haps, had she forgotten Gus and
learned to love her husband? No, she
had not forgotten him.
She did not halbor one single hard
thought against him. They never met,
but sometimes she heard of him. His
life-lesson had not chastened him ; for
his naturally evil nature, held in check
by the good influence of Linnie, now
led him to low resorts. She heard of
him in the billiard-saloon and in places
of still lower repute. Always after
hearing such she knelt and prayed for
him /; prayed as she would for a dearly
loved, hayward brother.
If he could have knownho her heart
ached to know he was sinking lower
and lower he would have paused in his
mad career. Yes, she had learned to
love her husband, perhaps not as pas
sionately as the other one. but with a
love more holy and pure because of the
Christening Of the bitter past. He was
SO noble, so kind, how could she help
but love one SO worthy. Years passed
over, and still they did not meet.
Her husband did not wish her to as
~sociate with the Fishers, and she re-
spected his wishes. One night they
were invited to a reception, also Gus
Fisher. Had Tom known this it is
probable he would have declined. They
were among the first to arrive. Gus
Fisher was also astonished to see Tom
and Linnie among the guests. Linnie
was the same girl he had wooed and
lost. She wore her dark clustering hair
a la mode.
Her pure, pale complexion was as fair
as ever; when she raised her eyes he
saw the only change; they were as
laughing, but the old love-light was
gone, and in its place shone a light so
pure, that it seemed as if he could al
most see the angels bent lovingly above
the head of the fair owner. He saw her
glance at her husband, and then the
pure, pale face lit up with a love SO in
tense it was perfectly dazzling. He
saw she was perfectly happy, and some
of the bitterness he had dealt to a
heart once all his own he felt then ; he
did not believe she had entirely ceased
to love hir;. He was SO vilely base that
he could not bear to see the life he had
once wrecked at peace again. He
crossed the room and paid his respects
to the hostess, who vas talking with
Linnie and Tom-of course they could
not do otherwise than to bow to Gus.
He bent his keen eyes upon Linnie /;
she met his glance with calm feeling.
Gus was the first to speak.
GLOW are you enjoying yourself,
Mrs. Burton ?"
every well, thank yon, Mr.. Fisher"
"Would you honor me with your
hand for the Lancers, Mrs. Burton 2"
Before answering, Linnie turned to