The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-22

poor. little dismal vet heroic letters AT
the close Of the second volume After
having toiled for him suffered for him.
glored in him. wor>hipped linn, and
that too. when nobody else had di>coy-
cred anything even family admirable in
hinl.--aiter all this TO find herself nee
lected. LETT a dc>patc hearth and ~
empty drawmg-room. While bc wa
sought after and courted Can any
i thing be more dismally disappointing "a
! Il woman than this: And vet Hjs i>
what the second volume Of the letters
reveal; and thus is what has filled my
soul with sense Of loss. proving con
| lclusively as it does, in wordles-. un-
Intentional way. that my hero. after al,
had clay-feet and was unworthy.
4 Is it diisayS the case that men out
grou their wives: I've thought of -
rany men (since I've read those let
/ ters) who have gone onward into 4
more vigorous mental-lite; who have
achieved victory. have won the longed-
4 for results of effort and study: but, in
Yoing forward they have left the little
woman ut their hearth-stOne away out
/ Of sight VIII some householder tell
me tchy this is? Is 1t because man is
too proud to linger hv the wayside. ac-
Icommodating his gait to suit the tremh-
/ ling. timid steps of his life-partner: Or
/ j. il because he torgetS to heed the
! throbblnG heart-beatS Of the sensitive
soul who would be .'all things in all'' to
| him and yet finds herself unequal !?
! These thoughts were suggested to me
! bv the words of one of my friends. IA
Con .re> sman and Il man whose elo-
quence sways the multitude Ike a
mighty. rushing. wind. 1t was at the
Springs; the talk had fallen upon wo-
mans influence and power when she
wishes to win place and position for her
hus band That's Just why | am glad
my wife ism t like you" he said. for
then they'd say. oh, b! why his wife
made him I'd rather he what | am
by the grace of God and the people.
than by the grace OF any woman liv-
ing
Eugene Hall" your last letter was
most gratifying. | make you my best
bow. Never again suffer yourself To be
[, ,mpted 10 leave us Iou were one OF
my favor.tes in the sunny" Household.
YOU know.
Comfort Marshall" !" / shall certainly
write that private letter, though the day
''postpOnes ITSELF as my old music
teacher used to say. Oh, if | only had
time to do all that mr. heart prompts
me to do There's Helen McGregor
waiting. with YOU. or rather | am wait
ing to write to both of you.
Write often, both OF you, won't you
Your lett rs are always 50 full Of wit,
wisdom, and that genuine womanlines:
which is SO winning.
Anita dear friend. once upon 4
time there was begun little note to
YOU. but that also was washed away III
the overflow Of confusion which SO near
ly made ship-wreck Of me.
Il. B. letter has gone to you. as
a reward fmerit" for being the sweet
est. most patient and comprehendinc
friend a woman ever had. When shall
| become worthy of YOU:
''Grandma.' won't you please say
something very encouraging to this one
Of your children: | haven't any tm-
KEYS. nor any vegetable garden worth
writing about. But | have got two OF
the brightest children that ever put a
mothers tact and Judgment to the test;
and. ever since the nervous-tever con-
lquered me. that aching ''mother-WaHt'
has been growing more and more bitter.
Do YOU not understand: Haven't YOU
sometimes felt how hard it is to feel
Obliged TO think of Others when. hereto
fore you were the one to be thought
for:
But I've written enough for this
time 1t will not be long before | come
again tor my 'summer-ing" is over,
land I have returned To the -sbOsOm OF
my lliterarN) family" \. l.. ii.