The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-05-15

pity Of it. II seemed suca an unspesk>
able pity that one 50 bright and hand
some and hopeful should be led into bad
ways. Ny heart sched to think of it.
For all the sorrowful feeling carried
in my heart for him, never thought it
would fall to me to do anything for him.
You know he hoped you would relent,
and he used to haunt our way with that
hsggard face he wore in the first days
after you parted from him. You would
never turn your head to give him one
look. You we're right, and yet it used
to turn me faint almost with pity and
regret to see you pass him SO. One night
you took to going home by the by-streets
50 that you need not see him again, and
youiwculd not let me 90 with you.
That night Robert came up and spoke
to me. He said be felt l would be sorry
for him. His talk was all about you,
Roxie. He seemed to find comfort in
praising you. He thought there was
never such strong, beautiful woman
in the world as you, never another that
he could so love and lean upon. At first
I felt so strange with him l could only
listen to him and answer him little,
enough to show cared. But when he
began to say that you had taken the
wrong way with him, that you had taken
away the spring of his energy in trying
to overcome his faults, that he had
nothing now to try fOr-nothing to look
forward to-then found tongue to talk
to him. Why don't you win her
back ?" I said. "You can do it It's
only to be manly and upright as you
were meant to be. If you would not
drink again, Robert, and keep away
from bad companions. she would see the
change il you so sOonl She's very clear
| sighted, and in her heart Pm sure she
loves you. Why won't you try to win
her back?
spoke SO fast and earnestly, he looked
at me in surprise. But did not care,
1 was 80 sorry for him; / went on talk
ing; I said more than l could repeat.
All that was in my heart about him
came out, and could not say it withs
out tears. From lOokisg surprised he
began to be moved and sobered. He said
he did not know any human being cared
as much for lis salvation IS seezaed to.
He said / put new courage into him,
and that be meant to try again. When
l thought it all over at home that night
! wondered that | should have said SO
much to him. But it made me happy
to have done it, and happy to think he
would now win you back and that the
pain and hardness between yoz, would
be ended, and things would be as I
thought God meant them to be.
You know that from that time Rohers
fell into the habit Of joining me every
night. He did take real earnest start
toward better life, I could feel sure
of it, and presently wanted to see it.
I asked yoE one night to 90 home our
way. You refused, and then told you
plainly 1 wanted you to see Robert
that I Thought he had changed. You
looked sharply at me then, and I re-
member what you said:
"He will never change except as The
weathercock does. He's weak; it'G-in-
grained" And you sad thst for yours
self you'd not be such \ fool as to see
him again.
Presumptucas to judge him so? 10,
dear Roxie; shat was your light and
you saw it clearly. You were not
wrong because I was led By different
way. But I could not help seeing that
you were losing your tenderness for
him, and l was 50 treraoled. about It
that 1 begged Robert to write to you Or
try to see you.
He said he would wait aiittle longer
he did not believe you could trust him
yet.
Every day ! grew more uneasy, and
urged It again. And st last he said
plainly that he had given it up-sbout
you-that he knew you could never
trust him nor have patience with him.
I could not deny it any more. When I
thought of your face as you last spoke
of him I knew it was true. And even
while 1 was sorrowfully thinking about
it he began to say Other things. he
said there was no one in the world from
whom he could hope ior love, and trust,
aud patience, unless il was from me.
He asked me if | did no3 know 1t. And
when l looked into my own heart and
thought it all over, | aid not know it.
! could no more deny it than l cOald
the other.
You thought me weak and foolish to
accept his love, R0x;e. You did not
know how full OF awe and fear my heart
was. The more glad was that could
love him, the less blind was to all the
dangers that hung over us both. was
not so harsh as to think that my weak
hand alone could avert them. There
was only this, Royie; it was the only
human hand thst was nerved to try. l
knew in my heart that l did right. 1
knew you had ceased to feel pain in
regard to Robert. l knew it was not