The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-03-18

O{aa0ro ": coHAN4 spes>eA, n.y. tne tnost ~
solpte haptepr and Ellen Bond
caught tia ke4tt 'sin tie i rebound, IS
3 sda@aie6 d ea6odx i, I 9s19s. III j.. -
The season drew uesr.itse eloae, and
still I doubled. One moonlight night
Il ii = e1@rly septenbeff + found Graft. Sit:
! ;ti1g Sc on tie rocks by tie shore alone
sic m never v,as afraid ,to 80 where She
chose, hose u and d sometimes her: 7hardiboood
M made me anxious a,1 lou for herE:' Tonight
I II; sat i; d down beside her, and was wei
col coined d as usual, silently; but with
smile: Neither of us. spoke, and
strangely: enough, I did not think Of
my plans or myself: The soft 1anguor
of the oceans breath oyer the rock
like>a caress;aa warm: wind came
across the :Guf Stream, and 8 bathed
rus in the Nefeids* summer, ::the tlull
.of life, the rest of nerve erandIsense and
brain.
i do notknowwhat subtle conscious
ness of the truth inspired me, but !. be
came sudd deply audacieue i / folded my
arm? about Gratia .shesdid not repel
mel; abe dropped herbeautifal head on
my shoulder + oDon'toexpeet to hear
what We So id, for to this hour, I can
not. tell myself; Only that the heart
Of the rose: told US its secret of
perfume, and we went .bac.x- to the
house no more full Of gay or Thought
full speech, but in silence like the
stiffness of dawn. In it was the break
Of dayito us:
+ In November we were married, and
as Gratial' was not altogether strong,
we went South to pass the. winter,
and returned in May to New York,
where 1 took upon myself the harness
:of business in Wall Street, and Gratia
raled over our household, the mildest
end firmest Of soveriIgns.*
RI I can not say that I became SO used
to my wife's presence and affection
that love: cooled off into that mild
friendship recommended by novels.
Something always charmed and cap
|itivateds me more and more about her.
,she.yas not verbally3 demonstrative
like other women, she :rarel y called
;meany thing but "John, Tin the most
.matter-of:fact accent; but if / slept,
tas.I sometimes did, after q 2fatig.iing
day, on: the sofa, she would wait till I
seemed7uncdnscious; bring. her little
quaint chair'to my side, and sit look
ing at me till I woke all unconscious
herself how often 1,sfeiggned sleep: to
see her pretty pantomime Of tender.
ness. Or she would fling herself i. on
the, floor beside: my chair, .= and, rest
her head! on the arm; content to stay
20 hour after hour, # only my; hand
sought her hair AND. crossed: it,, j! silky
bands; OF reposed quietly upon that
shining surface: Rasely.yery .1arely;
when I used my best persassioaa to
drawEfom her: e come word Of love IA
capricious amusement I, confess-she
would say only dear" but with such
unutterable information IS i. made that
one syllable a ! rapture, }; and gave n
more force to content me: than The
widest ]protestationsI Of passion from
any other lips could have carried: Fol
that Judas-phrase Of matrimony My
dear p never passed Gratias lips
She hated it as I. did, and never eth
er Of us used: the expression nor ever
heard it from others without t 9 certain
inward cringing at its plossibilities
r.. Then ny wife was scrupulou''s|I about
I her dness. I never saw her otherwise
than deli,ately neat, and in we'll
chosen and becoming celors. = Every
detail was puniictihous,. in freshness
and fitness, and g certain picturesque
charm vas impaired 81 i to her simples
costume by Her graceful figure, he
pure hste2 lid tie sa eolsears THAT. he
s .tylss dsRHfasRPded:;s td4sHfsP5 Il Fssls q Psrpetua
eona|lPlipeat e fSs Ft tthat 4{.9s q lovely, /
y woman g dailY adorned .l9 sd bSs5ssf for ',1 N:
pleasure, felt ny. admiration . Tful
!, ,|;;rieeomPenss, thought IS of me. ne when.
Nas away, and reioiced I'd IL IL ny ayyI return
T n You perceive, + dear: reader, ], Al
! neither more nor less than 2 man!
.|a And yet T grew Ii into g tie i. knov1edg''
II day after day, that Gratia was il il
fnitely my superior, not merely j
those holy femiaiine instincts that Al
. common to women, Or ID qIicknSss