Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-06-08
A WOMAN'S WIS DOM.
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

''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, Il discharged Tom this afternoon p
''You have? Dear me, Lntherp' If
these words seem ambiguous on my part,
the tones gave them fullness of meaning
and emphasis, and expressed surprise, re-
greet, and some other feeling nearer disap-
proval than anything else.
The tender playfulness which had 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with his boy and girl was superseded by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 warehouses-in
his relations with his clerks and employees
and in his business dealings with men gen
orally; a hard stern, shrewd look, which he
was very apt to leave outside, when be
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 bargain, and
pretty certain to Zine his own nest'' warm
ly, in all bushes transactions, there was
still another side to Luther Randolph he
was thoroughly a home man.
That was the side of him that was the
Warmest and tenderest and most genial :;
the side that was turned almost invariably
toward his sweet young wife, and the girl
and boy, who were the pride and delight
of the man 's'lfe.
And we'll it was for Luther Randolph
that he had taken to wife woman SO Pc
culiarly fitted to sympathlze with and de-
velop all these home loves and instincts of
the mans nature, to make the home where
he dwelt little earthly paradise of COM
fort, brightness and beauty. In some re-
spects, too, she was his superior-in social
position and early cultivation; and there
had been a time when her family regarded
1t as insufferable 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 disfayor, 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 unmindful of the tender, man
ly regard she had inspired.
Time, perseverance,, eboye all, steady
ascent up the ladder of fortune, triu Lphed
after several years. waiting, over all OBJ
stacles Luther Randolph led to the altar
Mary Marshall, the daughter of the old
banker.
He was far into his thirties a t 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 or fortune, and
now, less than eight years after his mar
riage. he was a rich man, honored of all
men. if somewhat feared and dreaded by
his interiors, and surrounded on every
hand with evidences Of the wealth he had
won for himself.
Eyes, Mary" he continued, with that
new hardness which had settled into his
face, sinking also into his voice. 81 finished
the matter up in short meter this after
noon, and gave him his quit papers. am
NOT the man to be tempered with the Sec
ond time, as Tom found out to his cost.
to-day"
''What was his ofense this time ?" in
quired the lady; and the evening paper
dropped unheeded from her lap to 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
a pretty picture at that moment, which
Mr.. Randolph would have keenly appreci-
ated had not his thoughts just then been
engrossed.
sob, it was the old thing; he got into
bad company, again, and, in short, came
into the Office SO drunk this morning that
he could hardly stand. | sent him back at
once to sleep off the spree, and when he
returned, pretty thoroughly scared and
sobered this afternoon, gave him his dis
missal, with some sharp words that he
won't be likely to forget at once.''
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