The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-10-25


ter? How could he bear it, and.yet be was
bearing it alone. If she could only COM
fort him, but instead Of being able TODD it,
she had not even heard from him for al
most a week. Was he going to give her
up, because of this disgrace. She started
up at this thought, seized pen and paper,
and ran down stairs for a light.
The Office messenger brought VIII a let
ter The next morning. He turned pale as
he saw in whose hand it was written, but
he need not have been afraid.
Dear Will, - she wrote:
81 am coming to town for about a week.
Ask your mother i'll may stay with her?
[ did not get your letter yesterday. /
think you must have forgotten to write.
NELLIE.
How much there was in between those
lines! What a shrinking of heart was Mel
lies when she wrote them but her plan
was fixed.
Will vas more than surprised. He had
denied himself the pleasure of writing to
her, after a bitter struggle, feeling that for
her sake perhaps he must give her up,
while his mother lived. He was trying to
make up his mind to tell her so, and now
here was this letter. Mother" he said
gravely, that evening, "Nell a to come
to town, and come here. Do you think
you could be quite like yourself for a week,
if shn eho,.Jd ooma
"Will, my dear boy, | would try. indeed
I would" said the poor weak woman tear
fully.
HYou know it would break my heart if
you took anything while Nell was with
you" he went m.
'sYes, l know, and | would try, oh Will,
I should so like to have her here. 1t would
make me seem like myself to have another
woman take to me, and like me-"
If Nell had heard that. she would not
have prepared for her visit with such a
shrinking heart. But she was determined.
and Wills note in answer to her "
had held such an undertone of sadness, that
she was the more resolved.
She was like a burst of sunlight in the
gloomy house. Neither mother nor son
dreamed that she knew just what was the
trouble, that she saw what Will was endur-
ing, and even surmised what he had intend
ed with regard to her. She was ender and
affectionate to the mother, who frightened
and seemed to grow into another person
under her influence. Nellie took her shop
ping and sightseeing. she made her accom-
pany them when she and Will walked ont
in the evening. She drove the thought of
stimulant away from the poor mothers
mind entirely. so that she was like a new
creature.
At last the week was ended, and she and
Will sat on the front porch together, for a
last talk. They had been silent for some
time, however, and then Will said, sadly.
sob Nellie, life will be worse than ever,
when you GO"
She knew what he meant. She knew all
that it involved, of anxiety and gloom and
sadness, of disgrace and remorse, of des-
pair maybe. She was his promised wife,
and she took the step.
will" she said .why do you let me
goe.
"Nell," he cried starting up, lis it pos
siole You would stay? Could you come here
as my W ife, and live with her. Think Nell,
don't speak until you have counted the cost
but if you could, what a gift il would be
to me"
Il rave thought viii, and ! have decid-
ed. I will come"
Threw herself away" said the gossips,
event to take care of win Bruees' drunk
en- mother"
Did she? No, Mrs. Bruce never drank
again. The loving influence that folded it
self about her like a doves sheltering wing,
took from her all desire. for such a life, all
wish for that which had ruined her. She
lived in an atmosphere Of loving protection
and was a peace.
"Hushi it's his mother" so said The
crowd again, bat this time they bore her to
her tomb, and son and daughter followed
with bowed heads. They had fulfilled Their
task, they had made the closing years Of
her life happy and peaceful, aud she had
passed ON to the life beyond, without
a shadow of her old sorrow.
Well may Will hold his little wife dear
above all others, we'll may he cherish hel
above his life; she had given up her OWL
will for his sake, she had stood by his sid
through time Of need, and If a life's devo.
ton can repay her, she will have her re
ward.