Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-11-16

y
and dcsolatc When your head may
be bowed in bitter anguiNh--mad, un-
availng grief. Beware how you deal
with q wOman's heart-a woman's at
lection: good, pure, noble woman.
For God gives many gifts to mankind,
but none so priceless as good
woman's true love-
But had all this to learn, as most
lessons in life are learned, by stern,
bitter experience.
Augustine had promised to be my
wife, and | was happy-happier than
! have ever been since, for ] had not
grown so cold and arrogant then as in
later DAYS. | think there is devil
a familiar demon, in every mans
breast In mine, the evil spirit was
chiefly pride-fOolish, conceitcd
rridc 1t passes my understanding
NOW, looking back upon the past of
" hat has any mortal the right to be
proud and yaln-gI orious? Oh. how
she loved me, poor little thing. She
would sit upon low stool at my feet
AMI look mp into my face with her
crave, sad eyes. with such dcathless
love-such longing tenderness within
their dep hs, that it touched me be-
yOnd expression, and at the same
time, doubtless, fed the flame of my
mad sclf-cStecm. \ woman makes a
grave mistake who allows a man TO
sound the depths of the love within
her heart-to let him read its pure
white pages like an open book.
Too soon he learns his power
and few men arc generous
enough to res st the temptation To
WELD that power like Il rod of iron
1t has been said that our pleasant
vices ofttimes become whips of scor.
pi0nS to ScOurgc US to dcath;' so
sometimes a wonan's love. when Law
ishcd upon IA man, seif-conhdent,
worldly -Sel fish, as most men are, be-
comes in rash, cruel hands, an instru-
mcnt of torture, which torments her
into her grave And men are so prone
to consider woman's love dcathlcSs.
Not their own-oh, no! that is eX-
pcctcd to pine away and die in time:
but hers must be perennial, ever
blooming, immortal And yet | have
seen n woman's love dic--die slow,
lingering death: fade, and perish, and
decay, And for dead love there is no
resurrection
''Ih9FH no nt"t cHril ne Tor the dead,
No gathering up the tears once shed
And so it is with woman's love;
though, then, was 10th to believe it.
1t will live forever" | had always
believed, and yet ! was iatel to learn
that
Not dew. nor sunshine nor summer rain,
On call lost love back TO life again
The dav came when Augustine stood
NJ Iiln hafArn IN,I'.- nj
took upon her the solemn vows which
she kept-conscientiously, truly. l.,
like many men, kept them in the let
ter but not the spirit.
She was mine at last, mine ito have
and TO hold till death do us part s.
The honeymoon was like most other
houeymoons-and then life merged
into the commonplace. 1t grew irk-
some to me-thc long da"s away at
my Office desk-to return to our little
home, and agnation.
My active spirit chafed within me
and longed for change
Home life pallcd upon me | grew
horribly tired of il all. Yet, my home
was a pretty one, and its pre- ,iding
angel kept it like a small palace OF
neatneSs and beauty | must have
been a brute not to have app eciated
the wondrous blessings which were
mine; but longed in secret for the
old liberty and freedom the congcnial
! spirits-the club and the race-coursc
Had Augustine only asserted her
/ self, and been more firm with me,
1 might have reformed and in time
| grown quiet and contcntcd But in
4 her sweetness aud self-abnegation, She
/ lived only for my happiness, and
/ would have emulated the poetcss re.
/ Gently deceased, who expressed hcl
! own willingness to make u door-ma'
/ of herself for the man she loved"
OF course, man-likc, | abused thi,
/ unseldshness and devotion ! begaT
to absent myself from home; my even
ings were passed with boon compan
ions who gladly welcomed me b lck t.
their midst; an evening at poker or q
theater party; made up of masculine'
alone it is true-but with n decided
tendency to linger and cxclaim: wv,
won't go home till morning"
Augustine said nothing; she neycJ
complained. | wish now, with all my
heart, that she had. 4 little Judi
cious home lecture, occasionally
seems requisite for every mans we'll
being. But no matter how late
came, there was never u rcproach
never hasty or unliind word: oul,
uniform gentleness and kindliness
though ] could not shut Wy eyes L
the traces of tears upon the sweet, pa
tent face, aud the sad blue eyes grew
sadder daily, as time went slowly by
] did not know it-did not dream
that such thing vas possibic-bu
my wite's love for me was dying
lingering death, by slow torture, bu
dying all the same. Had any on
suggested such a possibility to me,
would have laughed it to scorn.
The end came at last One nigh
while out with a half-doZcn old clu
mates, difficulty arose, an alterc;
ton ensucd, angry words-and u pii
t)l fired in the midst OF the or up =
VAS never known by whose hand, {
ct whom aimed. But the bullet foun
e resting place in my body-it buric
itself in my side. and | fell to II
ground, bleeding and senselcss
l opened, my eyes to find myself ;
home in my own bed, while, pale as
BILE image, Augustine, my wifi
lent over me Her blue eyes WEI
fall of sympathy and sorrow: IL
J golden hair, worn like n corone
gave her the lool; Of saint with /;
aureola.
put ont my hand "a great wave
plying love surging over my har
worldly heart. he took it in h
3 own, but said no hing. She nurs
rue continually through the long
D ress that followed. Night and d
9 abe never left my SIDE, only VIII.
3 tired nature gave way, and she v
Q compelled to rest her weary body
9 a. brief space. iefors | was fully !