Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-10-28
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.
ny IL. N. -.


Thinking my summons had not been |
heard, arose and was advancing toward
the door when it suddenly opened and
Mrs. wiltern entered the room. She
approached me and threw her arms about
me and her head upon my bosom. She
chung to me, sobbing Historically, for q
short time.
81 am so happy, Mr.. Thurston."
Releasing myself from her spasmodic
embrace, | placed her upon chair,
begging her to be composed.
From the fact that am bachelor and
Mrs. Wiltern a married lady, suspicious
people might surmise that there was
something wrong between the lady and
myself. | assure such people at once
that there is nothing of the kind. am
pray-haired old man-as old as Mrs.
Wiltern's father, II the poor old man was
now alive-and Mrs. Wiltern, why she is
AZ pure as her little baby, who died about
three years ago and went to Heaven.
Then, / have known her from child.
She was great pet of mine far away to
the Eastward, where-ah me! | was
a better and younger fellow than am
now.
will tell you something about her. Her
hearted and pious man, and liked by all
his neighbors. He lost his wife when
Mary was about II years old, and he was
sad for year or two, and then he began
to lean on Mary, his only child. With her
hand IN his, sitting together on the sofa, l
have heard them talking away just as
two crickets singing to each other. When
her school days were over they seemed TO
Al. 10, inn
in the house or in the field.
One Sunday young fellow neighbours
son, came home with her from church, and
from that moment the father seemed
changed. He WAS as kind as ever to his
girl, whom he called his sweetheart, but
he seemed nervous, and would often look
at her in startled kind of way. knew
how 1t was ali the time, for the old gentle
man and were great friends. He never
said anything to me about it, but, bless
you, / could read his simple character just
as easy as play bill. The visit Of that
young man made him think for the first
time that somebody else might win away
from him the heart of his idol and take her
from his side and his heart. They used to
talk before me Just rs if I was nobody.
| went to the house one day and found
IHeu uOtu Du lEo sOlh 10 uouhI aueit NAa
was strange, both were crying like two
babies.
~ can't help it, dear papa do love
George Wiltern. But love you Just a
much as ever, and George loves you, ant
we will all live together and be so happy.
"Well, my darling, don't cry any more
We mustn't be so foolish before our OLE
friend. You shall have George. There
now, give your papa kiss. 30 ant
arrange your hair, like good girl.
/ am not going to make myself tiresom
by telling what passed between me an,
Mary's father. 1t is enough to say tina
since he had found out the bent Of hi
daughters affection he had, in quiet way
been asking about George, and had foun(
him out to be quite wild fellow. knew
he had never liked his father, and 70
good reasons. There were whispere,
about before he settled in that neighbor
hood, that he had made too free use of
merchants name, and barely escape
prison for forgery. Those stories will fo
low u man wherever he goes But he toll
Mary nothing OF all this. In his FOOLS
way he had only begged her not to MARI
at all. He loved her too much to say
word against her lover. II he was ba
her goodness would make him all right i
time. He would listen to nothing ha
to say.
Don't you see, he said, that it woul
break my Pussy's little heart to come b,
tween her and George! y
He sold part Of his farm and bougl
George half interest in the village stor
and George and Mary were married fe
months after.
For some reason or other George Wi
tern took strange dislike to me. d
not know why at the time, nor do | kno
now. At any rate 1 saw it very plainl
and for that reason kept awGy from Il
house. But | could not help hearing evel
now and then that George was keeplr
low company, and was drinking got
deal, and was playing cards late at nigh
You cannot think how sorry | was.
could think of no way to help the matte
One night little boy brought me d no
from Mary. She said in it that her faith
had sudden attack, and wanted to see L
right away.
When l got to the house found hi
very low with sort OF paralysis He ask
Mary to leave US alone for while. II
moment she left the room he said to me
horse whisper
by Cd, be struck her last night ~
We had quite long talk together
told me about George growing worse.
had long been using foul language TO ht
but the night before my visit he had del
her blow on the temple which stunn
her for quite a time. He then left t
house, and had not been back since. I
poor thing denied all about the blow.
you see, he said, ~ couldn't sta
1t. | picked up my poor wounded do,
and then fell down myself. | heard [
curses, and heard the blow and VIII
saw my sweet little Mary senseless q
bleeding on the floor | felt cracking
my heart strings Something, too, bro
away in my brain. There he goes,
cowardly beast Shoot him Kill hin
Mary heard the mad shouts Of her tatl
and came running into the room with
cry like wounded hare. She will
admit to this day that her husband e.
lifted his hand against ner.
The poor, hrokeu-h aarted gentlemt
Mary's father, died in few days. Is
with him when he died. He got
senses back few moments before
death rattle came on. Mary and I W
standing by his bedside. With quite
effort he put Mary's hand in mine, tn
J
hear him Whisper 'Be a friend to
sweet little darling and then he died.
Now you see how there could be moth
wrong between Mary wiltern aud
don't you;
George Wiltern came to the hous
few days after we had buried Ma
father. He said he had been called off
distance to attend to some business,
Mary and | knew better than that.
knew why he went away so quick
stayed 80 long. He knew that Ma
father would have beaten him into ate
for raising his hand against his dauph
It so happened that always a row
restless sort of q creature-came to
country. Mary had promised to write
me, and so she did, and her letters v
as the MARBLE OF a bird-of sad b
though-ot bird that had lost its NJ
Marble Is, perhaps, not the word-t
were more like the mournful cooinl
the wood dove. She was always wri
of her dear, dead father She nc
penned hard or harsh word about
husband. Once she thought that
would be very happy If her father
alive and she girl again, ito pat
kiss him.
Those were the very words, but
were much blurred. / knew how it
she wrote those few words and
paused, while the tears dropped on Ii
That was what blurred them.
But had told friend of mine VIII
left for this country to let me know
things went with Mary, and through
found out how badly George Wiltern
acting. II WAS soon noised abroad no