The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-03-22

ueAtu III ner Wrohg'neaiueuneS5I lusp ~
she had miscalculated my power Of will
and truth Of love when airly pullediup.
She.heard me out 10 tho end without
making Sign. There was no Interrupt.
tion, no angry expression, no scorniul
look. 1 saw the hapd with which she
held the child tighten round his body /;
the one playing with his curls tremble.
But that was all. "a
When / had finished she looked up,
and said, quietly: "Itis better to know
the worst, George, for then We can meet
it. Now that / know the worstI know
what to do"
And you do not reproaGh me,
Edith" I asked. T
She rose from her seat and came over
tome. Her eyes were full oftears, her
lips were quiyering, and yet there was
more love, more softness in her facO
through its sorrow than there had been
for oil these long bad dreary months,
passing now into years.
She aid the boy from her arms and
pressed them round my neck.
"Why should reproach youi" she
Baid. "1s not your denheayyenough
without that While 1 thought / could
help 10 keep you straight I tried-it
clumsily and to no good, yet loyalty.
Now / know that all is over 1 have only
to try and help YOU, both by my work
and my love-"
Something seemed to choke mo while
she spoke. I could have been hard
enough, IL sho Ind been angry, but this
sudden return to the old loyc-this un-
expected magnanimity-was too much
for me. Still, l am thankful to say did
not break down. twas man,enough for
that
"Will you trust mo, Edith o. said ],
in tone 80 rough and husky 1 scarcely
recognized it as my own. Love me as
you used, be to me what you were, and
i swear you shall never have cause to
roproaeh me again. am young, / can
work, can be resolute. l have bought
my experience Of life, and find the taste
too bitter in my mouth. A man may be
man, and,yet not be ashamed to think
Of his wife as well rs Of his pleasures,
and I will think OF you riow."
She sighed and then she smiled.
NYou come back to what you left, F"
she said, in q tender, caressing kind OF
way that seemed as II 1t buried now
forever oil that had gone wrong between
us.
ofcourse the struggle wlls a tremen-
dous one. / lost my clerltship and every
sixpence / possessed, both in goods and
money. My wife had, to give lessons
and i had TO accept anything that would
keep US from starvation; but wo pulled
through in time, and the suffering We
had to encounter was perhaps good
thing in the end. II taught us to value
each other in q deeper and truer manner
than ever before; and it gave usa friend.
For dear old jacks luck turned with
his uncle's death, and he used his inlu-
ence to get me a situation that began at
five hundreda a year, and has steps up
in the future. Things have gone well
with me since then. Edith's health has
come back, aud my boy is at the head Of
his class. 1haye travelled good deal,
a study, Edith declares / will blow tho
house up some day, but 1 have not dono
SO yet, and think / am on the truck Of
discovery that will do. b great deal OF
good-malie mo n name, and bring in u
lot OF money. / fird that Us one grows
older work is n more satisfying thing
than pleasure, and knowledge goes fur
ther tllan excitement; and Edith finds
that wife's influence Is greatest when
least yisibly exerted, and that when q
woman nbandons the persuasion Of love
for authoritative command and tender
moss for i'll temper, she loses her power
and only deepens tho unhappiposs she
aims at preventing.