, 1874-06-21

' THE VERGE OF GREAT cRtAE.
With my nnture which has its preferences more
distinct than those Of most women, it would SIM
| ply have been ruin for me to marry that man.
he stayed two days, with one OF the womanli-
est OF women-reading us through aud through
When he went. mother and I had . long after
noon together, and in the dusk abe began talk
| ing about love.
| Ho took me 10 my mother last autumn for
vacation.
1t waa not romantic thing, she said, but
more like daily bread, necessity, and the
e. alasr one, one grew tie t. more one needed
essence. between mother and ch'ld, or friends,
or man and woman. Only when two people
lifted each other especially, it grew intenso
enough to be known - love. This did not mean
that thsy we're alike. but that their leading baut
| and temper were congeniaL Where this attrao~
! ton was not found, it Was useless to force its
| growth. Its absence WAS q sign not to be dis
| regarded, that people ought not to try to Live
| together in the most intimate relations.
"Duty, mother" said half recklesaly. q will
| help woman through moro than romantic pas
| aiou."
II have been married thirty years. mother
| said, CALMLY, "and found ,h.t
| LOVE A1p DUTY TOGETHER
were not more than enough to carry me through
| wha3 woman has to bear"
| wcs dumb ut that speech. She should hayo
no lies from me. She WAS too keen-s1ghted to
accept them it had offered them.
You have the warm Cragie blood, " she went
on. and you will nayer be able to live ten years.
for Mr. Reynolds He is fond OF yon, he wo1-
ships your steps, and such love wants return.
Do you think he will not ind out how yon care
for him in three weeks ? You have no right to
cut = mans heart up in this way. Either bet your
heart to finding out way to love him dearly, OF do
| the honorable thing and don't let him change his
life off for woman's empty form. He looks at
you keenly sometimes, al il he we're surprised at
you, as when ,yoa sang that song for him last
night SO co1dly."
How could sing schumann's Dedication !"
With his arm round my Bh5uldo1s-
Thou art my SOUL thou nrt my heart,
Thou both my JOY and sadness art
Such words we're too great moclery to uttar,
when had sung them to Sidney often, and my
heart yet held
How WAS it that love for man that knew
to be worthless could yet hold such possession
Of odd hooks in my heart? It is not SO much
the object OF love, devotion ITSELF that inhu-
ences women's minds. and 1T will not bear tau-
pering with. Did God make us 80, OF are we
willfu1 idolators?
'But mother" I said, in self defonBe, at
least he knows an gratefni to him, and he is
contented with that"
"Would you be contented II man you loved
WAS merely grateful7"
No answer. WAS trying to think how
should get out of tha conversation.
"Child," said mother suddenly, awhht are
you going to marry thus man for2 His money!
For JouE sake, mother" answered boldly,
striking courage.
"For mel" she said musinely, and after
little. 81 might have seen it beforn-' And
there were no more words for long tina- She
did not speak Of the subject more that evening,
but in the night heard her say, whom sho
thought me asleep:
''1 HAVE LIVED TOO LONG, Lonp!"
know why ahe talked to me- So bhe married
nv father for home, her sisters said, and
though she grew to be very fond OF him sitter
while, the burden Of those early yeazs OF mar
riage was always bitter remembrance. In the
morning she only said this;
'Don't think want to keep you from happy
home and good care because you don't happen
to love your husband as well as he does you.
have been poor woman all my life and kno"
what it il, and I'm sorely tempted to ret things
70 their own way and bring you rest and wealth.
But see how your shoulder cEeepa away from
him when be comes too near. and don't want to
sec your hard life made hardest Of all By marry
ing whore you don't love-" y
come what would, of love or the want Of love, !
would marry Mr. Reynolds if I liked him ten
times less than l did, but mother should know
rest in her last days.
Five weeks after he came to take ms back
again. Mother WAS better, aud wns eager to
be in the ruPh OF city life where people didn't
stop to ask the meaning OF things so much.
IT FRIGHTENED AND ANNOYED NE
to find the reality OF this mans passion. I
was tired Of being smothered in close
embraces, OF dnding his eyes upon mo
return of his caresses. It seemed pituul for me-
to take the fondncss Of that large warm heart,
and give bkillfully- ly-concealed ropugnance In re-
turn. I, whose life at 1east had been clear So
nrtitice and coqustries that I was glad TO invent
for keeping him at 4 distance l was cruel IN
my e1Acting Judgment Of tue man. His slight
est failings seemed absurd and lntolerab1e. when
knew if there had been the least real affinity
between uB could have overlooked everything
but crime. Yet made love to him stood in
the porch one night kissing the curla OF his hair
one by one, because it pleased him I learned
TO cali him all sorts Of tender names all but the
one he wished 70 hear me call hiu-my husband.
den them obey.
II wish you would remove your restriction"
he said, impulsively. Eve may both be dead
before the year is out, and do not want to die
might put me IN your tomb for all the good life
will be to me. Have not suffered enough al
ready2 It rests with you to say"
"You want me 10 much al TINT ?" said, 1eck-
lessly putting up my lips, for had grown 80
bold aince did not caro- for anything. "You
will be sorry, but
YoU MAT HATE TOUR VAT
ring. and good-by Laotitia Reynolds that
Was" he said through his set teeth, speaking to
soma vision of his own. Before left the porch
had promised to marry him, and 60 at once to
Europe, out OF tho way Of gossip, and he had
kissed me like death before he let me go.
Like death. did I say? Before morning We
were called in haste to SEQ my mother die. sho
had taken cold on the lungs, aud though mono
OF us dresmed of herl danger. congestion came
on, and gave her suffering as short as 1t was
sharp. In the gray light Of the late morning
sat alone with my dead. and learned what
would not learn from her living. She was gone
for whose sake had wanted to do this crime,
dead because ahe wanted to be, gone out OF my
way, not to be temptation aud burden to my
young life. 30 hor last words had told me.
Now knew that this marriage Of passion and
interest could never bo.
"Let me aione" said coldly to the man "ho
loved me, still this is over" And he thought
grief Ind usurped my heart, and gently respect
away in her grare, met him only as stranger,
remembering With an effort TINT long ago hs
must have been very Kind to me-
"Come aHay with me, +" he said softly, and
crept to his side, feeling more glad to DO near
In 1ty!61 nj