River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-07
TRUE LOVE
A story Told by a Washington Correspond
ent-How a Young Lady Was saved from
L0yeless Marriage

A Story Told by Washington Correspond
ent-How Young Lady Was Saved from
Loveless Marriage.
1t is well worth remembering that no
one can tell what influence he may be en-
erting, and how powerful that influence
may be in determining the character and
destiny of another One day last week h
gentleman whose business calls him Cd
casionally TO Washington concluded to
make himself better acquainted than be-
fore with the pleasant places in the out
skirts OF the city, and ordering from the
livery stable horse and buggy, inquired.
while at dinner at his boarding place, the
location of and the way TO the chief
points of interest Among those present
at the table was young lady who men
toned the Soldiers Home q few miles
out from the city, as being delightful
retreat, and Cndeavored to direct him
thither. He did not very clearly under
stand her direction, and on the impulse
OF the moment invited her TO save herself
and him all further efforts at instruction
III local geography and topography by
going with him and showing him the
way. She hesitated moment, but hay
ing been somewhat acquainted with him
for nearly year, and by reputation with
his wife and children soon decided to 60
1t was Saturday afternoon aad delight
full day, and more beautiful scenery
than that inside the grounds If the
Soldiers Home is not to be found
anywhere Gin this new world
which is the old" To talk of
unduIating fields, of pathways winding
over hills, through green and fowery
wales, and along the shores of lakelets
sleeping in the sunlight--of cool drives
completely overarched by bending trees,
through an atmosphere laden with the
odor Of honeysuckles and magnolia bios
SONS would be but mockery, meager
and inadequate to give any idea of the
varied beauties of that lovely Eden. The
gentleman knew little of his lady com
panion beyond whatever anyone could
soon discover--that she was neither
gushing and sentimental young miss on
the one hand, nor a valuable and flip
pant chatterbox on the other; but an i'm
telligent, sensible and rather reserved
young woman. On this occasion she
seemed rather more rcticcnt than usual
1t turned out that in what little she did
purposely or unwittlngly it would be
difficult to say, in such way as to lead
him to speak of his wife and children, his
early days and hopes and struggles, the
brave fidelity with which she who had
consented to share his fortunes had stood
| by his side through poverty and distress
until the dawning Of brighter days;
and without antecedent purpose, and
almost unconsciously, he gave ut
| terance 10 the warmest affection and
highest appreciation of her who made his
home paradise on eartl from which it
was one OF the misfortunes of his lot and
| his business that he must remain so much
away. When he began to feel as If he
was talking too much of himself, and his
home and home affairs, she seemed
strangely bent-he thought of it after
ward more then he did then--upon bring
| ing him back to the same old subject.
And thus the afternoon wore away, and
the twain turned from the Soldiers Home
pleased with each other and delighted
with their trip.
But as for the woman, il was midnight
before she slept. Her mind was under
going a revolution, in which her previous
purposes were becoming unsettled. The
next afternoon she had an engagement to
ride out with another gentleman; and she
had her reasons woman's reasons-for
believing that then, or soon, he would ask
her to become his wife. He was an emil
nently eligible parti-cOmfortabl
wealthy, well connected socially, and only
one thing formed an argument against
her accepting him. she did not love him.
But, she had asked herself, was she not
over romantic? Was she not expecting too
much of herself? If she waited for the
yelling up in her own heart Of feel
ings which she fancied she should have
toward the man whom she could marry,
would she not be waiting for something
that would never come--because it exist
ed nowhere outside of poetry and novels?
! Was not the calm feeling of esteem and
respect she had for this man the same
thing that others called Glove, and mar
ried in accordance Herewith, and were
| happy? Yes, she concluded, she was an
enthusiast and dreamer; she would be
sensible; she would not sacrifice her best
chance for happiness in life to a delusion !;
when he asked the momentous question,
she would say "yes.n
| Such had been her intention; but she
| had had revelation. She had been in
the presence and companionship Of man
who had married for love-ardent, intense,
| tender, unfalling, ever-growing love,
man whose wife and children were his
world, whose heme was his heaven. Here
was love in real lite--not Pigment of
the Imagination, or fancy of the novel
list; something that some human beings
actually in existence did feel toward each
other, and 1t was the supreme guide and
delight and glory of their lives. Such a
sentiment she felt assured within herself
now she was capable of feeling; but not
toward the man who sought her hand
oh, never toward him Her perceptions
grew more definite and her judgment
clearer.
Sunday afternoon "he" came, as pre-ar-
ranged, to take her out in his carriage.
They, too, went to the Soldiers Home.
But how differently it seemed, with this
listless lump of mortality beside her in
place of mani At one slightly eminence
she asked HIM to stop and look at the
panorama before and below them. He
admitted that it was very nice--ln as en-
thusiastic tones as he would have admit
ted the superiority of prize pumpSin at |
a county fair. While they were stopped, |
the horse reached down for bite of the |
green grass beside the carriage path; his |
master gave him sudden jerk with the |
reins and sharp cut with the whip. The
lady demonstrated at what seemed to her /
the uncalled-for cruelty; the man seemed
ashamed, and answered apol-
ogetically that "anything that obeyed
him would get along well enough, but
anything that disobeyed him would have
to suffer the consequences" The woman
unused within herself that anything after
he was married, would undoubtedly in
clude bis wife.
In due time came the sunset, and the |
twilight-and the expected "propOsal."
But for the assurance gained the preced
ing day that real, faithful, fervent, long
enduring human love had not died out of
the world and become entirely a thing Of
history, poetry and romance-but for the
confidence that she could so love some
man who was worthy, and the hope that
some day some worthy man might so
love her-but for the contrast of that
husband with this person who offered
himself as her husband--she would have
,aid ''Yes.n As it was, there was an al
N )st sharpness in the promptness and
emphasis with which she answered ''No."
That Sabbath evening, If one had