Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-26
Che Charity of Womanhood.
Chicago News

Che Charity of WOmanhood
Chicago News.
A man whose greatness had brought
him fame and wealth lay on his death
bed. A woman clasped his hands and
with her kisses and words of love
strove to soothe his dying agonies.
Many years ago this man and this
woman were made husband and wife,
and side by side they started upon
LIES journey. Youth, love, and hope
gave them strength. No other posses
slons had they, yet the future was full
OF promise.
The man gloried in his majestic
manliness. Health made him mar
vel Of noble beauty. His frame was
of iron, his muscles were of steel. and
his brain was clean and vigorous as
the sturdy heart that throbbed in his
rugged breast. Success which is an
otaer term for wealth and fame-came
to him as certainly as it always does
to the brave and strong. Who was
there that did not admire the manli-
ness OF his art?
But in the years that followed this
success the man neglected the woman
his wife. Dazzled by the glory of
| his trlumphs, his eyes were blind to
the beauty, the loyalty, and the sweet
ness of her love. Perhaps he thought
the woman whom the sturdy. I'M
known youth had taken to his heart
was unworthy to share the fruits of
the great and honored mans con-
quests. But he put her away; in all
/ h ivy LOT \ hn II
not from an evil heart, but from the
false glitter by which an unparalleled
prosperity blinded his eyes and turned
his head.
10 this wrong succeeded a greater.
| Women who knew not the sweetness
and sacreaness of purity openly and
wantonly gloried in this unholy
homage. And into this popular idols
life there crept a shame that meant
inevitable and irretrievable ruin.
Who counted the tears-who heard
the agonized prayers of the heart
broken wife In all the years of this
proud, strong rnan's exultation? That
divine, almighty Power that has
written in every human bosom this
eternal truth-that he who puts a
stain upon his hearthst0ne and violates
a wifely love shall pay a sure and
dreadful penalty.
So 1t came to pass that at the very
height OF his glory, and in the full
possession of his powers, an aw-
ful retribution came upon the great,
strong man. The shame of his splen-
did life had planted it's poison thick
and deep, and the ruin was complete.
A cloud fell upon the strong mans
reason, and his majestic fame crumbl-
ed and wlthered with disease. Where
then were his hatterers, and where
the comfy sirens that with their fale
charms had allured hin. from his
hearthstone? At the first warning
of impending ruin they disappeared
like unbeams before the advance of
a thunder cloud. Where was his
fame nowhere his greatness, the
worlds homage, the power of riches2
Ali gone-a1l dissipated, or, at least,
as futile against the hand of divine
retribution as the winds that play
around the tops of the everlasting
hills.
From a living dream whose horrors
we may never know, the shattered,
enfeebled man awakened one day.
The cloud was lifted from his brain,
and ere he went to his last judgment,
his eyes looked once more for short
moment upon the woman he had so
grievously wronged. She, woman as
she was came with forgiveness on her
lips and love In her broken heart, to
minister to him in his last moments
to bear him back to the heartstone he
had abandoned. He felt her arms
about his neck, and the death lamp
on his brow was warmed by her car
esses.
Then, at last, we may suppose, this
mighty wreck-this shattered fabric
Of human idolatry-saw and felt the
incompatible sweetness and grandeur
Of wifely love. At least, we are told
he stretched out his hands to her as
though he pleaded for forgiveness.
His lips moved, but from them there
came no sound-as if memorable re-
tribution decreed be should not tel
that gentle, noble wife how sweetly
her love soothed him. But we are told
his eyes were fixed steadily upon hers,
and we know-yes, ye know it we'll =
they spoke tenderly and reverently to
her, and pleaded, oh, so earnestly,
for her love and compassion. We
know, too, that all the love and com
passion the dying great man craved
was given freely-ay, even before his
trembling hands and pleading eyes
reached out for it.
Such is thy charity, O godlike
womanhood! and in it's sweetness and
tenderness and purity God grant we
may all live and die
Doing Up Husband.
Detroit Free Press.
Tho 1T bor or-a-,i,,nr n yooI;oapoar