Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-08-18

The young wife flushed. "John Is no.
member of any church," she said
coldly. 81 do not intend to thrust my
faith upon him at intervals like his food
| and clothes. Some time-if great
| trouble or any crisis in life should come
to us--I will bring the matter before
| him"
"But-don't you think that men really
at heart care more for the question OF
religion than for any other? Don't you
think, too, that they look upon women
as kind of born missionaries? No
doubt John expects you to speak of this
thing and is surprised that you do not dc
| it,"
81 shall do it at fitting season." said
Mrs. Carter, in a tone which etfectually
closed the subject.
After Miss Tracy had gone Margaret
| seriously considered this matter. She
fancied that John sometimes looked
wistfully at her Bible, which lay on the
| little table near her bed. Could Aunt
and kneel with her to pray?
Margaret Carter loved her husband
and loved her God but her love like her
Indian shawl, was hidden carefully
away, to be produced only on great
emergencies. Her religion was of the
kind which takes keen delight in a great
theologic argument. She thought, in
deed, of the Almighty as an immortal
dogma. 1t was not the religion which
would find vent in snatches of fervent
hymns or the constant upward glancing
of an eye to dear Father who never
had failed to hear her.
Her lofty, righteous theory about
uifa1, I,,tv nd would hay or Il,
terror into host of western divorces.
But as for running to meet John when he
came in or bothering the cook about the
seasoning of his favorite dishes, or
listening to his mild jokes, she knew her
place and his place in creation quite too
well for any such folly. And, undoubt-
eddy, Johns oft-repeated jokes were tire
some and he was undeniably fussy about
his food and he had childish, loving
temperament that made him happy when
he was caressed and humored, all of
which traits palled upon Margaret.
Nothing could have been more simple
or natural, when they were first married,
hands, asking him to read; or for her to
knelt to pray. He would have been
glad to kneel and find again the Father
that he used to know when he was a
child; for, big whiskered fellow that he
was, he was but boy and lonely boy,
at heart.
But as weeks passed into months and
months into years, it seemed impossible
for her to do this.
She put the thing at last out of her
thoughts. Life was long before them,
If John should be i'll, or lose all of his
money, or any supreme moment like that
should arrive, she would bring her faith
before him with victorious effect. She
would show him then how a Christian
could endure and triumph. But the
years logged on prosperous and dull; no
supreme moment came.
AS time passed there came between
them a silence, not of words, but of
thoughts and feelings. He probably did
not believe in love which was not de-
monstrative. She had an older, more
masculine nature than his. People who
knew John we'll noticed gradual
change in him lie had been man full
OF gentle enthusiams man who gave
and exacted much kindness and affec-
ton. He had been perhaps, jealous and
unreas onable in this exac ton; but he
now grew slowly Indifferent and cynical
to his friends. There was wistful look
in his eyes, like that of a man VINO has
lost something out of life which he shall
never find.
Occasionally he occupied seat in the
pew which Mrs. Carter owned in the
church in which she was an energetic
worker, and sometimes meeting the min
lister afterward, he disputed his argu-
ments spontaneously.
tGA ipfo ;pcr
said to his wife one day. Full of keen
perceptions and sensibilities! l wish we
could draw him into the church,
"Why do you not bring the subject
home to him?''
81 do in the pulpit, as directly as
can. He is man who would require
the tenderestitouch. If his wife has been
laborng in vain all these years, what
can do?'
So it happened, by these easy, natural
chances, that when John Carter last win
ter fell ill and came down to the edge OF
that outer darkness which lies so near to
us all, nobody had put into his hands
the lamp which would have lighted his
way.
Mrs. Carter nursed him skillfully. 1t
was not in intelligence nor energy that
she failed. But the time came when the
consulting physician with the usual
grave, gentle formula, suggested that sit
there were any matters of moment
which Mr. Carter should attend to? His
will. probably?'
THAT is done-it is not thatn' gssped
Margaret. "But must speak to him.
And he does not hear. He lies there in
that hopeless stupor."
ut is phase of the disease, madam,
an alan ming phase, to be candid"
Mrs. Carter hurried out of the room.
II suppose" said the family doctor.
lit is his religious condition that she is
thinking of. Too late to open up that
subject to poor Carter. His brain stopped
work an hour ago.
Miss Tracy, who had helped to nurse
John. met Margaret in the hall.
"What is it? What have thew told
your" she cried seeing her face.
''He is dying. Don't touch me. l am
not going to faint. understand"
She had never been more keenly awake
| or alive. The whole FIN