Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-05

1T is wife's duty" she began.
He smiled bitterly.
st is a dead mans duty" he said,
ito withdraw himself from the con-
Germs OF living persons l have failed
In that particular. Let us think less of
your duty and more of mine. am an
utterly helpless creature. cannot
move either OF my legs, and my right
hand is just strong enough to hold my
left upon my breast as I lie here, hour
after hour"
II love you," she sobbed.
You pity me at this moment, but
love me you cannot. Hereafter, when
both of us are freed from the limita-
lions of the flesh, it may be possible.
But in this world encountered by these
mortal bodies, love means life and
health. 1t is reciprocal. 1t is a senti-
ment inspired by nature for her own
purposes, and terminable at her pleas
ure. No human will can summon it or
hold it. Am l the same to you as l
was? Does your heart leap at the sound
of my voice and tremble at a caress? I
would not have it so. 1t would be I'M
natural, mOnStrouS"
She tried very hard to turn him from
his gloomy and desperate trend of
thought.
II am waiting" she said, 'till you
are well again"
Dear little girl" he said gently. II
shall never be well. And now let's see
what's to be done about it. l have
spoken too bitterly, and have fright
ened you. And yet it is my wish to
make you happy. Listenl / want you
to go out into the world, and live your
life"
what! Go away from you?"
"Now, don't be frightened. Of course
you'll live here, and run into this cage
of mine whenever you wish to have q
look at me. I'll always be glad to see
you. But don't ever think that you
must come. Go out into society, and
have people come here if they can stand
it, knowing that my body's in the house.
Get your old friends back again, and
make new ones, both men and women.
Dance, and play tennis, and ride in the
park as you used to do. Spend lot of
money There's plenty of it. 1 only
wish I could help you do all these
things, but, as can't, you must do them
twice as hard. And every time q gloomy
thought of me comes over you, say to
yourself: I'm doing what he wants me
to do. I'm doing what will make him
the happiest.' And if you fall in
love"
Now, little girl, let's be reasonable.
I've proven to you that you can't love
me. And love comes when you least
expect it. Suppose, just for the sake of
the contract we're to make, that you
really do find some handsome and
agreeable fellow who very naturally
has forgotten that l am alive, and pro-
ceeds on the theory that am not; and
suppose, further, that you find yourself
thinking of him oftener than is really
necessary. will you promise to come 60
me and tell me all about it? That's the
contract l mentioned It's like this:
You're to be perfectly free, the abso-
lutte mistress of your own heart and
in consideration of my generosity, you
agree to tell me when you fall in love
with somebody else"
She fell on her knees beside the
couch, and. clasping his hand, shed tears
upon it.
Il have been cruel to you," she
sobbed. 81 have let you see that some
times was restless and impatient OF
my duty. And this is my punishment.
You have ceased to love me, and you
no longer care what do. You wish to
drive me away from you"
''Promise!"
''To love you always"
"You made that promise two years
ago-to love me while l lived You
have kept it. You have loved me whilo
l lived. Now for the second promise.
You would remember me in my grave
If new love came to you, and would
hesitate for the sake of that memory.
Your faith would whisper to you: He
knows. VIII he forgiven l tell You in
advance, l will. But, in this living
death, crave the power of the
angels. l would know. Will you
promise?"
And, protesting that 1t was sacri-
lege, she promised.
Then he spoke very calmly and cheer
fully to her.
'You see l had to make scene of
this, ;" he said, cor we never should
have come to any decision about it.
I've tried, before, to make you go back
into society, but you would not under
stand me. 1t was necessary to startle
you as I have done. But after you
think it over you'll see that have only
considered your health and happiness.
AS to what I've said about love, it's all
true enough and l hold you to your
promise. But don't make a nightmare
of 1t. You're not obliged to fall in love
with somebody else, you know, just be-
cause I've suggested the possibility.
You're not obliged to do anything, in
fact. That's the point; you are free.
We've discussed the subject, and we've
decided that it is not your duty to give
all your waking thoughts to me; that,
in short, you are absolved, by the ma
ture of the case, from any duty what
ever SO far as / am concerned. Your
own self respect is quite enough. And
now we've settled the whole matter, SO
run away and play, little girl, with a
lt<rl,& l. ,,.&