Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-11-28


tinued.
80, mol Mary always looks So" he
was obliged to return, with an attempt
at smile.
'sDid she look so when you married
herr" was on Helen's lips, but she
forced it back, and spoke of other and
pleasanter subjects. Marion was quite
out of sight when they paused by the
railing of little fountain.
Il saw a sketch the other day in a
magazine to which you contribute. 1t
impressed me greatly. and interested
me the more because | fancied that |
recognized your style. do not recall
the title Just now, but the hero is a
man, married in his youth to a pretty
but unintellectual country girl. By
virtue of his talents and energy he
to higher phase of life than her
abilities can compass, and in the new
world opened up to him with the
golden key of genius, meets and falls
in love with woman, in every res
pect fitted 10 make him happy"
Il wrote it-yes" Herbert replied
a little husklly.
you authors are such unrelenting
people, and guilty of SO much refined
cruelty. Is there not enough real
trouble in the world without working
us up over imaginary woesp Helen
asked with little laugh.
''But suppose this is not an imagin-
airy case; what if it is story of real
life?" Herbert exclaimed with good
deal of agitation, laying his hand
daringly upon hers as it rested on the
railing of the fountain.
Helen made use of the imprisoned
member to remove an investigating
grasshopper before she answered
calmly:
Even if it is, there may be another
side to the story, Mr.. Pennoyer. |
am no romancer, and, while aware
that lay myself liable to charge OF
'peddling owls in Athens just for
once, by way of illustration, [ will
suppose case:
I'VE will say that the hero was a
poor but gifted young man. He mar
ried early, imagining himself in love.
Perhaps he was in love then, but we
will let that pass. His bride, the
present dullard, was young country
maiden, pretty with the incompatible
comcliness of youth and innocence.
She had heart of gold, too, and low
ed her young husband with all the
strength of her simply,faithful nature.
She might not have been able to enter
fully into his dreams and aspirations,
but she could work for him and pray
for him, and who can know but those
earne st prayers from sinless lips had
much to do with the blessed certainty
that crowned his hopes at last Well,
she not only prayed, but she did with
her might what her hands found to
do. From dawn to dark she labored,
denying herself all but the commonest
necessities of life, that her husband
might not be handicapped in the great
race. Her children went, one by one,
back to the God who gave them, con
scious, perhaps, that they were but
stumbling blocks IN his pathway, and
then she was left alone. After while,
when toll and self -denial became no
longer necessary, they had grown in
to fixed habits with her, and she was
almost uncomfortable without them.
She had narrowed and cramped her
own nature that his might be widened
and expanded, and now the growing
season is over. The husband, the
hero-is he one?-nas reached the
zsnith of his power The world glasps
his hand and asks him to dine. He
is impatient and ashamed of the hum
BILE foolish woman who dwarfcd her
own nature, stified her own individu-
ality, and expended the best part of
her life on the kettles and economies
of his lordship's kitchen. And for
this: the disdain of the world, the
contempt of her husband, and the
blessing of her God Perhaps after
all the reward is worth the struggle,
the suffering, the contumely, and the
wasted life on earth. 1t is what you
and | will never attain, Mr.. Pennoyer.
In Heaven, if we are deemed worthy
TO enter there, we shall sit at that
woman's feet?"
Herbert Pennoyer was very pale,
aud also little bewildered, when she
finished.
Il acknowledge that l presented a
wrong view of the question. | shall
try to remedy the error" he said at
last in a low voice.
I'm the next number?" with little
ominous note in an even tone. Then,
without giving him time to answer,
she continued: "Do look yonder
through the trees! 1t is like wee bit
of old Connecticut Settlement pickle /
up and transplanted bodily to the
heart of the city. Are you surprised
Yes, | live there / have just CONF
from there, in fact. We moved to
town soon after you left it. Perhaps
you have heard OF the coal mines de-
veloped there some years ago2 They
were poor papa s-they are mine now.
| am returning in short time and
shall be charmed to be the bearer of
any messages you may wish to send to
your old friends and neighbors. BY
tho way, should like to know your
wife. L have heard so much that was
good of her from the people back
there. They cali her Mary Lyddy.
1t sounds 50 quaint and pretty to me.
All, here is Marion at lastr'
Herbert Pennoyer muttered hasty
farewell and turned somewhat abrupt
ly away. Had he been a woman he
would probably have tainted; being a
man, | think he swore.
Mary Pennoyer was simple and di-
rect in all her actions and reasonings.
She did not stop to argue in regard to
whether or no 1t was exactly honor
able to investigate Herbert's papers in
search of Information she might have
had from himself. Instead, She went
straight to the study and opened the
desk by the window. There were a
great many scraps of paper with notes
and illusions which she did not in the
least understand, but none of them
seemed To be what she wanted. The
capacious vase basket was interview
ed next, and at the very bottom she
found few crumbled sheets contain
ing an epiteme of the sketch; and,
worst of all, and most conclusive, the
significant words scrawled idly across
it: My own experience to IT,
Mary Pennoyer pushed the waste
basket back again with foot that she
was conscious added another pang to
her burden of misery. She had walk
ed SO many weary miles in her round
of household duties that No. shoe
hardly afforded the requisite degree of
comfort. She spread Ler ten i'll shap-
ed, stumpy fingers on the green felt
uritinrta hIe and loolyad Of than,