The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-15

had come. The silence was holy; / dared
not break It, but waited Tor him TO speak.
HKats babe me tell you everything she
said | would have moT comfort in your
presence II you knew all. / can not tell
you when the first insane idea came TO me.
l struggled against it! l prayed for help
10 conquer It. a l had never prayed for
death In my most miserable hours! But
It grew stronger and stronger, the fierce
longing, the intense desire! l Stunned
Katel Ispent whole days in the woods,
alone with my own bitter thoughts, my
passionate, pleading heart! can not re-
call those houm even now without q shud-
der, did not know then, but | know
now, that It was the madness cloud settl-
ing upon my brain. Life grew darker and
darker to me. Mother and Kate followed
me with mute, %Isproachful eyes, In the
deepest shadow OF the forest | could not
hide myself from these pathetic, pleading
eyes! They reasoned with me, reproach-
ed, upbEAided mel One day l came in
from one Of my long tramps. l was sick
in body and mind, Kate met me at the
gate. She put her hand on my shoulder.
l do not know what she said, l was deaf
and blind to all save my passionate desire!
| knew that II she yielded TO my wishes, il
she became my wife, l would one day, re-
preach her for 1t, but nothing matteEed to
me then. ! plead with such e~loquelcs
and passion that l thoughtshe must yield,
but when | paused, overcome by my own
vehemence, she only said softly, lifting 10
mine . white face, into which my hot
declarations had brought no shade oiColor:
dearest, Icannot be your wife. l must
be brave for us BETH" Friend, life SEEM
ed to slip from me. l supposed l sWooned,
l know nothing Of the weeks that follow
ed. But when the madness cloud left my
brain, the desire that for months had tor
mented me was also gone. Since then l
have been content to take her love, her
tenderness, her prayers, very gratefully.
She comes here every night and prays for
mel her prayer sWeetens the night, as
does her presence the day, And death
will soon be here"
My whole heart went out in sympathy
to this suffering family. / cannot recall
the weeks that followed without sadness.
Hardin was slowly but surely dying.
There was no physical illness, the mind
was merely wearing out the body. Kate
was always with him, reading, singing, or
playing TO him. Tender as q mother to a
sick child-loving as q wife to q suffering
husband. As the end grew near Harding
became more patient, gradually the bit.
tsrness which had added 80 much to his
affection left him.
tNo one could live near Kate" he said,
one day, and not grow loving, humble,
and dutitul. Her purity shames me. Her
tenderness, her love, strengthens and en-.
me. II l am q truer and better
man, and | trust | am both, 1t Is owing to
her influence and championship. May
God bless and comfort her!
The last day had come. We were gath.
cred around Haden's bed; Kate was
seated by his side, her hand in his. The
mother sat near, weeping bitterly,
Dear" he said to Kate, ~ leave my
mother to you. Be- both daughter ana
son to herl She will grleVe deeply for
me-comfort herl But do you, my love,
shed no tears over my death. Remember
how full Of misery my life has been;
death comes to me as a blessed released"
"Ohl Alec, my son, car you not forgive
me2" walled the mother.
"Most fully and freely, dear mother. I
could not have said this once, but in the
light Of my own terrible temptation l dare
no longer presume to Judge you or my
Rather let me ask your forgive
ness mother, for all the anguish l have
caused you"
Mrs. Hardin could not answer, tears
her utteranCe. Seeing this, he
drew her to him and pressed her cheek
tenderly against his own. A long pause,
he spoke again to Kate.
"Let me thank you again, love for your
conatancy and courage"
Another long pause, and then he spoke
gaspingly, Dear, l prayed 1t
be thus, with o clear mind. The
end is here. The shadows cannot reach
me in that other world" and he passed
into the dawn.