The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-02-23
CHAPTER III

was never at any hour of my life the
very leas, in love with Margaret Ruthven.
Love Is assuredly mighty power in life,
but it Is not ,he only mighty influence in
life. A. some people seem to think; not the
only ea,otion Of the human heart that Is
the motive power in many drama, fun to
the brim Of paihos, of JOY and pain, and
aftcrward of sweet remembrance. Had |
never known Malcolm and Margaret Ruth
ven should never have become the man |
have grown 10 be since Those days at
Orchard Farm were the making Of me.
The higher side Of my nature wiacned and
developed, the lower, self.loying half Of me
dwiadled. began TO think Of my work
differently Neither reputation as writer.
nor yet gain in pocket, appeared any more
as an object worth striving for, except sub
ordinatcly. wanted my work to be suit
ten through and through with deeper
truth. % A. to touch and hold the hearts
Of men
| had never before enjoyed the close
eonipanionshiP of really cultured woman.
Pretty women, clever women, good women,
women who we're not good--all these |
had encountered in the past, and fallen
more OF less uadcr the charm Of this one
or that. But bad never known Of what
tender. nauy-sidcd beauty the mind of a
woman is capable woman ehastened Of
sorrow. taught Of Heaven, supreme IN the
power Of ready and perfect sympathy
Margaret Ruthycn was all these things
aud more, and vet 50 utterly without self
consciousness that one could often trace in
her gentle surprise at the weight Of her
own words. The way in which the beau
tiful. sishtlcss face Of her husband turned
To her. followed her with blind instinct
of her whereabouts, the smile that dawned
round his mouth, lighting up his whole
being, as il were, at the sound of her foot
steps-the ways in which she was eyes ic
him, hands to him, feet To hin
1t all remains with me, fingers about m'
[ like the memory Of sweet musie--like some
grand psalm, known by heart, of which
/ the Las, line should run Love stronger
than death
And always think of Margaret Ruth
ven as among the lavender, as If th'
mingled sweetness and unpretentiousnes'
og the flower made her truest emblem
Even now, years after that visit to tn
quiet Midland nook beside the river, if
come suddenly upon grove of blue-gra.,
spear-like blossoms rising from blue-greeI
leaves. think of Orchard Farm, the fine
still rain falling in the warm Summer
night, and bringing out the perfume OF tn
flowers beneath its gentle dews; or tn
stately form of Margaret standing at tn
gateway, by the great lavender bush, witt
the gray-blue blossoms at her belt.
1t was not an easy task to make thos
two-husband and wife--speak of them
selves. Of nature, in every aspect; of ART
of books-those best eompanions-on a
such topics both were fluent. Mrs. Ruth
ven would read aloud by the hour. Tn
great minds that have given their grea
store of thoughts to men kept compan
with us day by day, But of the individ
ual lives and experience of my host anC
hostess | learned little until, indeed, tn
last evening of my holiday.
A sadness was over us all; on Inc, pei
haps, it lay the deepest. They always ha'
each other; had only companied with then
a little while in their fair land of Beulah
must go out into the turmoil and strif
once more To add to the depression, o
which we were evidently all the victims
Malcolm Ruthven was in sufering-ha'
been hardly able to bear touch of ligh
upon his eyes all day; had so suffered tha
even the sound of the beloved voice readin!
to him would have been too much.
"Take my wife out for an hours wall
down by the river She sorrows over M
too much when am like this; more thai
is good for her. Cheer her up for me
there's good fellow"
By which speech it will be seen tina