Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-20
A WOMAN'S WISDOM.
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

r i
MARY" said Mr.. Randolph, lifting
his youngest boy from off his foot, which
had been performing series Of journeys
''to Boston and back again" for the last
half hour, II discharged Tom this
afternoonw
You have Dear me, Luther." Il
these words seem ambiguous on my
part. the tones gave them flllness o.
meaning and emphasis, and expressed
surprise, regret, and some other feeling
nearer disapproval than anything else
The tender playfalness which ha6
crept into the merchants face during
his frolic with his boy and girl was
superseded by another expression, the
one that he carried into his Office
among the warehouse-in his relations
with his clerks and employees and in his
business dealings with men generally E;
a hard, stern, shrewd look, which he
was very apt to leave outside, when he
turned the night key in his door, and
passed into the warmth and brightness
Of his home.
For, although this man was far from
| faultless, although he had the name
among his brother merchants. and On
Change. Of being shrewd and sharp at q
bargain, pretty certain to Zine his own
nest' warmly, in ali business transac-
tons, there was still another side to
luther Randolph-he was thoroughly
home man.
That was the side Of him that was the
warmest and tenderest and most genial;
the side that was turned almost inyaria-
bly, toward his sweet young wife, and
the girl and boy. who were the pride
and delight of the mans life.
And well it was for Luther Randolph
that he had taken to wife a woman so
peculiarly fitted to sympathize with and
develop all these home loves and in
stincts Of the mans nature. to make
the home where he dwelt little earth
" paradise OF comfort, brightness and
beauty. In some respects, too. she
was supeuor-in social position and
early cultivation and there had been
time when her family regarded it as
insuAerable presumption for a mere
salaried book-keeper to dream Of wooing
the youngest and petted daughter Of the
house.
But Notwithstanding fortune and
family were in his disfavor, Luther
Randolph had many qualities Of person
and manner which win the regard Of
women, and on this one he had set his
heart and soul, and she was not IN.
mindful Of the tender, manly regard she
had inspired.
Time, perseverance. above all, a
steady ascent up the lader of fortune,
triumphed after several years. waiting,
over all obstacles Luther Randolph
led to the altar Mary Marshall. the
daughter. of the old banker.
He was far into his thirties at that
time, and SO far, life had been literally
a struggle with him. He had fought
his way by the strength of his arm and
the might Of his will, without friends OF
fortune, and now, less than eight years
after his marriage. he was rich man.
honored Of all men, if somewhat feared
and dreaded By his interiors, and sur.
rounded on every hand with evidences
Of the wealth he had won for himself.
Yes, Mary" he continued. with
that new hardness, which had settled
into his face, sinking also into his voice
Il finished the matter up in short meter
this afternoon, and gave him his quit
papers. 1 am not the man to be
tempered with the second time. as
Tom found out to his cost, to-day"
''What was his oaense this time %
inquired the lady; and the evening
paper dropped unheeded from her lap tc
the floor, and she leaned her face down
to the cheek soft and dewy as an apple
blossom. Of the little girl who was
hanging on the side of her chair, and
mother and daughter made pretty
picture at that moment, which Mr.
Randolph would have keenly appreci.
ated had not his thoughts just then beer
engrossed.
"Oh, it was the old thing The got intc
| bad company, again, and, in short
came into the Office so drunk this morn.
ing that he could hardly stand. l Sent
him back at once to sleep off the spree,
and when he returned, pretty thorough.
| ly scared and sobered this afternoon.
gave him his dismissal. with some SHARP
! words that he won't be likely to forget
at once"
''Such smart, bright, pretty behaved
boy as he was. said the soft regretfu
tones Of the lady. 1T is such plty'
II agree with you; but if boys OF
men will make fools of themselves anG
stand in their own light, who is to
blame I'd taken fancy to the boy
and meant to do well by him, else ]
should have turned him off on the frs
offense."
"And what will become Of him now
Luther" asked the lady.