The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-01-10

stairs had an aided sting 10 contend,
and one Of which he was but half con-
scious; he had loved Nelly as well As he
could love anything but himself, but he
had not been good To her, anu hl5 con-
| science hal Weakened just enoughto hint
to him that something was wrong. He
tried To read his Bible and 10 pray, for
| he was 4 professor Of religion aud Went
X 20 church quite as regularly as the min
lister. and 10 prayer meetings whenever
there was revival; but somehow his
prayers did no, run on even wheels;
Nelly's white face kept rising before
him. her sad dark eyes looked up AZ him
as they did wheE she was dying, with
mute terror and reproach; the Bible
texts had an ominous way Of appearing
10 his half blinded eyes here and there
on the page, and just those he did not
want TO see. What had his grief 10 do
with such words as :. Whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely"
{" Gentle and easy 10 be entreated !"
"Love is the fulfilling OF the law"
t" Sulereth long aud is kind" Love
your wives even as Christ also loved the
church," These were not words that
touched or helped his sorrow; he SHOW
ed his book aside and hid his face in his
hands with groan; il he had spoken
out the thought Of his heart il would
have been:
"What am going to do without her?
Who will see that my dinners are just
right and my shirts properly ironed?
Who will take care of me when am
sick?" (The squire was a martyr 10
dyspepsia, his friends said.) 81 never
shall have any comfort of my life
now; the children must be attended To,
and Bridget looked after, and | shall
have to do the marketing. Oh dear!
poor little Nelly. shall miss her every
day; what shall doP"
No doubt some softer ideas mingled
now and then with these lamentations,
but in the whole Mr.. Potter's grief was
selfish, for he was a selfish man, and
tree Is known BY its fruit. He sat
long time alone in the library, thinking
how dreadfully he felt and wondering
what would become of him, quite forget
full OF the lonely children left TO Bridg-
cts tender mercies, who had the din
ner to provide for and to cook, and no
time TO spare for compassion and con-
soling. But after a while he reused
himself for the minister came in, and
having offered such spiritual consolation
as he knew how, being very young
man and lately settled in Riverton. he
asked il he could do any friendly office
for Mr.. Potter, telegraph to any rela-
tives, or arrange for the funeral. The
Squire had quite forgotten that Anne
HYDE, Nelly's older sister, must be sent
{..r No. - Zoo III
and his brother Paul in New York must
know too; his other brother was IN the
army and stationed now al some fort in
the tar West, and Nelly's brother was
missionary in Syria; there were no
nearer relatives; Parson Hyde and his
wife were long dead. and his own father
and mother had died before he knew
them. Anne and Paul would be the on
ly available helpers.
4 When Ben Potter married Nelly HYDE,
she was bright, sparkling, tender
hearted little woman, with great loving
eyes, that indexed her nature, and
sweet, expressive face. She was one Of
those generous, unselfish, affectionate
creatures who grow into the Christian
life, under good influences, as the tiny
green bud grows into q fragrant and
lovely rose; her father and mother had
been old fashioned saints, after the pat
tern depicted in the catechism, whose
chief end was 10 Qlorify God; and in q
wholesome, cheerful atmosphere IF liy-
ing piety, their children had developed
into practical, earnest Christians, ac-
cording TO their several types of char
acter. Anne and Nelly were as rad
ically different as sisters are apt To be
Anne was clear-headed, intelligent,
grandly generous, but severely logical;
and there Is no logic 80 incisive as q
woman's for she demands il in practice
as well as theory.
Anne was Just, but Nelly had only one
side toward the sterner traits she turn
ed them all inward she could deny her.
self, control her sensitiveness, her tenn
per, her grief or her JOY, but she asked
nothing from those around her in re-
turn; she married Mr.. Potter with
heart full of love and duty To him, and
she served him with her whole soul;
but she asked no answering devotion to
reward her, though her soul was hun
CRY for love and caresses. After year
or two she slowly discovered that her
husband was a selfish egotisf, and her
heart began 70 break for her discovery
was rot framed in such . way as to ex-
cuse her own grief; she only blamed
herself that her life had not been salts
flying to him; it was her fault that he
was moody, silent, dyspeptic-in short,
every thing was her fault.
Young, timid, delicate, with two lit
J tie children, she spent herself in silent
!. and lavish endeavor to make her home
} just what should please her husband,
J and herself his devoted slave; and with
, the unconcious tyranny OF selfish man,