The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-02-15
"F0R BETTER, FOR WORSE"

lie is the worst or oil characters Tor 3
husband-an idle man-Hattie, and I fear he
adds to it the baseness of a fortune-hunter.
"You shall not speak so of him! I will
not listen to the SANDER! He loves me-of
that l am convinced. | have tested him !;
he has faults, many of them, but deceit is
not one. His heart is mine he loves me-"
Carried away with her own generous
warmth she left her seat and stood erect be-
fore him. She was not one of those women
who will sit silent while unfriendly and
perhaps interested tongues assail the man
they profess to love, placing credence in the
worst constructions, without a word in de.
Tense of the absent condemning them un-
heard and putting away a true heart, perhaps
running another life forever, while fattering
themselves that they are wiser than those
who, with the love and faith of a true wo-
man, refuse to believe in the utter unworthi-
ness of the beloved one and by their woman
ly sympathy tighten shis trials, help him to
resist the many temptations to evil which
come to all men in the struggle of lite, and
reap the reward of their faith and labor of
love in the knowledge of a life and a soul re.
deemed through their instrumentality-the
noblest mission Of a true and noble woman,
but which few have the courage or the
steadfastness to undertake. Love for a wo-
man has proved the ruin Of many a man
when. rightly appreciated and directed, it
would have been the means of his salvation.
"Uncle Lewis, trust me, trust him. Let
me be his wife with your consent. I come
to you. not as the guardian whose power ex-
pires Tomorrow, but as the friend who, |
trust, will stand by me through life"
"Hattie, Hattie how can | speak? Re
view Edward Du Rand's life, and see if | am
not justified in my fears. Raised by parents
whose means were just sufficient to give him
a liberal education and support him indepen-
dent Of business. Their small fortune he in
herited on their death. and lost by a gambling
speculation, leaving him a mere pittance.
He had studied law, and with energy and in
dustry could have carved out a fortune and a
name. What did he do? Absolutely moth
ing. With a fascinating manner and splen-
did education he cultivated every refined
taste, INDUCED in every extravaganza, and
lives a life Of idleness if not dissipation. To
crown all he Woos an heiress, that her purse
may supply him with his perfumes, kid
gloves and fast horses"
"You are severe"
Il fear | am just"
"Take the reverse of the picture. Ed
ward was an only child. From his birth
every whim was INDUCED, every caprice met
compliance his profession was studied only
DIS a pastime, and he was launched an orphan
upon the world with a cultivated mind, re-
fined tastes, extravaganza desires and an easy
fortune. The roguery OF a friend endanger-
ed his small fortune and forced him into the
speculation which completed his financial
ruin. He stood alone. Fair weather friends
now knew nothing good of him. Circum-
stances make the man. For my sake, with
the knowledge that one woman loves and has
faith in hum yet, he will redeem the past and
live a nobler life. Don't shake your head so
mournfully; trust to q woman's heart and
instinct. There is a mine Of gold in this
spoiled child's heart let me be the agent by
which it is worked to produce good fruit. He
stands now in a perilous position should |
cast him off now | will throw him back on
his old life, with a heart ready to dare much
evil, reckless and hard, TO be wrecked. in dis
sipation or soured in misanthropy my love
will win him to nobler aims and higher aspir-
atoms"
ut is a dangerous experiment, Hattie"
Mot SO dangerous AS the knowledge. in
after years, that my action and my lack Of
courage to dare and do, my Withholding of
sympathy and love at the very time it was
most needed by one whom ! had given rea-
son to expect it from me, my weak, waver-
ing faith and base belief only in what others
for their W purposes would have me be-
lieve, had ruined a soul in which there were
yet many good impulses and which my hand
and my love could have cultivated to the per-.
fettion of q noble manhood"
s.But, Hattie"
ssOnly one more argument, and | leave the
decision in your hands. | love him. For
/ his sake | could bear sorrow, poverty, any
thing but Inconsistency. Of that I have no
fear (; his heart, with all it's faults, with al its
weaknesses, is mine and always will be.
With him life will be glad through any suffer