The Brookhaven leader., 1883-06-07

solves. He did not grow stronger, and
it was generally believed he would not.
When Mr.. Olson had read the COM
planning letter from the wife of the man
now an invalid he thought the case was
bad. When he could not find the man
addressed, il had seemed to him much
worse. When he did find the man, sick
and helpless, and remembered that a
wife destitute and desperate in one
large city was appealing to husband
not only destitute but dangerously sick
in another large city, he knew it could
not be much worse. And in all his con-
sideration of the case he thought most
of the woman.
One evening as Mr.. Olson was about
to leave his office q woman entered
hurriedly, and, announcing that she
was Mrs Olson, wife of the sick man.
desired to be informed where she could
find her husband. Her agitation, the
misery expressed on her face, the eager,
pitifui questioning of her eyes, almost
called tears from the man, who an
swercd her inquiries and then asked:
"You received my letter containing
the directions dictated by your huS-
band?"
Yes. But did you suppose would
do it? l was nearly frantic. | deter
mined to come to John if had to walk
every step. The people helped me and
here l am. Is he very sick? Poor fell
low, and didn't know it? Why didn't
you write me sooner?"
Mr.. Olson explained and went with
the woman to see her husband, thinking
that the features of the case did not inn
prove. After meeting her husband the
woman was so much distressed and agi-
tated that It seemed as though the fami-
ly were to have two invalids on their
hands instead of one.
A week of anxiety passed, and the
man was pronounced out of danger.
Something had caused him to take a
more cheerful view of life, and he was
already considering plans for the future
and talking necessarily about them. He
was coming up from his sick bed a
changed man. He had been suspicious,
defiant, reserved through all the pre-
vious years of his life from boyhOod.
He had been uniformly unfortunate,
even in his married life. The great
trouble had been that he had convinced
himself that his wife did not love him.
His jealousy once aroused, he attached
great weight to every trif1ing circum-
stance, and many of his projects failed
simply because he had no great desire
to succeed. His wife's complaints were
reproaches that maddened him. And
finally he left home with the intention
to never return. He sent what little
money he earned home, but his wife's
complaints followed him in her letters.
He forgot that she did not understand
his intentions and took a mOurnful sat
isfaction in denying himself that he
might send her money. Finally there
came a time when he could earn no
money, and the frenzy incident thereto
made him one of the widest of the
working men, appealing for aid, and
the excitement and exposure incident
to his destitution ended in sickness and
despair. He had gone down with a
heart full of bitterness and suspicion.
He came up with a heart tender from
its over-fullness of thankfulness. The
fact that his wife had overcome so
many difficulties in coming to him and
had exhibited such anxiety as to his re-
COhtlN, anu SuCI uHIlI luS uCNOtlOH Httt
cleared his vision wonderfully. A
woman who could so care for man
must love him, and, casting all sus-
picions aside, he had resolved to COM
mence life anew in more ways than one.
This confession was made to his
friend, John Olson, when the latter told
him the story of receiving the wrong
letter.
There were several happy people in
that little house when John Olson, in
valid took his first step, supported by
John Olson, his friend. That there was
a nearer relationship they did not know
until the grandmother of the latter,
weeks afterwards, traced it out, and
then were all the mysterious, shadowy
suggestions of the sick-bed scene ex-
planned. And this good old grand
mother says, very reverently, that Gods
hand was in the letter that went wrong,
and that both men had to recognize it.
And while the young men take slight
ly different view, they thank God all the
Chicago Inter Ocean.