Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-01-13

t mating, and perhaps these qualftie
? which everybody so admired and love-
[ were the rocks on which there was tt
t greatest danger of his characters bein
wrecked. - I5Q
il Atthe age of seventeen, he had pass
ed q year at the parsonage study In
! Latin with Parson Mayne; and the ger
/ erous, noble hearted boy had won tn
| affection of the household, and q brothe
and sister intimacy had always existe
between him and Alice. Ii 80
Harry Leeds entered college, and 500
after he had finished his professions
studies, he became suddenly enamore
of pretty little Della Hope, the 0nl.
daughter of a physician in an adjoining
/ Evillage@ Della, like himself, was aspoil
J, ed child. but with a warm, impulsive
|, impressive nature, though much indul
gence had made her selfish and exact
ing. The two were married under pc
!, culiarly favorable auspices. Harry
Leeds was rapidly rising in his profes
sion. The families of both parties wer'
in most comfortable circumstances, and
the beautiful cottage home to which tn,
j young lawyer took his fair little brid'
had every adornment which wealth
and taste could bestow upon it. ~
! But, alas alas! The character ol
neither husband nor wife had beer
tried and disciplined, and when the
time came which demanded on both
sides something of self-conquest, and
forbearance, and generosity, each was
equal blame on either side, for both had
been accustomed to having all things
subordinated to their whims, and both
Uara uOcOnsoiona1v aplfah o re ,,-
1t is the history of so many ill-starred
marriages. Each grew pettish, sullen,
neglectful, and petty retort and recrimi-
nation succeeded, until there grew up q
great coldness and indifference between
these two solemnly bound together in
the blessed covenant of marriage. Then
Harry Leeds young wife grew indiffer-
ent and exacting; and it was not strange
that, with his social temperament he
sought the society of agreeable and fas-
cinating women, until Della certainly
had cause to complain of his neglect
And SO, in blindness and folly they had
gone on, sowing broadcast their seed for
the efuture-sowing them in angry words
and sour glances, in mutual reorimina-
ton, or days of sullenness, until these
had suddenly blossomed and bore their
fruit. t.,.A - n - ,.s, -.
| He started up and looked around him.
He was lying on the bed In his own
room, and then, as consciousness came
slowly back to Harry Leeds, hegroaned
out sharply. Suddenly there dropped
on his throbbing temples hand cool
and soft as lily that has slept all night
on still currents of water. Ot
Harry, my husband, can do any,
thing for you?'
| He looked up quickly, and saw her
sweet face bending over him.
| II was very pale, but full of sorrowful
tenderness and pity. Harry Leeds COW
cred his face with his hands: -,
'Oh, Della, do you know all p he fall
tered. l5l,ht
Everything, my darling,' and here
the little futtering hand stole aboutAhis
neck.
And you will look at trne-speak to me
again 2 @
Look at you! Speak to you! Oh,
Harry, God knows that would gladly
give up my life this very minute to save
you'll! sAas al fs.,.f.' 4. ,r.- rr.4
And Harry raised himself up, and
drew down that fair face, drenched with
tears, to his heart, and his own fell fast
onIthe bright hair he stroked sojtender-
ly. sal
Tell me all about it, Delia.' =
1T was last night about 10 O'Clock,
and sat in the parlor all alone waiting
for your return, and oh, Harry, / had
been down into my heart, holding SOL
emn counsel with it all day, and 1 was
longing so for your footsteps, that I
might rush up and run to you, and tell
you was sorry for all the foolish and
q N xrnrdc hod s,,f ha
ing, and putting my arms around your
neck, beg you to take me back, for I
loved you better than all the world be-
side Suddenly, as sat liLtenipg breath.
less. there was hurried pull at the bell,
and rushed to the door. feeling certain
that something had happened. They
held you there. those two men. and oh |!
Harry, as the light fell on you. I thought
She could not finish the sentence ;lshe
only chung to him and shuddered. And
| the young husband knew then that his
wife loved him, as he had not known it
| in the days of their betrbthal, or in the
| joy and peace of their early MARRIAGE
And then, laying back for faintness on
the pillows, Harry Leeds laid his inmost
soul bare to the heart of his wife; and if
shame or fear made him falter sometimes
in the painful relation. the soft, fiutter-
ing fingers. which kept up their motion
like flock of white birds through his
hair, gave him courage to proceed.
He had gone out from De1ia's stinging.
angry words that morning, wretched,
desperate man. The sullen hours went
over him in his Office. in which he tried
vainly to rouse his will to some deter
mined course of action and at last, after
lispatching his business, he went into a
saloon, and attempted to drown mind
and conscience In q glass of brandy. The
young lawyer had one of those highly-
wrought, nervous organizations. which
stimulants at ones excited to freepzy.
and he remembered nothing subsequent
to his dashing madly out Of the saloon !:
but late in the evening he had been
brought home by two of his neighbors.
who had rescued MIN from q miserable
drunken broil in the lower part of the
city, with fearful gashes in bis forehead.
and bruises on his cheeks; and the great
anguish of that moment had cleft its
way to the living waters in the soul of
Della Ieeda. The terrible remorse of
the time when her soul oscillated he.
tween hope and fear for her husbands
life, had accomplished blessed work
for the young wife and she received the
information that Harry lived, as a mes
sage from God, or as one takes back
from the arms of death the beloved
Harry was not so much Injured az at
first appeared. He was faint from loss of
blood, and afterwards quite stupid from
the effects of the spirits which he had
taken SO it was not until the late morn
ing that he had awakened to conscious.
ness, with handkerchiefs bound about
his head. aud his bruised, swollen cheeks
presenting most repellaEt spectacle to
all but the loving, sleepless eyes which
had watched him throughout the night.
And lying there, with her arms pillow
ing his head, Mr.. and Mrs. Leeds re-
newed the vows of their betrothal and
Della told to him Of her visit to Alice
Mayne, and how she had returned from
the parsonage. resolving to be ONCE more
the angel Of Harry's life. IL
'Oh, Della. I am willing to endure all
this pain and modification, now it has
brought back my little wife to her old
place in my heart.'
And Harry, you didn't love her as
you did me-, did you p said Della. with
soft bushes fluttering up into her
cheeks. -
hid vos1 foor FL ~ e.. .