The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-03-25

meath all her ong-headedness, just as
she had miscalculated my power of will
and truth of love when airly pulled up.
She heard me out to the end without
making sign. There was no Interrupt
ton, no angry expression, no scornful
look. L saw the hand with which she
held the child tighten round his body (;
the one playing with his curls tremble.
But that was all.
When L had finished she looked up,
and said, quietly: 1T is better to know
the worst, George, for then we can meet
it. Now that know the worst I know
what to do"
"And you do not reproach me,
Edith Z" asked.
She rose from her seat and came over
to me. Her eyes were full of tears, her
lips were quivering, and yet there was
more love, more softness in her face
through its sorrow than there had been
for all these long bad dreary months,
passing now into years.
She slid the boy from her arms and
pressed them round my neck.
"Why should I reproach you3" she
said. els not your burden heavy enough
without that? While l thought L could
help to keep you straight L tried-if
clumsily and to no good, yet Loyalty.
Now 1 know that all is over have only
to try and help you, both by my work
and my love-"
Something seemed to choke me while
she spoke. 1 could have been hard
enough, if she had been angry, but this
sudden return to the old love-this un-
expected magnanimity-was too much
for me. Still, am thankful to say I did
not break down. was man enough for
that
Will you trust me, Edith ?" said 1,
in tone so rough and husky L scarcely
recognized it as my own. Love me as
you used, be to me what you were, and
reproach me again. 1 am young I can
work, can be resolute. l have bought
my experience of life, and l find the taste
too bitter i'll my mouth. A man may be
a man, and yet not be ashamed to think
of his wife as well as of his pleasures,
and l will think of you now."
She sighed and then she smiled.
You come back to what you left, :"
she said, i'll n tender, caressing kind of
way that seemed as if it buried now
forever all that had gone wrong between
us.
OF course the struggle was a tremen-
dous one. lost my clerkship and every
sixpence l 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 we pulled
through in time, and the suffering we
had to encounter was perhaps a good
thing in the end. 1t taught us to value
each other in deeper and truer manner
than ever before; and it gave us friend.
For dear old Jacks luck turned with
his uncle's death, and he used his infu-
ence to get me q situation that began at
five hundred year, and has steps up
in the future. Things have gone well
with me since then. Edith's health has
come back, and my boy is at the head of
his class. [ have travelled good deal,
and lately have taken up chemistry as
study. Edith declares L will blow the
house up some day, but l have not done
so yet, and think l am on the track of
discovery that will do great deal of
good-make me a name, and bring in q
lot of money. L find that as one grows
older work is a more satisfying thing
than pleasure, and knowledge goes fur
ther than excitement; and Edith finds
that wife's influence is greatest when
least visibly exerted, and that when a
woman abandons the persuasion of love
for authoritative command and tender
ness for i'll temper, she loses her power
and only deepens the unhappiuess she
aims at preventing.