Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-06
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THE STORY OF An OLD YOUNG MAN.
LOUISE CHANDLER MoUIToN.
rcoNcLupEp rRoMYEsrERDAY.]

stood with eyes grown used to the dark
ness, Hugh Waring come out and walk
rapidly down the path, as if trying to es
cape from himself. Then he went into
the house. lit light, and looked at the
clock 1t was midnight; now, at last, he
would go upstairs to his wife. He found
her lying, with white, still face, upon the
scarcely whittier pillow. He knew that she
was not asleep; but he saw that she wish.
ed him to think her so, and respecting hel
wish, he got to bed silently.
The next day, making some excuse o
Just received letters, Hugh went away
For one moment, just before he left, ne
managed to see Mrs Hannaford alone,
though she had carefully avoided him all
the morning. .
..Do / bid you good-by forever?' he
asked, looking into those sad entreatlng
eyes of hers which had wrought his woe.
II think that is BEST" she said gently,
s'unless you can come back as much my
husbands friend as mine
He bent over her hand, and left on it the
kiss he had never dared TO press upon her
lips.
a want to tell you that you have done
right. You have refused me the only
thing cared for in life. You have sent
me out into the world wayfarer, without
a hope or an interest, but you have done
right. We shall he thankful. both OF us,
when we come to death and judgment.
God bless you, and forgive me-
He was gone before she could answer
him, and she heard him saying good-by to
her husband in the yard. Was she never
to see that handsome. loving face again
IN all timep-never to hear again that
voice which had spoken to her such strong
tenderness? Was it her destiny to 60 on
in the old, cold life, till she was an old.
old woman? Why, she might live to be
eighty--people did sometimes and she was
only eighteen now. The late July was
warm and bright out of doors. but she felt
strangely cold. She got a shawl and
wrapped herself in it, ahd then some idle
tears, Of which she was hardly conscious,
fell till they had somehow caused by lit
tie woe.
Mr.. Hannaford was wise enough to stay
away from her all the afternoon. Before
tea she tried to make herself fresh and
bright for him. She would not half do
her duty.
When the meal was over, she saw with
surprise that her husbands favorite fast
horse and light wagon stood in front OF
the gate.
.'Will you go over to Danbury with
me?" he asked, following the direction of
her eyes.
ssCan you get awaya / thought at this
time of day you were always so busy"
Eyes, but the busiest days are over.
The hay crop is almost all in. The rest
can get along with the work without me,
and should like to see little more of
my wife. now that | have her all to my
self again"
She tripped up stairs for her shawl and
her turban hat. feeling more light of heart
than she would have believed. two hours
ago. could be possible.
Have / made you understand Alright, l
wonder, this little woman's not uncom-
mon type of character? If she had a
stronger and deeper individuality, she
would have been less easy to content.
Now she asked only for enough love.
She had nature which needed summer
days and sunshine--lips ripe for kisses !;
fond, smiling eyes; clinging fingers.
Love, per Sc, was more to her than any
particular lover: and, as she said. she had
loved her husband first. But love she
must have, or life to her was utterly with
out hope or flavor. She had intellect
enough to understand Warnings tastes
but intellect was not her specially. She
had little originality, and could never
make Of her mind kingdom. But she
was pure and sweet, with natiye-born
conscientiOusnes which would be likely
to carry her safely through places which
might have been full of peril for far strong
err women and capacity for self devo-
ton. If she could only be loved tenderly
enough to call it forth. which in itself was
indefinite.
She remembered how sad Waring might
be at this hour, and felt herself an unfecl-
ing monster because her heart was grow
ing so glad, as she bowled along by her
husbands side over the pleasant country
roads, with the sunset light upon the fair
new mown fields, and the cloud-opening
gates of flame into the celestial kingdom.
When they reached home at last, after
moon and stars had risen, her husband
lifted her out and held her a moment in
his arms while he kissed her. She felt
herself blushing like girl. As for him.
in this strife to win her heart anew there
was more of excitement and endeavor
than he had ever known in the early days
when he was her lover. Having felt him
self near losing her, lie began to under
stand how much keeping her was worth
while.
She went indoors quite at fault about
herself. Whom then did she love Could
it be that she was so weak as to be con-
slant only to what was present! Had
Hugh Warnings strong tenderness taken
such slight hold on her light nature that
she could be happy with another on the
very day he had gone away sorrowfll?
Then she reflected that this other was
her husband, in whom only her hap
piness ought to lie. What then? She
would not think out her puzzle. Instead,
with hope young again in her heart, she
made her hair smooth, her dress tasteful,
and went down stairs to sit in the moon
light beside the man from whose GOODNESS,
only last night, she had been tempted to
flee away.
Do not ask me for a running common
tary on my story. show you woman
AS she was. II you cannot comprehend
her. or account for her moods, be sure that
YOU are no worse off than she was, for she
did not at all comprehend herself
For few days, her husbands newly