Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-13
TOM MOORE'S SWEET WIFE.
Life of Patient Watching Crowned a. LIS
With HAPPINESS and Peace

a Life of Patient Watching Crowned a. LIS
With Happiness and Peace.
Moore was one of those who believed in
| the right of genius to enlarge the Dor
| ders and kick over the traces at its pleas
ure, writes E. Lynn Lynton. He main
| tanned the doctrine of irres possibility in
| action if not In formal profession and
| took care that no sordid consideration of
| official duties, nor lettering shackeis of
home ties, should vex his poetic soul or
! shorten his mortal tether. He did what
| he liked to Go, and declined to do what he
| did not like, and he managed TO escape
opposition to one and censure 10 the
| other. While the sun shone, he was the
marital butterfly, sporting in the free
| blue air, while his mate was iaboring on
a leaf over those eggs that had to be pro-
| video for. His resting place was Oh
every rose that Opened her blossoms
glowing veil" to him and tho nIghtengale
and as rarely IA possible on the home
| cabbage, with thu mother Of the eggs and
| little maggOts.
He was more at his ease anywhere than
with his wife and children, and he left
| them o. the very smallest prCvocation-
| too happy to escape. But he wrote long
| letters and frequent; poor Bessie being
mainly useful as sort of sym pathetic
| chorus &c wnon he partially confded the
story Of his triumphs, and who gave him
| back indulgence and consideration in
return for those not quite exhaustive
| confessions. Meanwhile she sat behind
|. the close drawn curtains of home and
| waited--watching the slow passing of the
| days and biding her time, like hunter
stalking the years for her quarry, end
knowing that she would come up with
them in the end. So she did. His power
| failed him, the world passed him by; his
| loves forgot him; his special roses had
| faded, and some we're shattered; and the
music that had charmed SO many was as
dead es that which lies in broken Tyre.
| Then she was happy and time gave her
| her desire. 'Now I have him to myself"
| she said, when he was still courtly, still
caressing and fattering, but childish and
imbecile old man, given over to her sole
care.
The lifelong jealousy of the loving,
silent woman was at last appeased; and
| the grim patience with which she had
| watched and waite d was at last rewarded.
| Better to her sas this dinmed and plum
| less wreck of all that former vagrant
brilliancy, now in her own keeping. than
| the man he had been, courted, sweet,
seductive, popular and shared with
dozen others. When he died, a mere
| wreck and she'll IS he was, mindless and
| decryed, she mourned him in the same
| intense way-as mothers mourn their
idiot children, for whom they have more
| tenderness than che strong and eapab BILE.
She drew down the blinds and let no
light enter the room where her love had
ldealized that breathing clod and vitaliz-
ed that living corpse. She could not
bear to look an anything that he had
loved. The sun, the grass, the flowers
the birds, nature and music-all were for
hidden for her, because ell were associat-
ed with him; and her own last days were
even sadder than his had been. He, at
least had had that divine stfluence of love
about him; hut she died in solitude as
she had Dived-her dark and lonely path
uncheered By any of that passionate
affection which she had laTished so
generously on others.