Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1878-04-04

~ 0iAAtAt NttltAt
''Don t." she saits 1T is quite unneces.
sarv TO coax me ishall take good care ol
you without that.
lie dropped her hsn0, and looked deeply
hurt Let him be, she sternly Thought
had she not been so qany timer For the
rest, she had not nsani to wound him
but simply spoke out her belief
While Charles Elliott was well AMI
strong, his hous hol.l life suited him wen
enough. He mighlhave preferred a ten
der, lavish natured little woman N
would have petted and adored him snite
OF lghts and coolness. But, ON tbe Other
hand, he had congratulated himself thar
SOphy gave him noAragedy scene. sba
took thlhgs qulelly. IN their married ex
pelience there had been no ferre 70
proaches and recrinlnations. with of,er
piece of melting tears and reconciliation
ne had held MS OWE course in his easy
careless fashion, nor troubled bimseIf -.
inquire what SOphy night be feeling--,,,d
she had given no fgn But tben tl,a
world had been free TO him Now sb,,,
up within these narfTw.walls IL, ,,ear,o5
for something moreL-.or symnatbv ton
derness affection. Fie was weakened h,,
ha,ta ,a,,1ss '9ucheu' IL hnay be, also, by a
He sp ke again or ,lay as his v.iGa sat
beside him. '''' ''' SUI
Can this be you he asked centlv
taking her hand in lk once more .rIe
same Sophy, who ussi TO be SO impulsive
so overlooking witl1sA ye for me ~
AT last The tia1 .s4. -sfOic1cts fW.-
tween them W. Tdi,oiaiod TTsSled her thoughts
for Jcdrs, YET scdlou per 'islss In stubborn
silence She regarded him with gaze
of stern inquiry.
Whose fault has \ been ?" she said
mine, am afraid | was very guilty.
But you never tried to win me back.
81 did not care to 10 it," she replied
'If you could once leave me-it was
enough -
He shuddered, and was silent sheh ad
nothing more to say They waited thus
awhile, she self contained, unmoved he
anxious, troubled, yeaning.
"Sophy," he broke forth at last, don't
look so at me; your eyes will kill me.
Don't you know thati am going to die
can't you feel what that means? Tam so
sorry for it all. Do pity me and for
give me. -
"Of course, forgive you, since you wish
it, she replied, mechanically.
''Not in that voice with that face :
Come closer, Sophy : kiss me. Tell me
you can love me LITTLE, after all. E"
Sophy pressed her hand upon her heart. |
She sat lost in dreadful maze of doubt
and wonder. How that heart had bled |
through long years, lad yearned to have |
such words as these, and despaired Of ever |
hearing them How it would once have |
leaped in every pulse to welcome them |
Cold and harsh it now lay in her bosom, |
and the sorrowful appeal woke not one
answering thrill s. looked oD the pale
t,'i.. .1lin, conscious how on ri+s ned She
felt the same pity with which she must
have regarded any doomed and suffering
thing-that was all.
fearless behind her widows veil, a few
weeks later, she vainly strove to break the
horrid calm.
Would that could suffer =! she cried,
in her despairing thought. Would that
any anguish could meltthe icy coldness-
| cannot Better had been the weakest
heart that deceived and trampled on, can,
at the first kind word forgive and love !
My pride alas, my fatal pride -
And vet she was not altogether right. |
She hsd been too proud and so far
in the wrong but her husband had been
much more, very much more to blame,
Alas how few are perfect
How very few are happy