River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-09-06
Dust, 8 little gilt,

more DEals6 lhan SOla q erluEb6d
wonder sometimes whether you are ar
exception TO the majority. You Nigh
easily have married a more snowy girl; ONT
who would shine as the mistress of you
house, and do credit 10 your taste. 1t i
odd that You did not. for you have an eve
for a fine woman. Snch wife would hav,
been gorgeous ruby in your crown OF
manhood; and you could have displayed
with royal pride as Ahasuerus would have
showed Vashti TO his courtiers. But you
Esther. modest as a wood violet, with &
heart ds strong and clear as crystal, il
above rubies IN value"
who would think of my prosaic Annie
as the inspiration of So many poetical im
ages7' said George with affected bright
hess; when she-p0oT, dear sOull-doee
not know trOup from a sylloglsmP
She is lone the worse wife for Mr.
George She rman on that account, was the
stout re inder IF the ideal, not tht
practical, were her forte. he would be less
comfOrtab e and much poorer. Some max
the fatal mistake when those judged ar,
their life long companions of believing
that lack of brilliancy Of thought and felici.
~ Of expression pre-suppOses an insensi
tive nature and shallow heart. Annie il
keenly alive to your dissimilaTities, and il
the light of her reverent appreciation of
your talents and fame, her humility is like
ly to become morbid"
She changed the subject at that point,
fondly believing that she read IN her listen :
er's softer eye and meditatiye aspect the
proof that tho hint was not dropped in
vain.
George Was very kind TO his lovely little
wife for some days after her sisters depart
IRE. Mrs. Davenport left Aiken by an
early morning train, and A1r. Sherman in
vited Annie 10 drive with him that after
noon.
Don't take any of the children, " he stip-
ulated. L want you to have restful,
pleasant ride"
He settled her carefully in the buggy,
wrapping the robes about her feet, and in :
quiring if she were warmly clad, and exerted
himself during the jaunt to select such top
les as he thought would interest her even
installing the glow of conscious benevolence
within his generous breast for enjoyment
in the dutiful companionship.
This is a slayish kind of life We are living
here my pet, he sud, seeing the color re-
ylye III her sllloW cheeks that were no
longer plump; the shy delight of her who
had borne his name for upward of decade
in his tenderly gallant attentions Il have
scarcely moment or thought that | can
call my own, have to run out Of town if
want 10 say nice thing or two to my wife.
This Is the price of popularity. and it is Il
dear one. Next summer, God willing, We
will pack up baggage and babes and hide in
the up country somewhere, letting nobody
know Ia what direction We have gone be all
by ourselves to live over our cOurting DAYS
for a month at least You are the best and
least selfish Of women TO do and bear, with
such an angelic patience, all that is laid up
y nm M / krraEu nd Faat
this, dear. however careless | may seem.
Il am sure, George, | never thought Won
careless, said the huttered woman, with q
grateful sob. And you are very good 10
DC pleased with what 1 can do to help Won
along. have always felt that You were
the Endest husband in The werld-too good
for me.
She did not envy the happiest of newly
made brides her bliss. while she Teveled in
that enchanting excursion. The frosty air
WIS balmy as June; the sere landscape
fairer than vernul bloom. She vent in the
strength Of 1t and the love words her ears
had drunk many days and nights.
SAYS Caroline Helstone of M0Ore's al
ternate freezing and thawiuc, his evident
delight in her society, and her backward
ness in securing tins. d" If | had a means
of happiness at my command / would em
ploy that means often, 1 would keep il
bright with use, aud not let it lie for weeks
aside, until it gets rusty.
Annie had never read Shirley, but the
same aItless thought came into her simple
head many times. when Janette's visit and
counsels became one of the fast fading by
cones to the man of the day, and his do
nestle affairs slid back into the old
grooves. No doubt George loved her Al
truly as he said. and longed to be with hel
al I'LL l. 80 II
had declared the duty slavery that kept
them so much apart Were she in his
place, she could not be so conscientious.
Temptation would overcome resolution
sometimes. She would snatch bv stealth
meat aud drink for the furnishing heart
But George was stronger OF purpose than
she.
There was a mighty Sabba, b school con.
yention in Aiken in May. From far and
near delegates came to speak and TO hear
and be entertained by the hospltable towns
people, and to bear TO their homes the
fame Of the paragon divine who, when he
stood among the people, vas. IN genlns
and popularity. higher than any OF the
people from the shoulders and upward.
Mrs HAYWARD was his prime Ssistant OF
course, and under her direction mammoth
festival as held in the lecture and Sabbath
school room at the close of the convention
"a show of flowers, aud banners, and IL
Illuminated legends and white uniformed
bands of Joy, Hope. Faith, and Love; Of
mountains of sand wiches. and obelisks Of
cream, and shaking towers of Jelly; oul-
ky of cake aud confectionery, and cas-
cades of lemonade, such n5 the guests hsC
never beheld elsewhere.
Excuse me, madame, said strange
from the country to Mrs. Sherman, wht
sat in an obscure corner. feeding u small
child belonging t. the mission school will
cake and tee cream, but isn't that Mr.
Shernan's wife standing by him at the heac
If the table? My friend here has hearC
somewhere from somebody that she Is al
awtully ordinary kind OF person, quite un
suitable to him, but tell her she must b.
mistaken. I've been watching them tive
ever so long, and I'm certain they are hus
band and wife, and very fond of one an
other at that.
That lady is Mrs HAYWARD, Mrs. Sher-
mans most intimate friend, answered An
ME with all the dignity she could muster al
so short "a notice. She is superintendent
of the grls department of the Sabbath
school, and the chairman of the committee
Of arrangements for to-day.
"Ahl' The old lady eyed her narrowly
'twixt confusion aud curiosity. She's al
handsome woman as ever | see-a'mos
like a queen. should say That's oneTea-
son picked her out as the sastors wife
Is Mrs sherman anywheres around here
If Won spy her. won't you point her ont (
me? One always W ants 10 see what thu
wife Of a distinguished man Is like, vol
know Pears like we don't Just know wha
to think OF him until we see what kind OF t
woman he's married.
q don't see her inst now Annie Wa
growing sick and cowarily, ashamed to re-
veal herself 10 the blunt dame. "She is
rs you have heard. plAin IN appearance
varv Ordinary You would never single
her out in IA crowd as Mir. Sherman's wife.
Then she got herself away out of the
thrOng while she had strength to move
slipped through q side door opening upon
the parsonage garden and 50 reached hel
home, deserted thJs afternoon. even by the
servants, and had several hours in which tC
think and TIC suffer.
The parsonage was crowded with visitor
all the evening; but Mrs. Hayward was t
the fole. and diverted general attention
from the harassed looks of the hostess Wit
poured our unuumbere1 cups of tea anC
coffee in the heated dining room. III obedi
,.nce 10 the orders of the Young lady ant
gentleman, waters moving and speakin
ike one in a dream. She wore II plall
black silk, her hair was tucked tightly be
mind her ears, and her collar Was crooked
Such forlorn and don't carish figure!
uuttered one school girl to another.
For once she appllea her adjectives cor
rectly. Annie was forlorn, and she dit
not care how she looked or what became o
hay