The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-06-11
LOVED HER FOR HER GRACE.

LOVED HER FOR HER GRACE.
Two lovers were walking slowly one
moonlight night along solitary stretcl
of beach upon the shores OF Lake
Michigan.
They were married lovers and those
contrasts that we instinctlvely cal
"made for each other" were displayed
in their figures and in their young
faces, turned toward each other, darl
and blonde. Even their voices shared
this contrast, the one firm, deep-toned
and measured, the other capr1cious in
accent, and tremulously sweet.
"The only trouble is" said Elsie,
"every one says this cannot last. II
seems that after while the most ro-
mantle love-to be sure, no love could
be quite so romantic as ours-either
fades away, or settles down into a calm
friendship. Even Aunt Mariana told
me upon my wedding-day, You cannot
expect the husband and the lover to be
just the same But I do expect it ; do
I not, dear Fred p
"You do expect it" answered her
husband. "And you are right; that
change will not come to us.
"And must any change" asked Elsie,
musingly, "come to us? I suppose it
must sorrow and old age, perhaps.
Very soon, no doubt, 1 shall have to tie
up these curls that you like so much" "
She glanced ruefully at the long ring
lets from which the straw hat was
tossed carelessly back. Fred" she
said, reproachfully, "you might not
love me so well if I should change"
"Do you suppose I would not know
you through all change" he asked, -" as
certainly as I knew you in that black
domino at the A mask? Love
identifies to the souls core it wouldn' t
be worth living for if it did not. Be-
sides, darling, you have something that
time does not steal so easily as it steals
the mere charm of youth, and that fas-
cinates me more deeply; you have
grace"
"Grace ?" repeated Elsie. She lift
ed her eyebrows slightly, extended her
arm thoughtfully to the length of the
loosened hat-strings her dimpled hand
held, and thrust one fairy foot daintily
forward and back.
"Not for your own appreciation, s"
said, Fred, gravely, "but none the less
for mine. Some one has remarked-I
forget the precise language, but the
idea recollect-'I II you love a woman
for her beauty, you may love her
five years if you love her for intel
lectual qualities, you will love her ten
years; but if you love her for her ,Oays,
you will love her forever Now, Elsie,
those ways have nothing to do with
complexion or curls, my dear"
"And you?" said the little wife.
"For l am not so sure that my adora-
tion for MY husband is founded strictly
on his ways. Some of those ways are
DARK. How would it be if you should
change? Let me see-if you should
turn bald Just here" smoothing up
from his forehead the dark locks she
liked; or if You should lose an eye, and
could only look at me half-oh, don't !!
or if you should grow wofully
stout-could you blame me if romance
stopped? Hopeless incompatibility of
square inches between affection and its
object for how could put wing or
bay-window on my heart ?"
"Do not talk so even in Jest" said
Fred, really panied. "We may be
thankful that we have the power to look
deep"
81 do not wish to look deep" said
Elsie, willfully; II prefer shadows. I
never looked deep in my life but 1 saw
something at the bottom of the depth
lying dead, or something unspeakably
sad, as pale ass death. But there we
are talking nonsense, and it is growing
late. feel a chill OF night air from
head to foot, and we have almost quar-
relied. think. Dear Fred, let US go
home at once"
They followed tle white curve of the
inlet toward the glimmering lights of
the town, and crossing a narrow field
path in the outskirts, entered the
rudely built and solitary cabin that
they called home.
The moonlight shone broadly into
scantily heddwelling-room, under
whose outer doorway letter had been
thrust. -'l ''......
. /" FRIEND ARNoLD-I find, for reasons
you will appreciate, necessity for get
ting off at once. We start tomorrow
whole family-at daybreak. Expect you
to Join us next week at r, goods
and chattels complete.
My respects to Mrs. A. She is of
the same cahbre as my wife. Such wo-
men are a help. Hurrah for success,
and Westward Ho! Doc"
This letter, meagre as it was, served
to bestir the Arnolds at once.
More than a year had passed since
Fred Arnold's imprudent marriage, that
dispieased not only his own friends,
but those of the pretty schoolgirl, pet
ted and portionless, who became his
wife: Emigrating to the West, and
waiting in an ill-chosen law Office for
clients that never came, he had nearly
exhausted his small patrimony. The
doctor, his companion from the East,