The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-09-18

l"SSah w lcei lpnolS, I'd slcKen OF ner
unsatis aciory life; bit by bit she had
grown to see that she and Humphrey
had been foolish, both of them, the one
as much as the other. Did he feel the
samef 1t might be- Yet their letters
continued to be OF the scantiest and
lcol,lest.
Another year dragged itself on, and
then she made no pretense OF keeping
lnp the farce OF resentment to ber own
heart. Time, generally speaking, shows
PUP our past mist axes in their true COL
ers. Emma Carbonel longed for her
4sAusband ! to come, she grew feverishly
impatient to become reconciied. Mari
ana in the Moated Grange was favorite
reading OF hers just now:
"she said: i am weary, weary,
He cemeth not she said:
| He oometh not, AMI all is drsary--
| would that were deadl'"
Humphrey Carbonel came not. Moth
ing came but the details OF the fighting
wars and rumors of wars.
May was in again; ano'he" May; Mrs
Carbnnel sat at her window in the twi-
Hight OF chilly, diizzling day. The
gloom without harmonized with the
gloom within. And yet, hardly so The
rain might he cold, dreary, dispirting
but it was nothing as compared with the
ldesolaticn OF her heart. Childless, and
worse than widowed! Size bad hoped,
ah Tor year or two now, that Hum
phrry's old love for her might overrule
biz pride and bitterness, and prompt him
TO write to her word of tender regret
for their conduct to one another. But
he did no.. She was feeling il all TO her
hearts core this miserable evening; un-
availing remorse lay heavily upon her i;
she wished she could die and end it. No
sign of reconciliation had passed since
they parted in pride and anger; not
word of repentance on either side had
crossed the dreary gulf that flowed be-
tween them Words OF another poet.
dead and gone, e ,ated through her mind
as she sat Night and day lstely they
had seemed to haunt il:
"Alasl they had been friend, In YOUTH
But whispering tongues can poison truth,
And csnstaucy lives in realms ab,ve,
And life is th orny and youth is vain;
And to Be wrath with one we love,
Doth work like madness In the brain
Should she GO mad2 There came mo.
ments when she feared she should if this
state of thing. continued. A week ago
there had been some talk in the papers
that the war would, in all probability,
soon he over. Then Humphrey would
come home agsin.
Her thoughts turned to this phase;
she began to dwell upon it, and what it
would involve to him and her. Pres
emily she lost herself in fond anticipa-
tions, realizing it all as in a picture
Somehow she felt strange nearness to
him, as il he were coming then, were al
most there. She heard the rain beating
against the windows and she glanced to
see that the fire in the CRATE was bright
when hc came in. She gazed beyond
the house gate down the road in the
gathering gloom, almost, almost expect
ing to see him approach as she used TO
see him IN the days gone by. She had
been wretchedly lonely so long now, and
she wanted to hear his footstep IN the
hall. to feel his caressing hand on her
sunny hair and to hear his bright words,
"t1ood evening, Emma, my dear!" 1t
did not seem strange to her that this
shonld happen, or that she wac expect
ing il, though she had never once had
this feeling through all these separated
years. 1t did not seem marvellous that
he should come thus from beyond the
seas without notice. Had he opened the
door and stood there by her side she
would not have felt startled or surprised
or at all wondered at it, The bewilder
ment wrought by long continued s,r-
row has stolen over her senses.
But Humphrey did not come, only,
the postman came in al the gate !
and knocked at the door. Mechanically
abe wondered why he was 80 late this
evening. She heard the servant who an
swered the knock say the same to the
man
"Yes, it's laie," he answered ia mail
from The war is in, you see. ard brought
a good many letters
The woman came In with thick let
ter and the lights: her mistress took 1t
with nervous haste; a thick letter and |
from her husband! until now his letters
had been OF the thinnest and slightes.
The writing ssns it Humphreys? Why,
yes, it was his; hut what could make it
look so shaky7 She opened it carefully
and some Enclosures fell out A fond !
letter or two of hers written 10 him al.
Ter their marriage, during temporary
separation; curl OF her SUNNY hair; a
plain gold ring which he had worn ever
since his wedding day; and little fold
I'd note with few trembling lines in it,
III am diving, Emma; fell to-day in
battle. God forgive ns our folly, nv
precious wife! believe We loved one
smother all the while. There is another
Life, my dear one; shall he waiting for
Gou there. HUMPHREY.
Emma Carbonel did no, cry, did not
she lay back in low, large chair,
Ter meek hsnds clasped in supplicalinn,
praying to be- pardoned for all her wick
,dness to her dead husband, feehly be-
eeching God in His mercy to take her
g that better life. |,
The next day the papers published a
ist Of the fallen. Fourteen soldiers snd
wo officers. one OF the latter being Cap !
ain Humphrey Carhonel
: SO it was all over; death had parted ;
hem. They had taken their marriage !
lows to love and cherish one another
Until death did them part-and 10 Eow !
t bad stepped in to do it's work
Ahi bet something else had stepped
n previousiyi angry passions INDUCED ,
n, malice not suppressed But for that, I
humphrey Carbohel had never gone out
o the fatal plain where death was indis- c
putting in his SICKLE Emma ,
jarbonel would have given now her own 7
ife to recall the past. {
Experience must he bought, sometimes
II too dearly she saw how worse than
oolieh it is, taking it at the best to rem
Ter our short existence here one OF mar c
ing anger. Evil temper bears up at the Il
noment,, but time must bring the reac /