The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-06-17
ONLY ONE FAULT.

You may see it in Greenwood ceme-
terry A splendid tombstone with a
woman's name upon it. Not Ruth Holly
though that is the name under which
you shall know her-but 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.
1t is a story such as I 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 warming 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
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 1--we 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 the soul to 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. 1t 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 SO
Ruth thought. Sweet, loving, beautiful
Ruth, to whom he lad plighted his troth
and wCoed In verse and song and with
his most eloquent eyes long before he
put his passion into words; but so did
not think Ruth Holly's father. This
one fault of Edward Hollys over
Swallowed his virtue in his eyes, and
he refused him his daughters hand.
giving him the reason why plainly and
not kindly.
"You1l be q drunkard yet, Ned
Holly" said the old man, shaking his
head, earnestly. "I've seen men of
genius go the same road before. I've
often said I'd rather have no talent in
any family. since it seems to lead so
surely to dissipation. My sons are not too
brilliant to be SOBER men, thank heaven,
and as for my daughter, only a sober
man shall have her for wife, you'd
break her heart, Ned Holly"
80 the dashing man of letters felt
himself insulted and retorted holly, and
the two were enemies.
Ruth suffered bitterly. She loved her
father. and she loved Edward. To disobey
her parent, or to break her lovers heart,
seemed the only choice offered her. She
society, and had been introduced to the
highest circles in France as well as in
England, but amongst all the men she
had known none pleased her as Edward
Holly did. Not what one styles an in
telleotual woman herself, she reverenced
intellect, and her affections were IN
tense. The struggle in her heart was
terrible.
She met with her lover by stealth,
against her fathers will, but for long
while she resented his entreaties to
marry him in defiance Of her fathers
refusal. At last, angered by her per
sistence in obedience, Edward accused
her of fearing to share the fortunes OF
one comparatively poor-one who must
carve his own way up lifes steep hill
without assistance. The unmerited re-
proach sunk deeply into her warm heart,
and in n sudden impulse of tenderness
and sympathy she gave him the promise
he had so long sought in vain. They
were married that evening, and before
morning were upon their way to far
off city, where Edward, sanguine and
conscious of power, believed that he
should make for himself name and
position of which any woman might be
proud. To her father Ruth wrote a
long letter. imploring his forgiveness,
but the answer crushed all hope within
her bosom.
''As you now SOW, so must you reap"
were the words her father wrote. 81
have no longer daughter" and Ruth
knew that henceforth Cfor she had been
motherless for years. she had In all the
world only the husband for whom she
had sacrificed fortune, and what is worth
far more, the tender protection OF q
father.
In those early days Edward did his
best to make amends for all, and she
was so proud of him aud SD fond of him
that she soon forgot to grieve.
She heard his name uttered in praise
by all. She knew that he had but to
keep steadily on, to mount to the proud
est seat in flames high temple. and for a
year she had no fear Of his faltering.
Now aud then feverish something in
his voice aud manner, strange light in
his eyes, a greater flow of eloquence in