Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-05-23

1 -lA RUicC. a ~ uCA OnCf RtCU
him to test her then and there, and he
put his lawyer sleiter in her hand. In
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 merrimentin
her face softened to a sweet, earnest
gravity, and some of the rich color fad
ed from her cheeks. Her voice was
very tender as she said, I'm SO sorry
for you, Edward. You will miss your
library, your books. Perhaps We can
save some of them for you"
But you, Edith" /" he said, amazed.
u? Mr.. Morrell tells you, especi-
ally, that my property is safe. A hun
dred a year, she said. with a silvery
laugh. How little it is, compared
with what you had; but / have seen
time before when hundred year
seemed positive wealth"
But, Edith, chIid you do not un-
derstand. 1 have lost everything. |
can no longer give you diamonds, laces,
velvets. / cannot carry you from place
| to place, wherever.the whlm sends US.
II can give you nothing.
His face was ashywhite, and his eyes
rested upon his wife with pIteous, I'M
ploring look, as if eDtreating 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,
do not grieye for me. L never owned
jewels till you gave themtO me. | was
brought upIn school of compare
tive property. The income my father
left me was gathered together at cost
of privation and hardship | can never
describe to you. Whenmy father dieo
you came. L was never IN a house So
beautiful as Elmsgrove. L 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 a desolate child
Edith! Edlthl her husband said,
tenderly.
Then you took me home. You
spoke to me so gently; you cared to
have me near you. You '-Edith'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 ALI my life but |
you. You gave me every wish of my
heart; but 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 happiness too over
pOwering to find vent in words.
And yet, Edith said softly, there !
was always one wish ungratifed. Do /
not think | undervalue all the sacri
fees you have made for me. | appre-
ciate the care for me that has made you
leive 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 L have
scarcely seen you. | have craved
horne where we could be in all to each
other; where 90 claim to the gay worlo
should come between US. Not grand
home, with servants to perform each
ask. hut a home your wife could beau
tify with her own hands. Now we will
find one, my husband. am longing to
show you how nicely | can cook
how daintily / can clean a room.
While you read, will work; and
in the evening we will sit togeth-
er In your tiny sitting-roOm, and
be far happier than we are in these
crowded hotels. And, Edward, if We
are are saving, we can buy back your
books. There are all my jewels, sure
ly they will buy some"
" Edith, stopl Myown happiness be-
wilders me- You love me ike that?
You will be happy in a poor hom,
cooking and working for me p
Edith lifted her shining dark eyes tc
the noble face bending over her, and
drew down her husband head till her
lips touched his.
1 iUy, yOu-l love youl" she whis-
pered. Love will make all labor
light if it is for you! !"
There was CONSERVATION in the gay
ircle of Edith's friends when, til,
lext day she was missed from anon;
them. Speculations were wild regard
ing the sudden disappearance of the
brilliant star of society, and many were
the pitying words lavished upon her
when Edward Lancaster losses were
known.
But the little wife neither knew OF
the pity nor asked sympathy. Her
husband accepted proiessorship in a
college, and little house was taken
and furnished for the home Edith
eraved.
The beauty that had made Edith a
star in the most brilliant circles of So
eiety lost nothing in her husbands
eyes when it was the hOme-light after
his days of college work. In her quiet
dresses, without glittering gems, Edith
was as lovely as she had ever been in
her costly ball or dinner toilettes and
the little hands which could rest idle in
luxury, gilt er wi b valuable rings. and
fash over the piano keys, were busy
trom GAVIN 10 sunset IN the house e-wUrK
that women find ever waiting them.
Edward Lancaster was never very
poor, and Edith never knew again the
wants and cares Of her girlhOod; but
the wealth he had lost was not re-
stored, and never regretted. By its
loss he had learned his wife's heart;
deprived of that, he found the treasure
of happy, domestic life, and in his new
duties he found the pleasure of mixing
the knowledge he loved useful to
others.
The professor had been two years in
his new home, when, one evening. COM
ing from the college, he found Edith
sewing busily upon cloak for year
old boy growing in his cradle
She held her work for inspection.
My yatchting dress, Edward"
/ remember it, Edward answer
ed, gravely.
DO you? never wore it but once
the last day we day were at Wbitecliff."
The day." her husband answered,
" when, after an hour of doubling
agony, found my wife had married
me with the true love, for better or
worse"
The GRAND ARMY.-In Tennessee
there are ninety-three counties. For
, I - ~ r;o,,o cfraae I'm ha vofa1 for in |