Rocky Ford enterprise., 1893-11-16

tered my heart.
How could l know that she was so
tender hearted, so over-sensitivc that
the lenst breath of coldness would
sweep over her like gale from Arctic
sens, pnrching, killing the very life
within her heart? We men so seldom
understand womans nature. We
judge them all by our own standards;
we make no allowance for the differ-
| ence in natures; we are like giants
trampling upon II dainty tlowerb bed;
leaving devastation in our paths. ]
thought l understood her, my poor
little Augustine; but now, looking
back upon that time, l marvel Mt my
own blind stupidity.
Triple fool In my blind folly purblind and
Thinking TO move the world who could not
| myself stand iirm!"
did not dream of the depths which
lay below the surface in that tender,
loving heart l looked upon her with
n sort of pity, because she was SO gen.
tie and tender. so loving and timid,
and little did l dream of the capacity
for suffering which lay hidden within
her innocent breast
This is not an exciting story; 1t is
IN plain, unvnrnishcd tale;" but l will
tell it, with hope that some other
man may read it, some man with the
ovcrbcaring arrogance of the average
male creature, and will pause and re-
fleet upon his own course. To such
would say, Beware! The day may
come when You, too, may stand alone
and dcsolnte. When your head may
be bowed in bitter nnguish-mad, un-
nvniling grief! Beware how you deal
with II woman's heart-a woman's af-
fection; n good, pure, noble woman.
For God gives many gifts to mankind,
but none so priceless rs good
woman's true love-"
But had all this to learn, rs 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 l had not
grown so cold and arrogant then as in
later days. think there is a devil
u familiar demon, in every mans
breast. In mine, the evil spirit was
chiefly pridc-foolish, self-conceited
pride, 1t passes my understanding
(now, looking back upon the past) of
what has any mortal the right to be
proud and vain-glorious? Oh! how
she loved me, poor little thing! She
would sit upon n low stool ut my feet
and look up into my face with her
grave, sad eyes, with such deathless
lovc-such longing tenderness within
their depths, that it touched me be-
yond expression. and at the same
time, doubtless, fed the flame of my
mad sclf-esteem. A woman makes o
grave mistake who allows n 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 are generous
| 70 ST ha tom, M In, N,
WELD that power like n rod of iron.
1t has been said that "our pleasant
vices ofttimes become whips of scor-
pions to scourge us to DEATH" so
sometimes womnn's love. when law
ishcd upon man, self-confdent,
worldly-selfish, 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 n woman's love dcathlcss.
| Not their own-oh, no! that is cx-
pected to pine away aud die in time;
but hers must be perennial, ever
blooming, immortal And yet have
seen woman's love die-die slow,
lingering death; fade, and perish, and
decay. And for dead love there is no
resurrection
No gathering up the tears once she'd"
I
/ though. then. l was 10th to believe it
at will live forever" 1 had always
believed. and yet was fatei to learn
that
| Not dew. nor sunshine nor summer rain,
Can call lost love back TO life again ="
| The day came when Augustine stood
at my side before Gods altar, and
took upon her the solemn vows which
she pt-conscientiously, truly. !,
/ I>,, IN, h., 1.,a-
ter but not the spirit,
She was mine at last, mine "to have
and to hold till death do us part"
The honeymoon was like most other
honeymoons-and then life merged
into the commonplace. 1t grew irk-
some to me-the long DAYS away ut
my office dcsk-to return to our little
home. and s,agnation.
| My active spirit chafed within me, i,
and longed for change-excitemen
Homo life palled upon me. l grew
was pretty one, aud its presiding
angel kept it like a small palace of
neatness and beauty. i must have
been u brute not TO have appreciated
the wondrous blessings which were
mine; but longcd in secret for the
/ old liberty and freedotn--the congenial
/ spirits-the club aud the race-course.
Had Augustine only asserted her
self, and been more firm with me,
might have reformed and in time
grown quiet and contented. But in
] her sweetness and self-Abnegation,s she
lived only for my happiness, and
would have emulatei the poetess re-
Gently deceased, who expressed her
own willingness TO make a door-mat
Z of herself for the man she loved,''
I of course. man-lilsc, I abused this
unseltishuess and devotion. l began
to absent myself from home; my even
I ings were passed with boon eompan-
ions who gladly welcomed. me back 20
their midst; an evening at poker or n
I theater party. made ups mssculines
alone it is true-but with decided
tendency to lingcr and exclaim: ave
! won't go home till morning"
/ Augustine said nothing: she never
complained. wish now, with all my
cart that she had. A little judi
cious home lecture, occasionally,
seems requisite for every mans we'll
being. Bu. no matter how late l
came, there was never reproaeh,
never hasty or unkind word; only
uniform gcntlencss and kindlincss;
though l could not shut my eyes to
the traces of tears upon the sweet, pa
ticnt face, and the sad blue eyes grew