The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-05-15

/ MS marriage, tuOuRu many wondered,
seeing the grave, elderly man, how he
came to marry his child wife.
But as he paced his room in the Whit
cliff hotel, Edward Lancaster ques-
| toned his happiness as he had never
questioned it before. The letter he
held fast in his clenched hand, the con-
versation upon the porch, com bined to
probe his heart to its core, and the
question hidden there rose to the sur
face.
Did Edith love him?
She had been always gay, tender, af-
fectionate, deferring to his wishes. more
like child with an indulgent father
than wife for, as yet, but little wifely
duty had been exacted of her Of
household care she had none. Her life
had been passed in perpetual pleasure
seeking, with no call for sacrifice.
But the letter, the fateful letter, told
the tender husband that the wealth he
had held so carelessly for years was
gone in one great commercial crash :;
one hour a man of riches, the next a
pauper. It was all gone, his lawyer
wrote, and the sale of Elmsgrove, his
home, would scarcely cover the iabili-
ties incurred in the past three years.
Edith Edith That was the cry of
the mans heart. His darling who had
been shielded from every rude blast,
who had known only the brightest side
of life under his care, who had married
him for money, perhaps !
Had she married him for money
The thorn, once planted, stuug him
sorely. He was not vain man, but he
had thought his love, so devoted, SO
true, had won a return. Money had
been to him, all his life, so small a con-
sideration, never feeling its want, that
he had never taken it into considera-
ton, except to be glad it was his to give
Edith every indulgence. And now the
hateful thought rose, and pressed him
sorely, that Edith married him for what
he had lost, and could give her no
longer.
A rattling at the door-handle, a voice
calling his name, reused him from his
moody misery, and he drew back the
bolt to admit Edith.
''Just in time to dress for dinner !"
she cried, coming in. 81 stayed down
stairs till the last minute. Shall I ring
for Mary, Edward, or" She looked
in her husbands face. edward, what
is the matter ?"
An impulse, a cruel one, prompted
him TO test her then and there, and he
put his lawyers letter in her hand. In
a moment, before she had smoothed the
crumpled sheet, he repented, and drew
near her to catch her if she tainted, and
to console her if she wept. She read
it all, The light of merriment in her
face softened to a sweet, earnest gravi-
ty, and some of the rich color faded
from her cheeks. Her voice was very
tender as she said, ''Pm so sorry for
you, Edward. You will miss your
library, your books. Perhaps we can
save some of them for you"
"But you, Edith p he said, amazed.
"I? Mr.. Morrell tells you, espe-
cially, that my property is safe. A hun
dred year." she said, with silvery
laugh. g How little it is, compared
with what YOU had; but [ have seen a
time before when a hundred a year
seemed positive wealth"
"But, Edith, child you do not un-
derstand. I have lost everything. I
can no longer give you diamonds, laces,
velvets. I cannot carry you from place
to place, wherever the whim sends US.
II can give you nothing"
His face was ashy white, and his eyes
rested upon his wife with piteOGs, i'm
ploring look, as if entreating her par
don for some wrong. She put her arms
about him, and drew him down beside
her upon a sofa. Then she rested her
head upon his broad shoulder, and put
her hand in his before she spoke,
Edward, my husband" she said,
gently " do not grieve for me. 1 never
owned Jewels till you gave them to me.
I was brought up in a school of COM
parative poverty. The income my
father left me was gathered together at
a cost of privation and hardship can
never describe to you. When my father
died YOU came. I was never in house
so beautiful as ElmsgrO7e. 1 never had
any one to speak to me so kindly as you
spoke. My father had given me an
education, and my teachers were fond
of me, but he seldom spoke to me. ]
was desOlate child"
edith Edith " her husband said,
tenderly.
"Then you took me home. You
spoke to me so gently; you cared to
have me near you. You "-E7 7ith's
tears were falling fast" you loved me.
YOu, so noble, so good, so rich, stopped
down to love poor little ME. Edward,
nobody ever loved me IN all my life but
you. You gave me every wish of my
heart but all the pleasures, all the
indulgences, were nothing beside your
love"
Edward Lancaster was too much
moved to speak. Never before had
Edith torn the veil from her heart as
she was doing now, and the certainty
he was rapidly gaining that she had
given love for love was a happiness too
overpowering to find vent in words.
And yet" Edith said softly, there
was always one wish ungratifed. Do
not think l undervalue all the sacri-
fees you have made for me. I appre-
ciate the care for me that has made you
leave your home, your books, to take
me about In the gay world. saw that
it made you happy to have me dress
handsomely, to have me invited into
society and enjoy its pleasures. But in
all these three years / have scarcely
seen gO1J. have craved a home where
we could be all in all to each other !;
where no claim to the gay world should
come between us. Not a grand home,
with servants to perform each task, but
a home your wife could beautify with
her own hands. Now we viii find one,
my husband. I am longing to show
you hCw nicely I can cook how daintiIy
I can clean a room. While you read, /
Will work and In the evening we viii
sit together in our tiny sitting room,
and be far happier than we are in these
crowded hotels. And, Edward, if we
are very saving, we can buy back your
books. There are all my jewels, surely
they viii buy some.
Edith, stop My own happiness be
wilders me. You love me ike that
You VIII be happy in a poor home cook
ing and working for me ?"
Edith lifted her shining, dark eyes
to the noble face bending over her, and
drew dewn her husbands head till her
lips touched his.
g" love you 4 love you " she whis-