The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-06-02
ONLY ONE FAULT.

woman's, name upon it. Not Ruth Holly
though that is the name under which
you shall know her-but; a prouder
name, and one you may have heard.
Flowers grow about her tomb, and the
turf lies softly over it. You would
scarcely guess her life and its sad end
as You stood there. Rather would you
fancy that love and tenderness sur
rounded one over whom such piles of
.sculptured marble rears itself from her
birth unto her death. A-.''' =
/. It is story such as seldom write
this life of hers-one that can not be
ended by happy reunions and the sweet
sound of marriage bells; but there are
too many such stories in the world to
be quietly passed over, haply there, be
any warning in them. The lives of others
are, if we read them rightly, the best
sermons ever preached, and this of Ruth
Holly's is only too true. Yet it began
very sweetly, like some old pastoral
poem. She loved and was beloved again,
and the man she loved had only one
fault. He was young, he was brave, he
was witty, he was handsome, he was
generous; his love was devotion, his
friendship no lukewarm thing of words;
he had great talent and great power.
His eloquence had thrilled many an au-
dience worth the thrilling. What he
wrote touched thesoul tot the very quick
He was an amateur painter and musician
and everywhere was loved and honored
and admired. He had only one fault in
the world-he drank too much wine at
times. When he did SO he turned, so
said convivial friends, into very demi-
god. It was wrong, but not so bad as
might have been, and he would SOW his
wild oats some day, they said, loving
him as his friends all loved him; and sc
Ruth thought. Sweet, loving, beautiful
Ruth, to whom he had plighted his troth
and wooed in verse and song and witt
his most eloquent eyes long before he
put his passion into words; but SO die
not think Ruth Holly's father. This
one fault of Edward Holly's over
shadowed his virtue in his eyes, anc
he refused him his daughters hand
giving him the reason why plainly and
not kindly.
you'll be drunkard yet, Nee
Holly" said the old man, shaking hi
head, earnestly. 'tI've seen men O.
genius go the same road before. Tvt
often said I'd rather have no talent il
my family, since it seems to lead 81
surely to dissipation. My sons are not tot
-haiHiaaat -+e be selser aaaess, -thaal-Aee~e4s
and as for my daughter, only a sobel
man shall have her for a wife; you't
break her heart, Ned Holly 7'
So the dashing man of letters fel
himself insulted and retorted hotly, ant
the two were enemies. E.
Ruth suffered bitterly. She loved he
father. and she loved Edward. To disobe,
her parent, or to break her lovers heart
seemed the only choice offered her. Sh,
had other lovers, she had seen mucl
society, and had been introduced to til,
highest circles in France as well as il
England, but amongst all the men sh'
had known none pleased her as Edward
Holly did Not what one styles an in
tellectual woman herself, she reverenceC
intellect, and her affections were in
tense. The struggle in her heart was
terrible.
She met with her lover by stealth
against her father sswill, but for lonI
while she resented his entreaties t.
marry him in defiance of her father
refusal. At last, angered by her per
sistence in obedience, Edward accused
her of fearing to share the fortunes o
one comparatively poor-one who mus
carve his own way up ife's steep hll
without assistance. The unmerited re
proach sunk deeply into her warm heart
and in a sudden impulse of tenderness
and sympathy she gave him the promis
he had SO long sought in vain. The.
were married that evening, and befor
morning were upon their way to fa1
off city, where Edward, sanguine an
conscious of power, believed that b
should make for himself name an
position of which any woman might b
proud. To her father Ruth wrote
long letter, imploring his forgiveness
but the answer crushed all hope with
her bosom.
las you now SOW, 80 must You reap,
were the words her father wrote. GO
have no longer a daughter" and Rut
knew that henceforth (for she had bee
motherless for years. she had in all th
world only the husband for whom sh
had sacrificed fortune, and what is wort
far more, the tender protection OF
father.
In those early days Edward did h
best to make amends for all, and 81
was so proud of him and so fond of hi
that she soon forgot to grieve.
She heard his name uttered in prai
by all. She knew that he had but
keep steadily on, to mount to the prou
est seat in fame's high temple, and for
year she had no fear of his falterin
Now and then a feverish something
his voice and manner, a strange light
his eyes, a greater flow of eloquence
his talk, more passionate demonstl
ton of love for her than usual, told th
he was under the influence of wine, b
the fact only seemed to enhance his pow
of fascination. Never was he so brillial
never SO handsome. Almost could Ru
have laughed at the sermons preach
by the temperance folks of the harm su
to follow wine-drinking.
If the story could end here, the tn
! story of Ruth Holly's life, it would