The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-13

with all my heart, with all my soul, and
with all my mind. The sun shone when
she smiled, and the flowers bloomed,
and the trees nodded, only at her COM
ing was not long in telling her of my
devotion, and claiming her for my very,
very own.
And She Well, she was cast in an
other mold. Her soul was clear and
limpid stream, with no fierce fall of
either love or hate to break over the
rocks of fate, and fall with the thunder
of mighty passions into the great sea of
that unknown Possibility which gilds
every life.
Yet she was sweet and pure and holy,
with beauty God gives only to His an
gels. And she loved me!
Do not come to me, foul fends of dark
ness Stand back all you who whisper
and gibber at my elbowl I will write it
again and again She loved me! She
loved mel Great God! 1 thank Thee for
the power to say to my own sick heart
that throbs so fercely, she loved me.
We we're married, and took her from
her friends and mine lest some should
gain a smile which / was too miserly to
lose.
She was happy that it should be So
content to leave the world and live with
me apart.
Two long, blissful years passed, and
not one night but her golden head was
pillowed on my breast, and her lovely
eyes looked last into my watchful ones
ere sinking to sleep. Not morning but
her dear lips returned my kiss, and her
eyes opened, as they had closed, on me.
Two years. Then the little boy was
born-Dorice's child and mine.
/ never loved him. Never! Perhaps.
had he been endowed with his mothers
face, might have found it in my heart
to have given him spark of the great
love bore her. I cannot tell-it may
have been.
only know that when saw my dar
ling's white face, and heard the first wall
from the lips of another, who should
come in ROYAL babyhood to claim king
dom in his mothers heart, hated him.
I bent over Dorice to hide the frown
upon my face, but the kiss she gave me
sent my pain away. My love was still
mine.
Days, weeks and months passed slowly
on, and gradually my happiness grew
less and less.
At night my darling's head no longer
rested ON my heart-the baby boy lay in
her arms. When morning came and
reached my arms to encircle my world
she was not there, but was bending over
her boys cradle.
At last could endure it no longer. I
told her. knelt at her feet and begged
her to send away this new love.
besought her to return to me, whose
all she was. I confessed / did not love
the child, but I promised would try, if
only she would love him less.
At first my Dorice was frightened. Her
beautiful face grew white, and she shrank
from me. and shivered when I took her
face between my hot and trembling
hands.
Then for a moment 1 was mad, one
fierce, feeting moment. My heart throb
bed and burned. My wife-mine-
turned from me with look of terror in
her steady eyes. and SILVER at my ca
ress. Was it not enough to drive one
mad?
But laughed and told her I was but
joking-I even took the boy in my arms,
and bent as though kissed him. was
bordering how might WOO the old days
back again.
God and my own sick heart alone can
know what suffered for the next two
rs. Every day was more bitter than
the preceding one.
The child-his mother called him
Homer, and abbreviated lovingly-grew,
and engrossed more and more Of my dar-
ing's time. was no longer her first
and only love.
Every night and every morning Iprayed
Heaven to take the boy away. prayed
as walked or drove-wearying Heaven
with vain petitions.
One day, while walking in the garden,
/ heard voice close to my ear, and it
whispered:
kill him.
looked about. No one was near
but again heard the voice whisper:
xii himr
All day thought of that voice. At
last answered, "How?"
That night could not sleep. Through
the silent hours / lay with eyes wide
open.
Once saw Dorice leave her place by
my side and go TO the boys crib-then I
closed my eyes, that she might not see
that watched.
In the morning it all came back to me
do not know how, never did. Per-
haps, I read the way-perhaps dreamed
it-perhaps it whispered it-but I knew
how should rid myself Of the child.
The little fellow grew weak and i'll. I