The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-09-04
SELECTED.
AFAITkEUL WOMAN,

AFAITHFUL WOMAN.
Every one wondered when the pretty, |
sensible Lydia Wilson married Will Ham,
mond, and yet no one exactly knew why !
he wondered. VIII was handsome !
enough, had good prospects, and no
positive vice. So much might be said
for him In q general way; but yet no
sense Of security was felt, and his efem-
mate beauty and wavering principles
seemed to all Lydia's friends poor foun-
dalton to build home and two or more
lives upon.
But there was nothing uncertain In
Lydia's character; and therefore, having |
made up her mind tn marry viii Ham,
mond, she carried out her intention.
win had that kind of popularity which |
comes from an easy, obliging disposition,
always ready to tend or to help, and in
capable of saying a positive downright
''No" even to the most unreasonable de-
mand.
Lydia, however, was always ready to
justify her ways, and was by no means
quick to admit that she had been deceiv
ed. A bright, cheerful face, the brave
little woman kept, and would not admit,
| even to her own heart the miserable
fact that in this. the very first year Of her
marriage, their positions were most un-
| naturally reversed, and that she
was the guardian and adviser of him on
whom she ought TO have leaned and re-
| lied.
But so it was. 1t took all her tact and
influence to keep him In the snug gov
| eminent office which her fathers name
had procured him; for, with desire to
please everybody, he was perpetually
| Twin mil fpl mi an
large enough for ten men, he hardly
comprised the work Of one.
| A great deaf of imprudence and great
deal of laziness were forgiven him for
the sake Of his wife but the forbearance
of every government grace has a limit,
and one bright New Year, four years
after this marriage, he found himself out
of office, and lterallyIout Of pocket
ms was the beginning OF many sor
rows. BY steps almost insensible to the
world, but painfully evident to her who
counted every one on her bleeding heart,
viii took the downward road to social
ruin and contempt; not, however. with
out fearful repentings and long days of
passionate remorse. And against these
paroxysms of despair, Lydia set the rock
of her immovable love; and so, as the
weary years went on, won him again and
again to renewed efforts.
But little by little the beauty and grace
of their home passed away. Lydia had
now four children, and, strive as she
would, poverty In its bitterest forms Wis
tied her. There Is an old English pro-
verb which says, "God bless the rich, the
poor can heg;" and this, In a compare
tive sense, explains what l mean. She
was not poor enough to have thrown all
outside pretenses away, to have ceased
desiring and striving for decent clothing
and a comfortable home; she was not
poor and hopeless enough to beg, and,
therefore, II God did not help her, man
hardly could, since he knew not Of her
extremity.
This was in the tenth year Of her mar
riage, and her eldest boy, who Inherited
her own strong and hopeful character,
was already, with baby hands, fighting
the battle of life which his father had
almost abandoned.
One night, after a day of such cold,
dismal weather as comes with spring
thaw. little Willie returned home thor
oughly wearied and dlspirited with vain
effort to make his usual half dollar. Ly
dia, too. was sick with dull anxiety
about her husband. who had not been
near his home for nearly four days; new
ertheless, she made every effort In her
power to cheer and comfort the child.
He was naturally brave, hopefully lit
tie fellow and he soon gathered up his
strength and hopes as he felt the warmth
of the little stove and the refreshing of
his bowl Of tea.
Willie was his mothers only friend
and conhdant, and so, as he sat and
warmed himself, she talked to him of
his fathers absence, and sought some
comfort from his wide and sad street
life.
Don't you fret, mother" said the lit
tie hero. when l m warmed bit, Pll
get Jim Donelly, and he and | will either
find father, or set the police to do the
| job"
AS If the mention of their name had
been spell, two policemen at This mo-
ment opened the door cautiously and
| looked In. Lydia rose to her feet, and
strove In vain to form the words of in
quiry she feared to make. The men
were rough and peremptory at first, and
searched the room and closet adjoining
it with great care that filled both Lydia
and Willie's heart with sickening fear.
But 1t was impossible to doubt the wife's
real agony, and the child's ingenious
declaration of his fathers unusual alb
| sence.
Kindly, and with a rough considera-
ton, they then Informed the miserable
wife that her husband had been suspect.
ed as an uttersr Of counterfeit coin, and
that they had been searching for him for
three days.
To the officers she said no word; she
knew protestations were all useless there,
but In her heart and soul she refused to
believe him guilty. Weak and foolish
she knew him, idle and self-indulgent,
and the bond-slave of that distilled devil
that men call whisky" but even in his
degradation, he had not lost all finer
feelings. Will Hammond sober still
hated VIII Hammond drunk. viii Ham,
moud sober loved his wife and children
with q passionate, reproachful excess,
which was misery enough to his really
tender heart, and In the depths to which
he had fallen, some Of the honor Of man
uood, some of the constituencies Of a
gentleman, still chung to him.
To the son, she kept declaring her
faith In the father as II there was CON-
fort In the very iteration; and Willie,
who looked at his father through the
same glamor or love a. bis mother did,
, felt all his little heart I'LL with sorrow
and Indignation.
| Dut uOJu WCIO hcipAcsss w Inv SouAN
they do but suffer and hopper Only one
thing more--but that was deed Of Om-
nipotence-they could pray and up from
the humble hearthstode rose that prayer
of extremity which always moves the
heart Of him who moves the universe.
Next morning, . messenger brought
her Z note from the "Toombs." Yes. 1t
had come to'that; and for . moment her
faith iu God and her husband faltered.
II was terrible to zee those iron gates
between her and the soul she loved a.
her own; It was terrible 10 have his faults
) measured by the square and rule Of alb
solute justice, instead Of the yielding
lines Of love. But Il W. Ill for the best.
!, though she knew Il not
A long confinement, In which he was
q compelled to forego his usual stimulants
"a solitsde In which he ghosts Of muir
dersd years and opportunities haunted
him Continually, did Tor his information
what neisher tie most eoaemA resolutions
nor ths most ahounding love could eject.
He went 70 his trial Aaally complete