The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-06

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 to the warmest affection and
highest appreciation Of her who made his
home a paradise on earth 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
nome ''me and home affairs, she seemed
strangely bent he thought of it after
ward more than 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 wit !. each other and delighted
y 18th their trip. 80. <'.-'s, E.tsa.t 2 !.
But as for the woman, it was Midnight
before she slept. Her mind was. under
gong a revolution, in which her previous
purposes were becoming unsettled. The
next t.. afternoon rte she had an engagement to
ride out with another gentleman: and she
Lad her reasons woman's reasons-for
believing that then, or soon, he would ask
her to become his wife, He was an emf
nently eligible pn7ts- comfortably
wealthy, we'll 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 "love,' and mar
ned IN accordance Herewith, and were
happy! Yes, she concluded, she was an
enthusiast and a 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."
Such had been her intention: but she
had had a 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 hsme was his heaven. Here
was love in real life-not Pigment of
the Imagination, or a fancy of the novel
list; something that some human beings
actually in existence did feel toward each
other, and IT was the supreme guide and
delight and glory Of their lives. Sue 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. VI. =.
Sunday afternoon she" 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 lum? of mortality beside her in
place OF man! At one slightly eminence
she asked HIM to stop and look at the
panorama before and below EN-. He
admitted that it was very nice-ln as en-
thusiastici tones as he would have admit
ted the superiority Of prize pumps in at
/. county fair. While they were stopped.
the horse reached down for bite of the
green grass beside the carriage, path; his
master gave him a sudden jerk with the
felns and sharp cut with the whip. The
lady demonstrated at what seemed to her
the uncalled-for cruelty the man seemed
somewhat ashamed, and answered apo-
'.getically that "anything that obeyed
him would get along well enough, but
anything that disobeyed him would have
o suffer the consequences The woman
unused within herself that "anything after
he was married, would undoubtedly in
clude is wife.
In due time came the sunset, and the
twilight-and the expected ''proposal.
But for the assurance gained the preced-
ng day that real, faithful, fervent, long
enduring human love had not died out of
the word and become entirely thing Of
history, poetry and romance for the
confidence that she could so love some
man who was worthy, and the hope that
some day some worthy man might so
owe her-but for the contrast Of that
husband with this person who offered
himself as her husband-she would have
said eyes" As it was, there was an al
most sharpness in the promptness and
emphasis with which she answered :sNo."
Tina Sabbath evening, If one had
asked the gentleman who accompanied
the lady to the Soldiers: Home on Satur-
day what influence he had exerted for
good that day, he might have answered
t uly that he knew Of none: # one had
asked the lady she could have answered
that by his manifestation Of manyly
character, his uttcrancc of no
bic sentiments, with, no thought of put
ting himself or them on exhibition, he
had given her new and larger and more
correct ideas Of genuine manhood, and
saved her from a. lovccss marriage and
blighted life. .,<,, .,.....r
Ii. | seem to, be writing these as facts
that know all about it is simply be-
cause they are facts, and do not know
wi about, them. They but illustrate
again the tremendous truth that ,uncon-
sciously to ourselves, influences for good
or i'll, as our characters may be-, are con.
stantly radiating upon and affecting all
about us: 500, ,f...fy. 49,
4s.i. mo star ever rose
or set without influence somewhere. WHO