The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-01-24

were living as if they owned the county
People who live grandly, keep house
FIJI Of ootnpahy, and plenty Of horses
are always popular, and for couple o1
years my father was very proud of the
marriage he had made
"I went often to see Caroline, for, il
spite of her high temper and herrecales.
Extravaganza, there has something TerJ
attractive about her. Abagail liked NE
to go; nothing pleased her more thar
little details about their house and com
pany; her love had no root OF bitterness
in it; she lonEed fnr nsthinr more thar
for Gerald's happiness.
eat the end of two years we had {
frightful blow; Caroline became raving
ly insane, and did not recover her reason
until after the birth of q son. But 6
feat was o7et all that We did not dare te
whisper, and it sooD began to have terri
BILE confirmation. Her conduct, always
extravagant, became utterly reckless
her paroxysms grew longer and fiercer
neither her property, her husband, hol
her children, were safe from the climbing
cruel spirit that possessed her and Ger
aid was compelled to place her in an asy
lum.
"Then he went away from Harbury
and for three years nobody heard word
frota him. One Sunday afternoon. as
came from church, up yonder haze
walk a tall, thin, miserable-looking OBJ
Ject called my name in a whisper il
was my brother Gerald. A broken man
in every respect. he had come home to
die his father would not know him, he
had come to me.
Ralph and I gave hin. oil that love
and care could give, but there was moth.
ing left to save. After a day or two's
rest, he was able to talk little, and ]
asked him where he had been.
"'OYer all the world, he said, seek
ing rest, and finding none
And your children, are they still
with their grandmother p I asked.
'' Yes. he answered, but one is dead,
and the others are miserab1y cared for
sometimes petted, sometimes beaten.
Oh, Mary If anything could be done
for them.
"'Caroline p
sis hopelessly insane; it runs in her
mothers family, breaking out generally
every second generation. If my little
girls could only have some one to care
for them wisely and kindly they might
escape
So Will Jot trt.st them to me p !
asked. .--...-.-... .-...
"He was very grateful, and I prom
ised that afternoon to have the proper
legaldocuments made out, giving me the
guardianship of the children. But in
the interval Abagail came. She had
heard of Gerald's return, and had come
to help me in the last kindness we could
pay him. Her life for the next few
months was lost in that of the dying
man. I heard her voice at all hours
reading blessed, comfortilg e words to
him. She seemed never to know fatigue.
Her face was always calm and cheerful.
Both Ralph and I got to love the quiet.
sunny room where poor Gerald waited
for death. And when death came at last
he came as friend; Gerald died IN Aba
gaiI's arms, with the sound of holy, low
ing words In his ears. He was only 33
years old; that one false, cruel step,
taken ten years before, had forced him
with fr1ghtful rapidity into the grave
Alas alas for those who must die in
order to learn how they ought to have
lived.
s'Even while he was dying distant
relative of Abagail's left her hand
oOuC iOl tuucy duU GillS lL1uSOldttly Su}5-
gested to her plan she has carried out
with beautiful results. She begged
Gerald to give her his two children,
promising to devote her whole life to
controlling and subduing the fatal taint
they had inherited. After that Gerald
was quite happy; he knew that, as far as
it was possible to do 30, the wrong he
had done would be righted.
"The task has been no light one. The
children were both passionate and mel
ancholy; but patient love and wisdom
watched them constantly, up to beau
tiful and accomplished womanhood
Abagail has made them understand
clearly that there is a frightful wrong
in perpetuating disease, and that a life
spent in doing good to others is a COM
pensation for all our own life misses"
"The difference between Gerald and
Abigail was this" said the rector, who
had entered as his wife was finishing her
story, "Gerald sold his life for ESQ, 00O,
and Abigail gave hers. Now, ose can
never sell life, one must give it; for what
price for mans life will st the last con-
tent him ?"