New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-15


this moment no thought OF writing
The warm air blew in through the omen win
dows and stirred the drapery of the room Some
where in the court woman was singing some.
thing Of which only the piercing high note was
audible. More and more Mrs Gerry felt that it
was relief to her to speak. 1t often happens
that 10 stranger one may unseal what 10 ones
kin would remain forever closed
How strange children are!' she now suddenly
exclaimed. :" ! remember one day the minister
| called. l was small thing in long tire 70
cover my new pink calico frock was picking
| over backberries. and sitting on a stool IN
| the kitchen with dish each side Of me- one
for the good berries and one for the poor. 1t was
hot. hot that the peIspiraton kept gathering on
| my face. and kept putting up the back Of my
hand 10 wipe it of We were going TO have
bread and milk for supper. for mother said she
would not make fire for fear there woulc be
thunder tempest. There were thunder heads roll
| ing up all the time in the west.
"Grandfather was lying on tho grass lie was
| perfectly happy. He sad it was an awful climate
| and it was only on such days as these that he
| thought it was warm enough. lie would lie In
the sun for hours and hours II l came near him
| he would fondle me. l used 70 know even then
that he did not always tell the truth. had dis
| covered that about him. hardly knew what 10
| think Of it. You know. Mrs. Darrah. that to the
old-fashioned. average child such as was to tell
the bald truth Was as necessary to life it was
| 70 breathe
| Mrs Gerry looked at her companion who nodded
quickly.
My mother was like an incarnation Of TRUTH"
went Mrs Gerry. II told you she a real
Ware And she was conscientious TO painful
degree. But she loved her father. really think
better than anything else in the world And he
| was so lovable-so lovnble Everybody. every
| thing loved him. Mrs. Darrah But you couldn't
| trust him; he had principle; he wasn't up
| right. And he was so kind; his heart was so
| gentle; he had such way with him; aud he loved
so, Mrs Darrah-" here Mrs. Gerry suddenly left
| her chair and stood upright. But she made no
gesture. Her eyes burned in her controlled face
How do you account for such things"
My dear Mrs Gerry" was the response. we
| don't account for them"
But wo ought-wc ought" replied the other
| You know it isn't right to love n man woman
| of that kind"
They talk about loving the sinner but hating
the sin, =" remarked Mrs Darrah with an incrcdu-
| ous smile
| II know that. But We can't do it. We can't
do it, The minister spoke about that on that
| afternoon He spoke in tho most general way, as
ministers often do. But lie likcl my grandfather
| | really think lie loved him. l know he broke
| down and cried. and couldn't go on with his re-
marks when ho tried to attend gtandather's
| funeral"
Hero Mrs Gerry ceased speaking and resumed
| her seat
Mrs. Darrah quoted in a half whisper those
| lines:
| There's many a purer and many better
Dut loved. OH how few. love-"
| at s really astonishing and depressing that
we should be able to explain so little, she went
on. 1T isn't goodness; in short. We have no
| more idea now what makes person inspire so
much love than they had in prc-Adamlte days,
| when imagine they never asked, and never cared.
| I wish we did not as; and did not carc-sincc
| there is no answer-absolutcly no answcr."
| The woman spoke with an intensity of emphasis
| tina. showed that she thinking Of something
| in her past.
After moment she glanced at Mrs Gerry, who
was sitting with one hand over Ter eyes.
| 81 suppose your grandmother loved that man p
she sad
Mrs. Gerry looked up.
| YES yes. You imagine. And. Mrs. Darrah'
il must be a horrible horrible thing 10 love what
| we don't approve. But she loved him from the
first. We never knew how he happened TO stray
into our village It was haymaking time. They
were short of HANDS This fellow came walk
ing along ore hot day with violin under
his arm He sold he would like 20
| work They took him. Just for the
haymakinc don't think he would have stayed
any longer only he her. you know. Sh" was
a fair prim little thing, with blue eyes and ash
colored hair They say he was wild with low"
for her And she, no one could reason with her
in the least, from the very first. She had VIII.
She said che should run away and marry HIM II
they opposed her. They knew she would do II.
So they gave up opposition. And he won upon
them all, too But how could they approve on
him? And they never knew anything apou' MN
what he was or where he came from-only what
he told; and he did not always tell precisely III"
same stories And how he would play on the
eddie. Strange tunes that made your heart beat
and melt. and that took your breath away from
you"
Mrs Gerry paused again. She spoke in a kind
| NJ snasmodic wav rs the memories came 10 her.
"Oh how YOU interest me!' murmurcd MIS-.
Darrah.
But Mrs Gerry did not appear to hear her
Her mind in the past.
How did il come out ~ inquired Mrs Oar
rah.
"Come out Oh. she married him. But how
was she going to live with love so at odds with
her nature and her upbringing? Sh" couhi
not stop loving him, and she could not approve
| Of him. When my mother was born she gave
up the fight and died-and she died in her hus-
hands arms And she died telling him that no
woman ever loved man as she loved him
But he lived: he lived" said Mrs Darrah
bitterly. Yes life wasn't over for him.
They thought it was over for long timc'
But. as you say. he lived And he loved his
! little daughter in a way that made some Of the
| ncople wonder. He still a young man. Yon
| might have thought he would have grown =
| -. a.l.- intnrosts Rnt lie nnvcr looked at