Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-05-01
MARTHA PHILLIPS.

/
away from her wrinkled forehead,
and snowy cap tied under her chin !;
sad, quiet face; patient mouth,
with lines that told of sorrow borne
with gentle frmness and two with
cred, tired hands, crossed. That
was all,
Who, looking at the sleeping form,
would think of love and romance, of
heart only just healed of wound
received long, long years ago.
Fifty years she had lived under
that roof, a farmers wife. If you
look on that little plate on her coffin
lid you will see aged TO- there,
and she was only 20 when John
Phillips brought her home a bride.
A half century she had kept her
careful watch over her dairy and
larder, had made butter and cheese
and looked after the innumerable
duties that fall to the share of
farmers wife. And John had never
gone with buttonlesss shirts and I'M
darned socks: had not come home
to an untidy house and a scolding
wife.
But underneath her quiet exterior
there was a stony that John never
dreamed of. She did not marry for
love. When she was 10, a rosy,
happy girl, a stranger came on a
visit to their village, and that sum,
mer was the brightest she ever knew.
Paul Gardner was the strangers
name; he was an artist, and fell in
love with the simple village girl and
won her heart; and when he went
away in the autumn they were be,
trothed.
Il come again in the spring. he
said. "Irust me and wait for me,
Matte, dear"
She promised to love and wait for
him till the end of time, if need be,
and with kiss on her quivering lips,
he went away.
Spring time came, and, true to his
word, Paul returned. He staid only
day or two this time.
Il am going away in a few weeks
to Italy, to study he said.
They renewed their vows and
parted, with tears and tender, loving
words; he put tiny ring upon her
finger, and cut a little curly tress
from her brown hair: and telling her
always to be true, he went away.
The months went by, and Matte
was trying to make the time seem
short by udying to improve herself
SO that she might we worthy Of her
lover when he should come back to
make her his wife.
One day she glanced over a news
paper, her eyes were attracted by his
name, and with white lips and djIated
eyes she read Of his marriage to
another.
" Married. Taken another bride
instead Of coming back to marry me . |
Oh, Paul Paul L loved and trusted /
you for this ?"
She covered her face with her
hands and wept bitterly. An hour /
afterward, as she sat there in the
twilight, she heard a step on the |
gravel walk, and looking up saw
John Phillips coming up the steps. /
He had been to see her often before,
but had never yet spoken Of love,
and had received 10 encouragement |
to do SO. He was plain, hard
farmer, with no romance
about him, but matter ofofact to
the core, HI, wife would get
few caresses or tender words.
He would be kind enough
give her plenty to eat and wear.
Now he seemed to have come for
-he express purpose Of asking her to
De his wife, Tor he took chair beside
her, and after the usual greeting,
reserying scarcely moment to take
breath in, began III his business like
way. There was no confession Of
love, no pleading, no hand clasping, |
40 tender chances; he simply wanted
her; would she be his wife?
Her lips moved to tell him she did
not love him. but as she let fall her
eyes from the crimson hearted rose
that swung from the vine over the
window, she caught sight Of those
few lines again.
Married." she said 10 herself
Z What can I do? He doesn't ask
ne to love him. II marry him [
can be a true wife to him and no 1ody
will know that Paul has Tilted me.
The decision was made. Her
cheeks were ashy pale as she looked
up into his eyes and answered quiet
~: L" Yes, I viii be your wife
Her parents were pleased that she
was chosen by so welI-to>do a young
man; so it was settled. and they
were married the same summer PEG
pie thought that she sobered down
wonderfully; more than that, moths
ing was said that would lead any one
to suppose that any change had taken
place.
Yes, she had sobered down. She
dared not tn nix of Paul, There was
no hope ahead Life was a time to
be flied with something so that she
might not think of herself. John
was always kind, but she got so
wearied of his talk of stock and
crops, and said to herself: q must