The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-08-12

| husband think Of our pretty one-so tender,
so gentle, Misunderstanding wearied by the
wayside, weeping and calling upon death,
| and thinking there be naught to love her but
the gracious Lord who is in the sky! Dost
thee not see herr If she had gone twenty
| miles I would walk to her! I would-I
wouldl"
In paroxysm Of grief and love she ran
toward tho door. But her husband came
after her hastily, and his hand fell upon her
shoulder
"Wherc would you go.' he said
ITO find my child Michael, let me be.
will not be hindered!"
He drew her back from the door and
| closed it violently.
"Listen to reason, woman!" he exclaimed
| controlling his voice with an effort that dis
colored and convulsed his features. "You
run mad easily, and madness is on you now,
and in this temper you ore not to be trusted
abroad. What will your sorrow do but pub
lish our shame' At thy time of life to chase
q phantom. Such is your child now; for
where IS she gone, and what road will you
takel Oh, fool! to let love blind thee to the
curse that God has set upon our foreheads!
You have sucked vice, and I have loved it
and carcssed it, and now it has brought
shame upon us and left US! The will OF the
Lord of Hosts be done! But this is my death,
Jane Wife, this thing has put ice in my
heart am cold here"
He stopped short, with his hand upon bis
breast, shaking his head slowly, with his
| froWn gone.
"sit thee down, Michael. My poor mani
This is cruel hard upon us bothl What
have we done that God should take our only
one from us2 Sit thee down. Why do you
pluck at your shirt2--your hand is. all OF
shiver."
She pushed q chair under him and lie sank
into it, and family beat with his fingers
upon his thigh, looking downward with
sideway droop Of the head
He rallied presently, and gazed at her
wistfully with softened eye, as she stood
before him with averted face silently crying.
"Am.not l wise, Jane, to restrain thee
from running into the town to seek the girlf
sThat which is crooked saith the preacher,
scannot be made straight; and that which Is
wanting cannot be numbered If she come
not back of her own accord, is it meet that
her mother should bring her: Not with my
leave shall you do it, And if she come, 1 go!
for this house will not hold us two. Hush
! I'll not hear YOU Your love is mothers,
and I say, God help thee! but if she were
twenty times my child, the hem of her gar
ment should not touch the sole OF my
boot 50 hateful hath her sin made her in my
sight"
He spoke with subdued energy-as man
in an illness might, indeed; and though
bitter and shocking as his words were for
his wife to hear, yet his broken aspect, his
ashen face, his dropping head, the senile
twitching of his fingers, the dulled gleam
in his eye were sights Of pathos to modify
pure maternal anguish with wifely yearn-
ing and dim dread not yet dofnable.
"You will not think her honest" she
moaned. "You will not believe that fear
has driven her forth If she is ignorant OF
the church wherein she was married, and
hath no memory to help thee to find it,
would she not think with terror on the
Journey and fly rather than take it with
you who are so stern to her7 Oh, Michael,
it drives ME mad to stand hero and think
of her as lonely, helpless wanderer."
"Why do you soy thar' Has the man no
friends, or means, to give her shelter'
How know you that her fight is not q
scheme to Join her lover who is in hiding'
Does she lack cunning. Do not seek her
I would lock theo in thy bedroom rather
than that this last disgrace should come
upon us!"
She answered him not word, but leaned
her forehead against the edge of the high
mantelpiece, and thus stood in silent anguish
| FRO ri. CONTIS1-ED0