Smyrna times., 1878-08-28


shall be my people; thy destiny my |
destiny; thy sorrows my sorrows, and |
thy God my Godr' Truly the delicate
harp love had been struck, and instead of !
giving forth the melody of trust and un-
changing devotion, had sent out the harsh |
tones of selfish coldness and utter unfeel- |
ingness.
There was nothing in his wife's charac-
ter to sustain John Rutherford in his trials, |
and he now fully realized on how frail
staff he leaned when he took her love for
comfort and strength. Like many women,
she was all loveliness and joy when she had
nothing to make her anything else. She
never complained, nor was she unhappy so
long rs all her wants were gratifed. She
was creature for the sunshine, not for the
storm, and when the storm came she had
no power to face it, for she had never
learned the meaning of those sublime
words, remuneration, selfabnegation.
A sale in the house That was terrible
thing for the proud spirit of the wife.
why, where are We to go, John?"
"Take lodgings, Mary" was the answer,
am sure that we can be happy any
where, so as we are together"
1t you want to see me dead, to kill me
outright" she exclaimed, petulently, "put
me into plain lodging house. I'd not
survive n week. | did not marry you for
that" and she began to cry.
I" You married me for better, for worse.
The worst has come now, Mary; are you
not willing to accept all that it brings?"
CPL return to my fathers house," she
replied.
John Rutherford looked stunned by this
declaration.
81 can not go to your fathers house,
| nd tvin nd lo
storm ?''
"Let me go there and remain until you
recover yourself, and"
Her husband interrupted her.
g In the meantime you doom me to the
solitude of my own sad life. Are you not
willing to endure poverty for my sake
Mary, Mary!' he continued in tones OF
Z tender reproach. 81 do not thus under.
stand the solemn VOWS we pledged each
other one year ago. | believed that nc
earthly power nor circumstance should part
us-we who took each other for better, fol
:; worse. Now above all other times, when
4 the storms of life are gathering around us
nothing should part 'our footsteps upon the
e wilds.' Together we might strengthen anc
= sustain each other; apart we must be mis-
5 cradle indeed. Let US not break the til
s. which should last for all time.'
{ "Oh, John! l did not mean to separate
Il forever only, until the storm blew over.
. He looked at her sadly. Her love haC
/ been tried in the balance and found want
e ing.
e The handsome furniture was sold a
u auction, and the home of the Rutherford
y passed into other hands. Mary had sough
~ ~ the luxury of her fathers house, and lei
~ her husband to meet his destiny of povert
ie as best he could. In doing so she neve
" realized that she had violated any sacre
II duty, nor proved recreant TO any hig
q trust. She had never lived any other lii
~ but that of luxurious self-indulgence, an
she set gold above love, and self-interes
: above duty. She was willing to perforr
- her duties so long as they were pleasan
~ but she did not recognize them as dutiC
le when they ceased to be agreeable.
as A man once down in the world finds
80 difficult to rise again. John Rutherfor
Is Is had a resolute will and strong spirit, bl
l's somehow he did not succeed-the shinir
SO goal was always afar. He lost, at lengt
.h- hope and faith in himself, and grew d
ne ne pirited and reckless. The powerful mott
,eO tor exertion was gone; his wife W
eos comfortably housed in her fathers hous
III and he need not keep up a brave heart
.Iy her. She gave him no sympathy in
Py lonely life, for she felt none; engrossed
her own pleasures she never thought hi
yer few he had, and she never dream
snt of the arrow she had planted in his hea
AM and which was cruelty ranking the
pro pro Her love had been weighed in the balan
VS. and found wanting" was the one sorrow
wii " I, thought that clouded the life of 10
q, Rutherford. " How much better we cot
esS have endured our reverses," he said, "if
had endured them together" Togetht
inrs Ah the strength, the power of that c
MS little word
ing The end came, when death stepped
Inc ;.e and completed the work poverty
w begun.
ven When John Rutherford lay dying, a
lmlni m pale, and sorrowing, his wife stood bes
Iws W him. Remorse began its work. He ute
.nt, no reproaches. The time was past for t
tne was over for regrets-for sorrow. Eterr
'lt1 was nearing. A mysterious future was
AUG preaching over which the sorrows Of [
vi life can cast no shadow.
igo, "Ah, John for better, for worse. "
lem did l not sooner understand the mean
of those words 2" sobbed his wife.
ohn "Until death did US part" he gas
as out, as clasping her hand, his spirit pas
ca away.