The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-09-05
A Womnn's Fault.


They were lovers. All the romance
and sentiment of the world was theirs.
There is something unfathomable in
this thing called love. IL tyrannizes
over body and soul as no other feeling
can. 1t creates happiness from tho
greatest sorrow, light from the deepest
darkness.
Through her tears rs they parted
shone such light of love that he al
most dared call her wife. She knew
that she was loved In return, and that
knowledge created faith in her heart
which was to endure even TO the gates
of Heaven and beyond.
.'In year!' he whispered as he left
her.
And she answered.:
Il will wait year--a lifctimcr'
When year had passed and no
word came from him they tried to
shake her faith by creating doubts.
Men had no constancy. tney sneered;
men would wiring u woman's heart and
have no pity. Tears came TO her brown
eyes. but again she answered.:
HE will come back TO mer'
When the one year had become five
the old sailors in the tayerns and lofts
shook their heads and said to each
other that the ship had surely been
lost and that her young captain would
never be heard of more. Wives felt u
pity for the heart longing and waiting
through such uncertainty, and they
whispered that it would be no sin TO
love again.
II shall see him again-he will surely
retu nj" was the answer of Faith, with
her sorrowful face and aching heart.
The five years became ten. The
brown hair was streaked with gray.
and the girls fair face Lad become the
face of Il woman who carries sobbing.
wailing misery in her heart. Men
showed their cruelty by seeking to
awaken new love; women exhibited
their bitterness of heart towards their
own sex by ridiculing her faith. But
the light of q never-dying hcroism
burned in her eyes rs she answered
them:
HE gave me his promise-I am
watching for his ship!"
And the ten years became twenty.
Men and women had gone to their last
rest until scarcely one was left who re-
mcmbered when the lost ship sailed or
who was her captain. But there were
children who had heard the story, and
rs they smoothed down the gray hairs
with their soft lands they whispered:
at is SO sad! And he was lost at
sea2''
LOST she answered. "Ave! even
though the whole world told ale so l
should wait and watch for him!'
And the twenty years became thirty.
One night when the storm-vexed sea
dashed the shore in fury and men utter
ed brief prayers to God as they turned
their faces upon the ships making q
brave fight for life, Faith lay dying.
The end had come. A human heart,
troubled and bruised and SCARED by
waiting in vain-by hoping, to be ever
dsappointcd-was about to be stilled.
For a moment the storm lulled, just rs
man draws long breath before dash
ing into some great peril. As it
screamed and roarcd again in its VEN
geance Faith lifted her thin hand and
whispered:
HE is coming back to me! / shall
see MN again anu near MS voice once
more!"
The nurse moved nearer and whis-
pered kind words, but Faith waved her
aside and cried out:
''Do not come between us! / hear
his footsteps-he is here! Iloved him,
and my reward has come at last! Let
me clasp his hand-let me look into his
eyesr'
And again the storm lulled, until the
gale died TO sobs and whispers, and the
roar of the surf sounded miles away.
Before the fury gathered itself for n
fresh attack two spirits passed out of
the old house hand in hand and were
afar on the path TO Heaven. She had
listened, and his footballs had ut last
echoed in her ears. She had watched,
aud her glazod eyes had at last been
gladdened. she had waited, and he
had come TO be with her through the
perils of the dark valley.