The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-07-28

ness which he had given her before, and
/ she was absorbed in the child.
| Was she, then, one of those women in
whom the instinct of motherhood is
! stronger than all other? He worshiped
/ her now with the full sacred passion of
/ his manhood, and was his own child to
come between, and shut him away from
her? She would be always sweetly du-
tiful, he knew that-but duty. wifelv
duty! A man is nothing if he does not
want more than that; and what was his
! life to be if she and the child dwelt
apart in little paradise of their own?
He was jealous of his own child. At
this point the man threw himself on his
knees and finished his conflict there, and
it was well for him that he did so.
W.
The very names of Eliphaz the Tema-
mite, aud Bildad the Shuttle, and Zophar
the Naamathte, carry us back in thought
to the worlds dawn; but their modern
antiques are to be found everywhere
in the fullest perfection among women,
sad to say, and more perceptible in a
cou ntry town than in a city
And when poor Job-feminine Job es-
pecially-is sitting in the ashes of desc
lotion, then do they, softly seated on the
comment disparagingly on the sufferers
past behavior.
Now, Eliphaz s. Co. were not want
ing in Marlborough society, and in the
case of John and Margaret soon per-
: siasl ''tl.s rift in the lute;" and being
low, mean souls, they set to work to find
4 low, mean cause for it, having no idea
of the higher love between man and
( woman.
They were three middle-aged spin
sters, who had failed to enter the holy
estate of matrimony in spite of an earn
est desire to do 50. When the roses of
/ youth and riches were no longer for
/ them they would fain have culled the
chrys,lnthemums of life's autumn; but,
/ alas even those sad and scentless flow
ers were denied them. So these three
/ had been soured, or rather were I'M
/ of nature which the masculine
portion of mankind had sagaci-
/ ty enough to perceive and to avoid.
! Miss Moss, Miss Brown and Miss Jones
were friends, and much of the mischief
/ in Marlborough might be traced To
/ them For instance had they not dis
covered Mr. Blight the curates shame
! ful Irritation with little Miss Wilson, and
here was DR.. Enderby taking to his old
/ flirting WAYS again, III he ha.i married
sensible, intellectual person, she might
have cured him By carefully looking
after him; but now his attending the
meetings Of the Book Club without his
wife, and walking home with little Miss
Fry aud her Quaker mother, BODIED no
/ good. SO said they. shaking their heads.
This was after morning service on sun
dav, and they resolved that on Monday
morning. while the Doctor was away on
his rounds, they woald call and enlight-
en- his wife. 1T viii do her good, poor
thing they remarked
So the three came on Monday morn
ing, ana after n few commonplace,
Miss Moss, who was faded beauty, and
therefore the blterest, began.
Now. my dear Mrs. Endcrby, we can
sec that Won are suffering, poor dear,
and no wonler,"
Margaret looked Mt them bewildered
Il am quite wen, she said.
.'Bul about the Doctor, my dear; we
have known him so long and understand
his ways. If You had been n little more
experienced you would have looked bet
ter after your husband. -
..But he IS notiIl.n answered the wife,
still more bewiidered.
Not in body, remarked Miss Brown,
with a significant smile; - but in mind
we mean; he pays great attention to the
Frys next door. YOU know"
= And Miss Fry IS very pretty, " added
Miss Jones.
If she hal not been so angry Margaret
would have laughed; John had walked
lhOme with their neighbors twice, and
she was very fond of them. John might
not love her; that she had found out. She
thoughts but she knew him to be the
very soul of honor. She was generally
so quiet that when her anger blazed out
they were startled.
= VIII you be so good as to leave my
husband affairs alone she said. - If
you wish to be wicked there is no need
10 show such bad taste as to come. here
4 and endcavor to do harm
And then they, feeling that for once
they had been yanquished, quickly took
their departure But their words had
left a sting behind them.
Was itso visible, then, even to these
gosSips, the fact she had found out some
time ago, namely, that she was not to
him all that he was to her? When she
had discovered it she had determined to
take thankfully what he could give; but,
alas! beloved, who will be grateful for a
few crumbs, seeing full meal beyond?
The hunger of the soul cannot be stiHed;
it cries out for food. Well, she tried not
to blame him; he had mistaken his feel
ing for her, and was tired of her; but
there was her baby.
She never told her husband of that
visit, though she believed he regretted
his marriage: she only chung to the child
such Il frail little reed to lean upon.
And one day it broke.
1t was a Sulday-one of those sweet
days in the late autumn which nature
saves out of the summer. The trees
had lost their leaves, and the sunshine
showed all their delicate irregularity-
their beauty of mere form, which had
been hidden by the foliage. The golden
asters and red geraniums still frightened
the sheltered garden. A ball was lying
on the frosty grass, but the tiny fingers
that had played with it would never
touch it more, for Baby Jack was going
fast to 4 land in which, let us not say,
there are no toys for the angel children.
You remember Martin Luther's letter to
his boy Hans, in which he tells him of a
lovely Paradise, with golden toys, whips,
and drums and childish delights.
This little child was dying of Group.
His mother could only hold the little
form on her knee, while John knelt be-
side her irving useless remedies to COM
fort her. AT last he stood still, looking
down sorrowfully at the signs OF ebbing
life.
Suddenly. he knelt and touched the
little clenehed han,l with his lips, and
heavy tears FLASHED down upon this
dear little boy; it was hardi
Margaret bent forward. "You do love
hun. Johnri She was jealous for him
that he should have his full share of love
before he went. John understood. and
] l. IL ....-...a.ad Lnr lNhat Instinct