Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-07
WHY HE LOVED.

"What do you love me for ~ SAID she.
"Becanse you are so pretty" said he.
She did not kno " whether she liked the
answer or not. Admiration IS very sweet
to a woman. She put her head down on
his shoulder.
"Oh, Charlie !" she said. "If were ugly
you would think me ever 50 much prettier
than really am, you knOw-but If l were
really ugly, wouldn't you love me? l should
you. Oh. if anything hurt that dear face,
or made you less strong or graceful than
you are, should love you even more, 1
know"
Men have no tact. They can't help it,
poor things! The husband Of a week
laughed as he kissed the sweet upturned
face. and SAID:
'sDon't imagine all sorts of things. Why
didn't you fall in love with that excellent
Scotch gentleman who was all mouth and
cheek bones Or crooked little Jones ?
You liked big fellow, and one who was
not absolutely hideous, instead F.: and Ii
appreciate vitue and learning. but did
not love Minerva Bobble in spite of that.
[ loved the prettie5t little girl in the world
| because she was the prettie st and sweetest,
| Kiss ne"
She kissed him, but afterwards she said
, slowly and in half whisper:
! 81 hope God will let ne die before He
makes me ugly, could not bear 20 live if
sou lid not love NE.
| They had en- married u month. They
were ca their honeymoon trip even then,
| and they were very much in love-,e as
| man is, she as woman is-anl that is
quite different way. Not that find fault
| with that. 1t, is tut natural. Men and
women alwaysdo everything differently
work, play idle, even Fl yht differently. Why
should they love alike? Bat the kn)wl-
ed ye af this fact do ISN'T come to woman
| until her Grst love has been wintered and
summered, and the knowledge is seldom
agreeable.
Nettie was loved. 1t should have con-
tainted her, and she told herself so, but sh G
woul have been happier if Charlie had
said lust what she wanted him to say. It
made no difference to that honeymoon.
however. They Wake and chatted and
sat together in the moonlight. They rowed
I'D the river, and wandered through the
woodland, and had such a summer as peo-
ole never have but once, and then they
came back 10 the city, and to their every
day life. All 4! the sweet commonplace Of
home life, when it is the home or m .rried
lovers And there was no cloud TO mark
their days for many happy months.
! At last, however. the time came when
tbey must be parted fer little While
ICharles found it necessary to go to New
{ Orieanso on business, and Net.ie could not
accompany him. Charles did not like the
parting, but he took it philosophically, as
a man must, but Nettie nearly cried her.
self blind.
"Only a few weeks" he said. 1t was to
be two mouths. Nettie gave the time its
value. When he had kissed her, she chung
to him almost cOnvulsively.
s.If I should never see you again." she
sobbed
:.My little one. don It be foolish, y he said,
and held her more closely to him, and was
off.
But he thought of her as the train flew
away. He thought of her as he trod the
streets of strange cities and sat alone at
strange tables, and he dre,mt of her all
night. But she wore his letter in her bo-
som. and he tucked hers into his pocket.
Once his letter was delayed, and she was
sure that something terrible had happened
and wa. Just SAVED from nervous fever by
Ii its tardy arrival. Once hers did not come,
| he took it coolly at first. "That COMPOUNDED
postman has made mistake" he said.-
But after several days, he concluded to
make sure that all was right, and tele.
graphed:
s.If we'll, answer at once"
| just then, if he could have sent his spi-
rit home on the telegraph wires, he would
have seen this picture.
His Nettie lying on her bed, listening to
the doctor.
II am sorry to say it is the small pox,
madam said this gentleman ''but after
all, un.ter good treatment, it is no worse