Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-17

MY Dearest Harry: Your letter came IN
me thls morning, and il is 50 uiihcult 10 an.
sMtr itRt nope you viii be patient with me-
We nave known each other so long and loved
eaeh other so deHry, that il erievcs me hit
| terry TO refuse to marry Won Yes dearest
Is indeed 10 refuse YOU thut / write and
| perhaps you viii think me hard and pedant.
I ic Tor my reasons. ana perhaps unfceliur and
nnkind. on, co not think So for have been
| crying all the time that / have been writing
inns. ana can scarcely see TO write 10 now
| II goes to my very heart to crievr you so
Ana must ]. need |, tell YOU why2 Harry, If
| YOU do not grow more steady you viii break
my heart. have tried 10 believe whit YOU
/ say, That could save you. ] am only girl,
ana very full oil fau Is. ] could not hear of
my husband gambling. or see him helpless
! from drink without terror, disgust. horror. /
| dare not, Harry; your salvation is in higher
hanus than mine. DO not lean on a broken
| reed. We have no strength in curse YES. /
am doing this-l am sending you away from
me---but il is breaking my heart. ForI love-
! you, my daring---l love YOU as / know That
/ you love me 30 not try TO sec me, or to ater
my determination, for il cannot be altered
/ Goodbye, my darling. | will pray for all
Gods blessings on your head. Goodbye,
Goodbye.
Then the shadows stole lingeringly
over the circle, folding it softly out Of
sight.
Again | must suppose n lapse of
time. perhaps years. 1t is war time,
anxiety and trouble are brooding over
the land.
The shadows fit past. 1t is the same
room, with the same figures, but differ
emily occupied. Dressed in deep
mourning. mother and daughter have
been picking lint. A little packet of
letters lie on the table, and low sobs
burst now and then from Maude.
There lies her own letter, worn and
yellow and old. 1t was found in his
breast, and sent home with q lock of
his chestnut hair, accompanied bv y
letter from his Colonel-full of bitter
grief for the young officer whom every
one had loved the steadiest, the best,
the bravest, the most Jealous, whose
influence had raised the whole tone of
his command.
"Maude-Tell Maude owe all TO her
under God Those were the last
words he uttered before he was laid in
q soldiers grave.
See, the shadows are stirring again,
moving to and fro in an agitated way.
What is coming now?
1t was dark At tirst then slowly, as
my eyes got accustomed TO the gloom,
/ saw before me death-bed. Upraised
on white pillows lay an aged woman,
her face beamlng with light more di-
vine than of. earth, her pale hands
crossed on her breast. Round her
stood her sons and daughters, and her
children's children, and not one among
them who has not wept bitter tears that
so soon they should see her face no
more.
Only one more little glimpse, and
light poured over the picture, which
disappeared in golden glow.
hid my dazzled face.
"Charleyr'
A voice spoke my name in tears that
thr He'd my soul, and sound of dis
tant music filled the air.
raised my eyes. In the midst of
the glow stood the form of my wife.
Her robes were as white as snow, her
golden hair fell like a halo around her,
her lips parted in that sweet smile that
never could fade from my heart.
"Husnand," she said, ''you have
seen visions, sent to teach you the Sc
ere of woman Observation-Disclosures, the
power of the weakest.
'And their rights?"
"The reward of their labor. Pray
ers and blessings the fruition of self
sacrifice, gratitude, reverence, love.
These are the rights of true women"
The sweet vision passed away, and l
was left sitting in my chair with the
black wall opposite to me, and the en-
bers in the CRATE slowly burning out
Sweet Maudie, energetic Jeanne. my
good cousins-who would have thought
it of you all? Well! Welt one lives and
learns. ! wish | had come home soon
enough to see my mother once more.
They say she asked for me.
In this world ali must have its fitting
place, and will be adjusted 50 we'll that
the revolutions of our circular globe do
not produce a second chaos. What
were the tree without its leaves, or the
flower without the stalk? What were
woman without man, and in Heavens
name where were men without wom-
an?-L0ndoR Temple Bar.