The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-30
Jane Smith did not repine in her sor-
row, b,lt shp fell ibtu a habit of saving,

row but she fell into habit of saying,
"My life is over; my Work is done"
And she was a mournful, shadowy thing,
with her white, unsmiling face, and her
slender hands. There are some wrongs
too deep, and some sorrows too bitter to
be spoken of in this world, and such
were those of that household. They
rarely spoke of the past. The world
does not stop when our loved oties die, OF
deal treacherously, and the sun shines
Just as brightly over the grass-grown
graves and lettered marble, as over the
Bridal procession-the blessing and blest.
And there will be, while we live, round
of going, coming, buying, selling, eating,
drinking, and such like little things, that
make up life. And all these people bear
firmly and quietly their life burdens; and
We, looking at them, will fail to see their
riven hearts.
One day, soon after Franks return
home, Mr.. Brown heard the dinner-bill
ringing, peal after peal, at an inoppor.
tune hour. He listened, and heard half
a dozen persons shouting his name at
the top of their voices. He was quite a
distance from his house, and he was
alarmed and said: "Surely there is fire
out, and human beings perishing in the
flames" and he ran toward the increasing
din, in fear and trembling. The little
colored help met him at the yard-gate,
and said:
"Miss Nellie be dyin'. sir"
"'Miss Nellie dying" said the hus-
band; and he few, rather than ran, into
the house, and found his wife pale, faint,
and trembling from head to foot.
"What, o what is this that has hap.
pened to my pearl of pearls, my darling" +"
cried the husband. Speak, o speak,
my love, my lifer
"Oh, Frank has come back" said
Nellie.
"Frank come back" said the husband.
sI thought Frank was dead and buried.
| I was not expecting him back"
'Nor L" said Nellie; "but he was
never dead. We were all mistaken"
"You were all q precious set of fools,
then" said Mr.. Brown.
"That's just what we were," replied
Nellie.
The husband sat down and thought a
little while, and then said: "My wife, |
love you more than anything else in the
world, more than everything else, more
than | do myself, but / love you unself-
ishly; and I will do anything possible to
promote your happiness; and if you still
love Mr.. Williams, and he still loves you;
I will give you a divorce quietly, and
| YOU can marry him. will do even that
| if it breaks my heart and costs me my
life." :.
"Ol or shrieked che wife, "don't
talk so; you will drive me mad"
"Ol OI OF You don't want divorce,
then 2" said the husband.
"Want divorcel No! everlasting
mol" shrieked Nellie.
"Well, am I to understand by that
that you love this old curmudgeon mite
or two?" queried Mr.. Brown.
20, I loveyou all, all, and no one else
"Not even Frank?" said the husband.
"Not even Frank" replied Nellie.
"And if I ever did love him it was so
long ago that I have forgotten it."
"Well, you have me, and profess to
love me; what is the trouble?" said Mr..
Brown.
20, l was frightened. 1 was afraid
that you would cast me off," returned
| Nellie.
"Cast you off, child. Nothing in the
| world could induce me to cast you off,
unless il were your wish," returned the
man. "What ridiculous idea you did
hunt up, my darling, to distress you"
"But you never said 80 much about
your love for me before" said Nellie.
"Why, no, suppose not. I am q
quiet man-perhaps too much so. l
think very many nice things that never
tell. But let me tell you, Nellie, once
for all time, that host of armed men
could not take you from me. And l do
hope that Frank will not be unhappy
and the husband returned to his work,
and Nellie said: "He $50 noble, so good
and true. God has blessed me in hus-
band" and thus it was.
Days, weeks and months came and
went, and those two, who had been
stricken down together in sorrow, and
had been companions in grief, learned
slowly, but surely, that they were neces-
sary to each other. Frank was unhappy
when away from Mona Liza, and she was
restless when Frank was gone. Jane
Smith marked the growing attachment
between them, and smiled a sad, weary
smile, and whispered "that is as it should
be. My life is over, my work is done"
And when one day Mona Liza went to
to her, and said, "Aunty, dear, would il
be right for me to love our Frank, and
marry shim, and be happy, when my
Frank lies cold in his gravel"
"Can YOU recall the dead?" said Jane
Smith.
ooh, no, aunty, if could have done
that should long ago." said Mona:
"Can you die with the dead? said the
woman.
"Without SIM No. l should be a
suicide were 1 to die now," Mona re.
piled.
with the living" said Jane Smith,
"Send Frank to me-" =,
"Frank came, and the woman said
"Is the old love dead 2" :.
Burned to ashes long ago" replied
the young man. "Much as l suffered
there remains no scar"
"And you love this beautiful child o.
my heart" said the woman.
~ more than love her-l love and
worship her. She was the angel tha
lowered about me in that dark hour, ano
saved me-"
"I give her to you," said the woman
"N1y life is over, my work is done"
And the day of the bridal came, anc
wedding bells pealed, and brave men ano
fair women passed into the old church
and looked at that man and woman
pledge themselves to each other for life
and it was day of rejoicing far ano
near; for the strange story of their woe
had been told and retold till every chile
had learned it by heart for miles around
and every heart of flesh rejoiced at thu
happy union, that promised peace: Ant
again Jane Smith said, "My life is over