The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-01


Before any reader condemns this story wish
him, principally her, 70 ask mentally, "Do
Know inst such womanl Though she is my
avn sister. and love her dearly, can't but adj
init she ia a fool. know we'll enough that she
is the favorite type of novelists. the virtuous,
1ong-suffering wife, but am glad for the sake
of humanity that new occupations and q better
position preclude the existence Of such martyrs.
Why should good womans life be one long
aeonyl Is an ideal Womanhood any nobIer that
il must be built upon a broken heartq
Jessie was younger thar l. In her pretty
childhood always my faithful slave, overtaxing
her strength TO run my errands. was rather
xnasterfu1. and remember yet how used always
70 pick out the handsomest person in book
picture for myself, saying, That's me when I'm
erowed up, that homely one is you," and giving
me vague sense of disappointment that she
would not argue the point; she would invariably
answer. LEES Ellen When our parents died l
was a woman grown. and asserted my right to
teach school, insisting thas Jessie must keep
house at the old farm for me. She consented.
and further helped revenue by doing fine
sewing for the neighbors
She was eighteen, think, when, for the first
time in her lfe she boldly defsd my authority.
j came
Ezra futile hanging over our front gate and
Jessie neglecting my superior 1 could actual
ly smell the apple-sauce Misunderstanding with
him. Ezra TuttIe was twenty then, q tall, hand
some fellow, with curly hair and brown eyes.
Jessie was little, fair-haired, rosy thin me-,
child-woman. Everybody in town knew evil of
Ezra His father was county judge and well-to-
do and Ezra, the oldest of his five sons, had
been sent to college. Much good it did, for the
young man was expelled the second year and
81 civ .1s11nr
TO read law With his father, drinking at
the tavern, goina to surreptitous rooster
fights, had one day actually a lot Of rats and dogs
In his fathers barn, and one OF the rats flew
right UP his mothers apron when she looked
in to see what many strange men were sneak
ing into the barn for, and she tainted clean
cards, too, and it was said his father had to pay
as much as a hundred dollars for one of his
capers there. And this man had come like
blight on my property to take away the only
thing earth that loved.
Its no use," said Jessie, firmly, when said
Ezra should not set foot on our land again. Il
have promised to be his wife"
When she had that set look, knowing the
Frazier family. knew it was argue
you'll live in the poor-houss / suppose" I
snapped; no ono ever heard of Ezra making
cent yet"
HE has turned over new leaf" she said,
blushinR 90 pretty, little culver on her mouth,
land know my influence change him"
''And I've heard all my days" said T. '.of fools
like you marrying q man to reform him. There
never was but one end to those stories-a wife's
broken heart, wasted life, and often miser-
able, unhappy children. You make your bed
Size on il. I'll never say another word
Nor did /; yet the day they were married was
morning, and Jessie. sweet a flower in her
white muslin gown. L went up TO help her
Dress and when started to get on my one good
gown, brown silk, looked at myself a full
minute in the glass. "Ellen Frazier" said.
''you are a hard-featursd, homely woman, and
twenty-six years old. There is as much envy
Of your sister as anything in your heart to-day.
The marriage state is outside your pale. No
man will ever ask plain creature like you
TO have him, and Ezra and Jessie
the Creators viii that love brings them
together-Tiatures way ofikeeping up thoIspecies.
You promised your dead mother, Ellen, to
watch over her, but now, at the frat sign of
troubled to her, of disobedience to your will.
you harden your heart and say let her go her
ways" / hooked my basque with trembling
fingers. / says to my New England conscience,
Haven't given her more'n her share in the
property, mortgaging our home (the first time)
20 give her ready cash. Haven't / robbed my
self for years to make her happy, and even the
pretty elothes'she's been sewing these months
has been bought out of my sayingsl Havsn't
been civil even to Ezra. Tuttle for her
Bakep sit amt that Ellen said conscience.
s'You've done fairly, but you laid limit to we'll
doing. You say he must look after her hence
forth, your cares are over. you have sacrificed
Isn't your dead mothers command as binding
pow2 Will not jesse need youi more" she
will. my heart answers, and as pin my bow /
said to that homely faced double in the mirror,
81 promise to still devote my life to her and to
watch over her with all my might"
She came in then, the sweetest picture of
hair. her blue eyes sparkling. her cheeks flushed
She was going into enchanted land
When she was married and gone and the
neighbors had departed, how lonely the house
grew Well-nigh dispirited sat down. the cat
In my lap and had good CRY.
They went to Portland. twenty miles off, for
their wedding trip, and stayed two weeks at a
hotel When they came back / did not see
Jessie fer two days, and she in the same town,
too, for they stopped at the Judges. When she
drove out to see me / noted sort of change in
her. Something had come between us. She
loved me, but not in the old way. and seemed
strangely enough to be older some
how / knew what it meant. / never read
that old figure about the oak and the vine but I
think of her. She had to cling to some
thing, it was that loing figure with cigar
In its mouth. waiting outside nay door in
the buggy. She drew her very breath the way
he told her. thought bitterly that some day
the Judge might say when his son had gone to
the bottom of the bill, it was written he
should in his weak face and early vices. eff he'd
had more Of wife ne would never have fallen;
he wanted n stronger nature to hold him back"
That would be her reward for years of woe.
just look back moment, haven't you. yourself,
said similar words ABOUT similar vines and oaks
oil your iifel
She told me about her wedding trip in her
pretty innocent way, and, sick at heart. learned
that the expense Of their journey had been paid
with her money. When went with her to the
buggy softened my voice well as could and
asked Ezra if ne meant TO stay in town.
'No,' he said eoldly, 'Ifathsr told me plain
enough-old mans frank, at least-it was bad
enough to support me- wouldn't have my wife
and me both on his hands. so I've got TO move
Where win you gog" / asked with trembling
lips.
Don't know; guess Til emigrate."
"WhereSs gasped, and Jessie looked on with
wistful eyes.
"You need not tell me what your father said,
Ezra she sighed; ''he need not think will be q
money of my own"
And temper he said lazily. "Your money
IL just it, I'm going &c fit out wagon, get four
oxen-three fellows here want to join me- and
were all going to California. It's two years
since they found gold. and the excitementa
growing all the time"
Take that childlu cried Indignantly; sbe-
sides robbing her OF Lar money you will rob her
of her hsalth-ot her very life. You shall not;
she must stay here