Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-06-14
ALTERNATIVES.
A Love Story Prattily Told.


"Are there no underwriters for human
hopes? for the most precious of interests is
there no insuritnccy
had been tempted all day, tempted
by fate and the devil. All summer long
Ihad been trying to clasp hands for
life Journey with n man did not love; a
man noble of soul and born to the pur-
pie, who sal up high lineage against my
poor gifts of beauty and song. He
threw some love into the scales, too,
but I, God help me, had none to give in
return. | had bartered erewhile my
whole possessions for few glances of a
dark, dark eye, and my note had gone
to protest.
Could |, could 1? 1t kept following
me about with fateful persistency, for
tonight was to give my answer to my
high born lover.
tried to look things in the face, to
count the cost
Money was good thing; it insured
one warmth in winter and delicious
GOODNESS in summer, and prettiness and
daintiness, and the entrance into good
society. Yes, money was a good thing,
and position and power, and houses and
lands. So far good; but my soul hun
gered and thirsted for love commen-
surate with my own, which this man,
who offered me purple and gold, had il
not in his power to give, or, let me quail
fy that, had it not in his nature to give.
The stars came out golden and soft,
and the fragrant summer dusk crept
around me where | sat inhaling the
scent of the roses. Ambition and love
tore my heart by turn, and WEAKNESS, too,
put in a poor pitiful plea, for was SC
tired, so tired.
1t was a brilliant future that Reginald
Dacre offered me. wherein toll and
WEAKNESS could never come. | thought
of the purple and fine linen; the luxuri'
GUS rest; the emoltments! Then my
daily life passed in review before me
that of companion to naughty, fine
lady, and a singer in fashionable
church, among fashionable saints and
sinners. began to Groom over the old
satire:
In church which is garnished with mullion
and gable,
With altar and reredos, with gargoyle and
groin
une Den1tentS dresses are SealSKlIl ana SaDle,
The OdOr of sanctity's eau de cologne
But surely if Lucifer, flying from Hades,
Could gaze at this crowd, with its paniers and
paints,
He would say, looking round at the lords and
the ladies,
Owhere is All Sinners il this is All Saints?
I had entered upon this life from an
unloved and unloving home, home
doled out to me by the tardy justice of
granduncle who had robbed me of my
inheritance. I thought at first I might
find the sangreal somewhere in this new
country, which seemed so fair, but alas!
Ihad not even heard the swish of wings.
I thought of it all-the fever and the
fret; the petty jars; the misunderstand-
ings; the pain of incomprehension; the
unguerdoned toll; the tagging hours; the
awful pauses.
This or marriage; this or marriage.
1t seemed written like a placard on
earth and sky. l seemed bound like
phylactery upon the brows of the peo-
pie as they passed to and fro; and soon
the word marriage lost all its signiti-
canoe for me, as words do after oft re-
peating. Did it mean misery or happi-
ness, bliss or wop This marriage that
rung its changes through my brain
was it God-appointedP Did it mean
Gods blessing or His curse?
You know did not love this man
who offered me rest from my labors. He
had not power to evoke one thrill at his
call. But then love is only one reason
why one should marry man. There
might be love and plenty of money, and
yet one 60 hungry all ones life. have
known such things.
Ihad tried to make my life straight
and fair. l had tried to keep clean
hands and pure heart; tried-God,
who knows the secrets of all hearts,
knows this-to fight despair.
Long, green days,
Worn bare of grass and sunshine; leng calm
nights
From which the sinsen sleeps were fretted out
Be witness for me.
We see through shadows all our life
long. We come into this world without
eur being given choice as to our ad-
vent, and 60 out of it in the same man
ner.
We have not been consulted as to
birth or death. More and more the
prayer of Epictetus haants me. LEAD
me, Zeus and Destiny, whithersoever 1
am appointed to 60; | will follow with
out wagering; even though 1 turn cow
L II r