The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-03-05

wept alone before tho ono who was
no more Finally lie placed the urn
upon his chamber manflepiece, say
ing to himself that he would see it
in falling asleep and upon awaken
ing.
A few days afterward he returned
to his fegimental duties. His com
radcs tried to cheer him up and
keep him with them, buthe resisted
AS. soon as he had finished his duties
hc returned homo aud lived with
the souvenir of the adored wife. lie
had ordered several reproductions
Of good portrait that he possessed
of her aud all the rooms in the
honse we're ornamented with them.
/ cnriqusIy enough it was among
all thcs tokens of remembrance
that t.zi'ser was less sad The dead
woman kept her promise; she did
not incommode him. The contem-
plation of the malachite urn awaken
ed no cruel ideas in the doc
tors mind; lie continually saw his
wife, gay, charming and smiling.
lie talked with her and they dis
lcussed their wedding journey.
When he was obliged 10 work he
carried the urn into his study; they
had so often said that while he was
busy she would come near his table
and embroidcr without disturbing
him.
Six mouths, then year passed by
| in this manner. He now began to
forget the urn at night, and instead
of carrying it into his chamber
left it in his study. He
even finished by leaving it alto
gether in his study; not that the
souvenir of the dead was less dear
TO him, but because he said to him
self that the silence of a doctors
study was more suitable place for
a funeral urn. Besides, he had
taken care to always have close by
a fresh boquet of rose, his wife's
favorite flowers @
AT the end of two years Duricr
had been gradually led to return TO
his bachelor life; all his comrades
sermonized him and his wife's guar
dian said to him squarely:
"May boy, you have no right TO
bury yourself
1t even happened that having ac.
cepted several invitations he was
Obliged to return the politeness.
So one day lie invited all the bach
elor officers of the regiment to his
house. The dinner was all the
more gay, rs they had promised
themselves to enliven the poor wild
over. After an infinite number of
bottles of champagne and vouvray
wine, which goes to the head as
quickly as champagne, the guests
were so gay that they scattered
themselves over tue house and even
went into the doctors study.
For the first time III two years
Durier himself had dined exceed
ingIy well, and was by the aid of
his comrades, in state that Horace
has described as ebriolus. Sudden
ly he found himself, in his study in
the midst of a group of Lieutenants,
who were singing jovial song.
Quickly sobercd, he took the mala-
cbite urn and placed it in little
recess adjoining his study, and
which was filed with books.
To avoid return of like pro-
fanation the doctor decided on
the following day to transform this
little recess into chapel; Nhe had a
gothic window set in, and sur
rounded the urn with flowers.
Soon aftcrward he discovered
that the flowers, deprived of air and
Ilight-the gothic window was small
and sombcr-faIed as soon as he
brought them, became withered and
spread about the chapel "a sickening
oder that his wife would have de-
tested as well as he. He replaced
the natural flowers by artificial
plants. and the urn remained calm
in its nook.
Three years had passed since
Mime. Durier's death, when her hus-
band suddenly discovered that he
was the object of the most thought
ful attentions from the terrible
guardian who had disapproved of
the marriage. And after various
Invitations to dinner or to hunt and
to evening parties where the doctor
had been obliged to scour up his
baritone voice. the guardian abrupt
ly revealed his projects.