The Cecil Whig., 1885-11-21

posts and every other accessible place
till all ut-of-doors was transformed into
a white, billowy cloud.
Ruth shivered as she stood at the
window watching the snowhakes and
the passers-by. She drew near the
fire and took up her sewing. But
sewing was in vain tonight, for
thoughts of Tom made the tears
drop upon her work and blinded her
eyes. Oh, where was her husband
cold and still in some dreadful place
and being covered up by the falling
snow? How could she live the long
and dreadful years without him
How pitiless the world was to 60 on
Just the same as if it hadn't swal-
lowed up her life, her all! Was God
pitiless, too? Didn't he care? How
the wind howled, as if it liked to
make peoples hearts ache!
| Somebody was in the hall near
her door; they wrapped. For some
reason, all at once it came over her
that Toms body had been found
and they had come to tell her. She
stood up to go to the door, but mo-
ton torsook her. She grew cold
and trembled in every limb. She
tried to tell them to come in, but
though her lips moved there was no
sound. The door opened and
ooh, Tomn' she cried, and sank
down upon the chair. Was it Tom,
her Tom, who was coming toward
her and looking down into her face
with such loving eyes? Everything
grew dark; it seemed to her she
heard, far away, Toms voice calling
her. MY own darling wife. my lit
tie Ruth" he said, but she could
not answer, she could not go to him,
she could not move. Then she felt
herself in some ones arms and the
light came back to her eyes. She
saw that it was really Tom holding
her and covering her face with
kisses.
When the first great joy had
calmed down into deep happiness,
and common things began to come
into their minds, he related to her
his experience. 81 must have been
out of my mind when left the Of
flee, and so wandered away, for l
can't remember leaving it. wan
dered off as much as four or five
miles into the country, to the fun
niest, little, out of-the-way house,
where lived the dearest little old wo-
man that ever was. When | came
out of my delirium, so weak that |
could not feed myself, and could
only whisper few words, and saw
this sweet faced, little old lady, in
her neat, soft dress and pretty cap
and apron, lowering about me so
gently, arranging pillows and Civ
ing me drink, and soothing me in
gentle, hutelike tones, she seemed
lovelier than an angel, and | instinct
lively called her mother l grew to
love her like mother and vowed
that | would cherish her as one
when she told me of her lonely life
and of the husband and children she
had lost"
eyes, she shall come and live with
us, and we will always love her and
care for her." said little Ruth, and
she put her soft arms around her
husbands neck and kissed him, with
tears III her eyes.
'When l came out of my fever l
could not remember the past, only
as it came to me by degrees. l had
no papers with me by which my
name or residence could be known
or you would have heard of my
whereabouts long ago. Mrs. Pres
ton, the old lady, had tried many
times to bring to my mind the past,
but with no success. 1t seemed
locked up away from me, and we
could not find the key. So the
weeks passed on until was nearly
well. The other day, as she was
busting the table, she accidentally
dropped her Bible. 1t fell open at
the book of Ruth. | stopped to
pick it up and saw the name, All
at once everything came back to me.
l almost screamed, Yes, yes, l have
a wife, and sat down and cried like
a child.
"Then l wanted to come to you
at once, but Mrs. Preston would not
listen to it, but said | must write
first; for you probably thought me
dead, and it would be a dreadful
shock to you to have me come upon
you so suddenly. | thought |
could not wait, but she insisted, and
she wrote to YOU
"And | never got the letter., said
Ruth, stroking her husbands hair.
"But the excitement was too much
for me-" said Tom, "and the next
day l couldn't get off my bed. But
today l came, and here we arc
again, my darling, and my poor lit
tie girl needn't grow sad and pale
any more mourning for her dead
| husband"
Ruth put her head on her hus-
| bands shoulder and cried a little
Then she jumped up in her old
happy way and said Tom must lie
down on the lounge and rest him
self while she made some tea. Sc
she fixed him nice and snug by the