Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-24
THE BlACksMlTH's STORY.

Well, no My wife amt dead. but pve lost her
all the same;
She left M. Voluntarily, and neither was to
blame. -
It. rather Il queer story, anu thlnk you VIII
When you hear the circumstance-'twasr rather
d. rough on me-
She was a soldiers widow. He was killed at
Malvern Hill;
And when 1 married her she seemed to sorrow
But l brought her to Kansas, and never want
to
A better wife than Mary was for five bright years
to me.
The change of scene brought cheerfulness, and
ofhapvness warmed Mary's cheeks and melted
all their snow.
think she loved me some-Pm bound to think
And MS for mel can't begin to tell how loved
her
Three years ago the baby came our hu mble
And then 1 reckon was nigh to perfect happi-
ness;
to explain to you,
How that little girls weak fingers our hearts
together drew.
Once we watched it through Il fever, and with
each gasping breath.
Dumb with an awful, worldless woe. we waited
And, though Pm not a pious man, our souls
together there,
For heaven to spare our darling, went up ID
vOiceless prayer.
And when the doctor said 'twould llye, our joy
what words could tell
Clasped in each others arms. our grateful tears
together fell.
Sometimes. you see, the shadow fell across our
But it only made the sunshine seem a doubIy
welcome guest.
Work came to me plenty, and kept the anvil
Early and late you'd find me there hammer
ing and singing;
Love nerved my arm to labor, and moved my
tongue to song;
And though my singing wasn't sweet, it was
tremendous strong
One day one armed stranger stopped to have
| me nail q shoe,
And while was at work, We passed compli-
1 asked hlm how he lost his arm. He said twas
At sIalI ern miil. cat Malvern Hills Did yor
know Robert May ?''
| ''That's me, - said he. ''You. you % gasp
| ed, choking with horrid doubt;
''If you're the man, just follow mei We'll try
this mystery out! -
| With dizzy steps, led him TO Mary; God
Then the bitterest pangs OF fmisery ,unspeakuble
| knew.
Frozen with deadly horror, she stared with eye
| of stone,
And IRON her qulvering lips there broke on
| Wild despalrinE moan.
| Twas he the husband OF her youth, now riseI
| from the dead.
But ali too lale-and with bitter cry her sense
| fled.
What could be done? lie reported dead
He strove IN vain some tidIngs of his absen
wife 10 learn
Twas well that he was innocent Else Paw
So dead he never would have riz till Gabriel
trumpet blew
1t was agreed that Mary then between US shoul
| decide,
And each by her decision would sacredly abide
No sinner. at the judgment-seat. waiting eterns
Could sutTer what did, lie waiting sentenc
| In that room.
Rigid and breathless, there We stood, wit
| nerves tense steel,
While Mary's eyes sought each white lace.
| piteous appeal,
God could not woman's duty be less hardl
| recOnclled
Between her lawful=husband and the father
her child?
All, how my heart was chilled to Ice. when 81
knelt down and said:
Forgive me. j. I'm lie is my husband ! Here
Alive! not dead
raised her tendcrly, and tried to tell her 81
But somehow, in my aching breast, the pris OF
ed words stuck tight!
"But, John, can't leave baby''-''What wi
and child - cried |;
''Must yield all All, cruel fate Better III
| should die.
Think OF the long, sad, lonely hours, waiting
= gloom for
= No wife to cheer me with her lovc-no babe
q climb my knee
"And yet-you are her mother, and the sacr
mother love
( Is still the purcst tenderest tie that Heaven ev
wOve
Take her, but promise, Mary-for that will bri
IF no shame
''My Little girl shall bear, and learn to lisp i
fathers name ?
1t may be, in the life to come, 1'll meet my ch
? and wife;
But yonder. by my cottage gate. we parted
this life;
One long hand-clasp from Mary, and my drei
OF love was done
One long embrace IRON baby. and my happin
I. Was gone