The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-08-03
Only One Fault; or The
DrUnkard'S Wife.

with q woman's name upon t. Not
Ruth Holly-thOugh that is the name
under which you shall know her-bnt
q prouder name, and one you may
have heard. Flowers grew about her
tomb, and the turf lies softly over it.
You would scarcely guess her life and
It's sad end as you stand there. Rather
would you fancy that love and ten
derness surrounded one over whom
such q costly pile of sculptured mar
BILE rears itself, from her birth to her
death.
1t is story such as / seldom write
this life of hers--one that cannot be
ended by happy reunions and the
sweet sounds of marriage bells but
there are too many such stories in the
world to be quietly passed over, II
happily there be any warning in
them. The lives Of others, are, if we
read them rightly, the best sermons
ever preached and this one OF Ruth
HolIyls is one only too true. Yet ii
began very sweetIy, like some cid
pastoral poem.
She loved, and was beloved again,
and the man she loved had only one
fault. He was young, he was brave,
be was witty, he was handsome, he
was generous his love was devotion,
bis friendship no lukewarm thing of
words be had great talent and great
power. His elOq1ence has thrilled
many audience worth the thrilling.
What he wrote touched the soul to
the quick. He was an amateur
painter and musician, and every
where was loved and hOnOred and ad-
mired. He had only one fault in the
WOrld-he drank too much wine at
times. When he did SO he turned, so
said convivial friends, in a very dem
igod. 1t was wrong but not so bad
ss. might have been, and he would
SOW his wild oats some day, they
said, loving him as his friends al
loved him and so Ruth thought
Sweet, loving, beautiful Ruth, tC
whom he had plighted his troth, and
WOO in verse and song, and with bis
most eloquent eyes, long before be
put bis passion into words; but SO die
not think Ruth Martins father. This
one fault of Edward 'HOlly's over
shadoWed his virtues in his eyes and
he refused him his daughters hand
giving him the reason why, Plainly
and not kindly.
"You will be 3 drunkard yet Ned
Holly" said the old gentleman
shaking his head sternly. "pve seer
men Ofgenius go the same road be-
fore. I've often said I'd rather have
no talent in my family, since Il
seems to lead so surely to dissipation
Nv sons are not too brilliant to be sob
er men, thank heaven and as for Eay
daughter, only q sober gentleman
break her heart, Ned Holly
So the dashiog man of letters fell
himself insulted, and ret0rted holly
and the two were enemies.
Ruth suffered bitterly, she loved
her father and she loved Edward tC
disobey her parent or break her low
er's heart seemed the only chance of
fered her. She had other lovers, she
had ssen much society, and had beer
| introduced to the highest society in
France as well rs in England bu
amongst all the men she had known
none pleased her as well as Edwart
Holly did. Not what one styles al
intellectual woman herself, she rev
erenced intellect. and her affections
were intense. The struggle in hel
heart was terrible.
She met her lover by stealth, ant
against her father's will T; but for 6
long while. she resisted his entreatie
to marry in defiance Of the old man
refusal. At1ast, angered by her per
sistence In Obedience, Edward &C
cused her OF feaEing to share the for.
tunes OF one comparatively pOOr-on
I who must carve his own way up life
steep hill Without assistance. Tn
unmerited repfoach sank deeply int
her warm heart, ana in q sudden im
pulse oFtendefness ana sympathy sh
gave him the promise which be ha
long sought In vain. They were mai
ried accordingly, and on their way
London, where Edward, sanguine an
conscious OF power, believed that b
! should make for himself name an
position OF which any woman migh
be proud. To her father Ruth wrot
/ a long and loving letter, implorin
his forgiveness, but the answer crush
ed all nope within her bosom.
Gas you SOW, so must you reap,
were the words the old man wrott
'iI have no longer q daughter ~ an
Ruth knew that henceforth (for sh
bad been mOtherless for years, sh
. had ia all the world only the hus5an
for whom she had sacrificed fortune
and, what is far more, the tender pro
lection Of father.
In those early days Edward did hi
best to make amends for all, and sh
? was so proud of him, and so fond {
him, that she soon forgot to grleve.
s She heard his name uttered i
: praise by all She knew thst ne ha
but TO keep steadily on to mount
the proudest seat in fsme's high ten
= ple; and for q year she had no fear {
his faltering. Now and then q feve
Z ish something in his voice and mai
ner, 9 strange light in his eye, gres
or flow OF eloquence in his talk,
more passionate demonstration Of lOS
: for her than usual, told that he WI
under the influence CT wine; but Il
Y fact only seemed to enhance his poy
er Of fascination; never was he so bri
. liant, never so handsome. Almo
: could Ruth have laughed at the sc
mons preached by temperance folk
I 1 Of the harm sure TO follow wine drInl
:, ing.
Utbe story could end here, the tn
n story OF Ruth HoIly's life, it Won
be almost happy one; but, alas q
sunny slope down which 1t seemed
n easy to glide daily grew darker ss q
wears few on. How they began
tell her the fate before her, Ru
n hardly knew.
A little flush Of shame came at iii
3 when his step was unsteady and
|. voice too loud. Then grieved te
!, or two when he was unreasonao
F. Then sorrow that KEPT her hes
aching night and dsy, for the ml
o. who had first won inspiration fro
the glass was now lost in its depth
lectures to be delivered were not Civ
20 the expeetant public, because .
= the Illness OF the lecturer
" Ruth knew what the illness mea