Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-09-25
Miscellaneous.
Only One Fault.

You may see it IN Greenwood Cemetery.
a splendid tombstone. with a woman's name
upon il. Not Ruth Hol,-though that is
the name under which YOU shall know her
but 4 prouder name. and one You may have
heard. Flowers grow about her tomb and
the turf lies softly over it. You would
scarcely guess her life had lis sap end as you
stood there. Rather would YOU fancy that
love and tenderness surrounded one. over
whom such a costly pile O: scuIptured mar
bic rears itself. from her birth unto her
death.
1t is story such as seldom write-,his
life Of hers-one that cannot be ended by
happy reunions and the swee, sound OF
marriage bells but there are too manv such
stores IN the world to be quietly passed
over, #. haply. there be anv warning in
them. The lives of Others are, il We
read them rightly, the best sermon ever
preached, and this of Ruth liolly's is only
too true. Yet IT began very sweetly, ike
some old pastoral poem. She loved, and
was beloved again, and the man she loved
had Onl, one fault. He was Young, he was
brave. tie was witty, he was handsome. he
Was generous hi, love was devotion, his
friendship no inkr-warm thing Of words he
hal great taent and srea. power. IIs elo-
qurnce had thrilled many an audience worth
The thrilling. What he wrote touched the
eo4 TO the Yer, quick. He was an amateur
painter and musician, and everywhere wa,
ioy,G. honorcd and admired He had only
one flui, in the wo:il he drank too much
wine at times. When lie dbl so he turned.
50 convi,iai friends said, into demi-god
il Was wrong. hut not - Uad as il might
..4t3 u,.,,l
~uWe day. ,hey said, loving him as his
81 feu!, All loved him and 50 Ruth thought.
Sn Get, loyia.- beautiful Ruth, to whom he
Aai nlighted bis tro,h, ana wooei in verse
aGl song, and with lis most eloquent ewes.
20 = bltose he had put his passion into
words ht, 30 did not tnink Ru:h Martins
iltaef. lAis oue faux of Edward Eiolly's
oytr>A4.. nrl III, virtue lii his eyes. aud Il.
i,i.scd nim his daughters hand. giving him
the reason why. plainly anl Kindly.
You'll be a drunkard YET, Ned Holly"
-lI the Old man. shaking his head s,ernly.
Tive ssen men of genius 20 the same road
OcfoIe. I've SAID Id rather have no talent
10 my family, since It seems TO lead SO sure
j. to dissipation. Ny sons are not YET too
brilliant 10 he sober men. thank heaven; as
for my daughter, only a sober gentleman
shalt have her for wife, you'd break her
heart. Ned Holly"
So the dashing man of letters felt him
self insul;ed, and retorted hotiy, and the two
were enemies.
Ruth suffered bitterly; she loved her
father, and she loved Edward to disobey
her parent. or to break her lovers heart
seemed the only choice offered her. She
had other lovers, she had seen much society.
and had been introduced to the highest cir
cles IN France well as in England but
amongst all the men she had known none
pleased her as Edward Holly did. Not
what one styles an intellectual woman her
self, she reverenced intellect, and her affec-
tions were intense. The struggle in her
heart was terrible.
She met her lover by stealth, against her
fathers will but for long while she re-
sisted his entreaties to marry him in def.
ance of the old mans refusal. At last, an
gered by her persistence in obedience, Ed
ward accused her offearing to share the for
tunes of one comparatively poor-one who
must carve his own way up life's steep hill
without assistance. The unmerited reproach
sank deeply into her warm heart, and in a
sudden impulse of tenderness and sympathy
she gave him the promise he hsd 60 long
sought in vain. They were married that
evening, and before morning were upon
their way to a far of city, where Edward,
sanguine and conscious Of power, believed
that he should make for himself name and
position Of which any woman might be
proud. To her father Ruth wrote . long
and loving letter. imploring his forgiveness,
but the answer crushed all hope within her
bosom.
AS you SOW. so must you reap we're
the words the old man wrote. Il have no
longer q daughter" and Ruth knew that
henceforth-(for she had been motherless
for years,) she had in all the world only the
husband for whom she had sacrificed for
tune, and what is worth far more. the ten
der protection OF father.
in those early days Edward did his hest
to make amends for all, and she was 30
proud of him, and 90 fond Of him that she
soon forgot to grieve.
She heard his name uttered in praise by
ali. She knew that he had but TO keep
steadily on, to mount 10 the proudesf seat in
fame's temple. and for a year she had no
fear Of his faltering. Nov and then fe-
verish something in his voice and manner. a