Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-06-19

he saw his wife afterward. At first
he was awcd by the change in her
face' by the mysterious being whose
head nestled to her shoulder, by the
wonder Of birth aud maternity. Then,
as the meaning Of it for him came TO
his mind, the instant thought was
that she was more lost TO him than if
she were dead
A few days before her eyes had in
them the sparkle and the frequent flash
of passionate love for him. Now
those same eyes were turned to him
with tenderness, but with changed
tenderness that panied him keculy.
She was still young. She was still
beautiful. But in those few days the
quality Of the youth and the beauty
had been transformed. Her face now
shonc with the calmnoss and serenity
of mother, And the sad conviction
came to the husband that the change
was final
On this morning, two months after
ward, as she sat in the low chai;-, in
health and strength again, he studied
the change more carefully. lie had
been trying 10 deceive himself during
these two months. He felt that he
could deceive himself no longer.
lie cared for her as before; more,
perhaps, since he grasped 50 clearly
the change in her. But she. sitting
there with her child, cared for him in
a new way. The child was first, the
central figure, in her life henceforth
She loved the father through the child.
In the days of their courlship he had
fancied that the passing of years
would not touch them. When her
hair would be gray and his hair would
be scant they would cling together
still, excluding everything and every
one else. Now all this was thwartcd,
brought TO nauglt iii the very dawn
of their real happiness. The girl wife
was gone, withS hope of return.
This small form 'lla1spushed in be-
tween. These clinched hands. so un-
skilful, so helpless, had yet battered
them apart. They must come, each to
the other anew, and through the
child.
lie seemed to Himself to be passed
away. lie felt as though he were in
agalhor world, looking across wide
gWlf to the far place where the child
lay in the mother's lap. And he
thought, with utter lack of hope, that
he was straining his arms and his
heart in vain.
This instinct love which sho we'd in
her eyes as she looked at the scarcely
featured face filled him with bitternc IS.
"And as time passes," he thought,
"lhis will not grow less, but greater.
She may conceal it when she finds that
it stabs me. But her real heart will
be barred against me. She will care
for me, but she will plan and scheme
and try to control me for his sake
for their sake, if there are more"
Then he thought of his own father
and mother. How intensely his
mother had loved him! How often she
had shielded him from his father! And
he wondered how his father had felt
at first. lie certainly cared for me,
and he and my mother lived happily,
contentedly, loving their children be-
fore themselves"
And be saw that he too would no
doubt grow to care for this little one
III some such way as his wife now
cared. "Aud l shall be content" he
said to himself, "as my father was
content, and shall forget the appi-
ness that might have been in the
pleasure and pride that are. But |
shall be loser. For / have lost her
exclusive love. ! shall have only the
second place in her heart, and in the
heart of her child. For he will love
her first. lie will be first hers; mine
through her only"
While the husband was searching in
vain for consolation, the wife also was
thinking of the change in their rcla-
tions. She realized as fully as he that
there had been a change. transfer of
love. And in a certain way she felt
sorry for him. But she had no regret
for the happiness they both thought
they should regret as they talked it
over beforehand.
Indeed she was wondering how she
could have been so blind then. For
this new love was so sweet to her, so
self-absorbing and self-denying! How
strange, how wonderful, how satisfy
ing was the new love-the love for
this small being which was hers
through the miracle of birth, through
suffering to be remembered only with
gladness!
She realized the isolation of her
husband, yet she could not long think
of it. She was so absorbed with her
son. "My sonl" she thought, and
she bent to kiss him softly, while the
Joy of maternal possession went
through her like a strong wine. Her
thoughts leaped along the years, pic
turing him as he would be when he
could walk and talk, when he should
be schoolboy, youth, great man,
of whom she was so proud, who loved