Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1879-03-11
wTRANsIENT BILLs-oAsn
"Rut. sir"

1.-The urgency OF the case MADE Mrs.
| Blythe importunate.
" There-there That will do. Go,
now ~ and the wine merchant waved his
hand toward tho door, impatiently. Mrs.
| Blythe turned and went away, not speaking
another word. The eyes of Mr.. Redwood
were on her pale. thin face. and he saw there
| au expression that haunted him, we are
sometimes haunted by face in picture,
| for many days atterwaTd
"a common dodge ~ said the wine mer-
chant in n vulgar way, as the woman passed
into the street If had given her the bot-
tie of wine, she would have been as drunk
a. beast in half an hour"'
Mr. Redwood, in whose memory that part
ing LOOK of Mrs. Blythe daguerrotyped it.
self thought differently but ho gave no
utter.nce to his thoughts.
"That uoman's story was true one, he
said to himself as he passed Gu his way home-
ward al wish had asked her resideucc;"
and he looked carefully all around him, up
and down the street, with kind of vague
hopo of seeing her. But. already too long
away from her exhausted husband, she had
hurried back to him with almost flying feet.
"Oh, Mary" whispered feeble voice as
she leaned over his bed, how long you hav"
been away! feel very faiut-very faint!
Have you got the wine Z"
But only the bitter vino of sorrow, crushed
out from an almost breaking heart, had sho
brought for her husband. and as n few drops
fell upon his face, she whispered back husk>
lily:
"Mr. Barker could not pay mo for. the
work. But he will serd the money in au
hour or two. and then will get tho wine"
A feeble sigh futtered tho breast of tho
sick man his lids dropped wearily, until
the lashes lay in two dark lines upon. his
bIoodlcss checks, while more death>like
hue oversrresd his couutenance.
Edward! Edward. Oh, Edward, Hus-
bandit
Slowly tho eyes Of the sick man oreucd,
but closed again heavily, without sending
forth beam of intelligence.
The poor wOmans strength was all gone.
Sinking into chair, sho leaned over upon
the bed, and her face against that of her
husband. Its coldness chilled her to tho
heart. Already the death damps were break
ing through the relaxing pores A moment
she tried to srouse herself to n new cGort.-
But hope had died, and the leaden pail of
despair was on her spirit.
"Mrs. Blythe!"
1t was the voice of Andrew, the shoema-
ker's boy.
"Mrs. Blytbe?" His hand was upon her
"Mrs. Blythe have brought yOu tho
money for your work. And Mr.. Barker has
sent a bottle of wine for your husband
The voice and words together penetrated
the shut door of the wamsn's senses, and.
partly arousiug herself. shc murmured, az
consciousness returned. ss s-4-f
'.Too late too late ~
A thrill of horror went through the boys
franc, as, bending over, his eyes rested upon
the ashen face of man wearing the Shastly
image of death.
How li;tIo dreamed the woll.to,do mer-
chant of scene like this, as he slipped his
delicately favored sherry, and remarked up
on its quality! or scene ike this, which
an easy act OF justice on his part, in the sim-.
pie payment Of bill, nigh, have prevented
Once, as he looked at the crystal wine, hold>
ing his glass to the light, the countenance Of
the poor woman he hsd seen at the vino
merchants seemed TO glare at him, as if re-
fected through a mirror. But the uup!eas-
ant vision faded in a memeut. Between that
dssparing cOuu;eDance and his failure to psy
a trling bill he recognized no possible re!a-
tion of effect and cause.
Need we give any new shade to our pic~
turs-need we turn kaleidoscope need we
add word by way of application What
good? The lesson is complete enough, and
all additional groupings eolorings would
but weaken the moral we seek TO eufOrce.
4