Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-07-25
A Offering Temptation

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When Leander Clarke married Mabe
Thorpe, he had no expectation of evel
being rich man, but as his affairs appear
at the present time he is on the broad high
way to future wealth. 1t all arose from
the fact that he took time by the forelock
the only way poor mortals have Of ever
getting even with him OF the scythe and
hour glass.
But it is this very thing that is causing
him such lot of mental anguish now,
making his nights sleepless and threaten
ing to undermine his domestic peace.
Mabel Thorpe laid no claims to social
distinction when Leander met her first at
some entertainment, where she rendered
selections of classic music in such mas
terly manner that he, being a lover of
music, was instantly attracted to her side,
and staid there during the evening. For
the rest she wore glasses, being near
sighted, and having been graduated from
an Eastern college, was rather stiff and
pedantic in her manner-a grateful change
from the ordinary frisky young creatures
with whom Leander had been associated.
world-more's the pity-and love goes
where it is sent Mabel had expected to
become one of that noble army of martyrs,
teachers, but when Leander proposed she
reconsidered the matter, and thought she
heard the voice of duty bidding her answer
Eyes," and without more ado she accepted
him.
Now Mabel Thorpe did not expect her
hero to swim the Hellespont of life, with
all his armor on, but she did demand from
him-as she had right to do-a high moral
standard, for she had not married him I'M
til she had seen, as she believed, his whole
past life open before her like book There
is no time when man is as weekly senti-
mental and religious as when he is trying
to live up to the standard of pure young
girls ideal, and Leander became almost an
angel.
There are very few of us capable of max
ing human angels of ourselves. Good and
evil are as persistently present in our moral
nature as light and darkness are in our
atmosphere, and one serves as the COM
plement of the other. To Danish night we
use the light of science, to counteract
wrong we invoke divine help; but so large
ly is our worldly nature in excess of our
spiritual powers, that we are constantly in
danger of erring to be forgiven, in other
words, SHINING and repenting.
Mabel Thorpe believed in an inhexibe
uprightness. The command to do evil
that good may come was her perverted
text. She was not aware that there are
sins of omission, as well as of commission,
and that her uprighteous condemnation of
sinners, and her severe judgements, were
in themselves of sinful nature. The self
righteous are too often harder to live with
than the sinner.
Leander Clarke had been good son,
and he intended to be good husband. He
was both proud and fond of his wife, but
certainly regretted that he could not give
her all the Injuries that she could ap-
preciate, not even the grand piano that her
musical talent deserved. But he went to
work with a will to make Ter happy, and
hoped in few years to be able to add all
other needful things.
Among the wedding presents of the
young couple was one that far outshown
all the rest-a superb set of diamonds sent
by an uncle of Lenders who was near to
death, and gave the residue Of large es-
tate in this extravagant present. Leander
himself was genuinely sorry that such an
undesirable gift had been made, but he ar
gued that his wife was sensible woman,
and would turn them into something more
suitable TO their condition in lfe--a piano,
for instance, which was a necessity rather
than luxury. What was his surprise when
his bride said:
81 never was so pleased in my life. Dia-
monds represent to me the capitalization
Of everything beautiful in art and nature.
never dreamed that should possess such
magnifcence."
''Bnt these have no associations" said
her husband, ''they are not heirlooms."
"They will be; all diamonds were new
at some time. And are they not associ-
ated with the dear old man who gave
them 2"
The dear old man had been terror in
the family, and had only given the dia-
monds TO Lenders wife because he hated
that nephew little less than the others,
whom he hoped to make horribly jealous
and angry and-had succeeded.
When Leander asked his wife to keen
her diamonds In the bank, she promptly
declined.
"But you surely will not wear them
dear Z" lie suggested.
"Why not I" she asked.
at would injure our prospects, and moi
be consistent with our position"
.They were gift to me; surely have
the right to do as please with my own"
"The right-yes; but thought my wife
had more discretion. did not know you
cared for gew-gaws, Mabel"
SO the first cloud came on the horizon o.
their love, but Leander was good-tem-
pered, and Mabel satisfied and 1t disap
peared. The truth was that Leander hao
expected a handsome sum Of money from
this very uncle, who was bachelor, ant
very old. But age had not mellowed al
ugly disposition 10 thwart his relatives
and after raising tho young mans hope
he took malicious pleasure In disappoint
ing them
The young couple began life In q prett!
furnished cottage on the modern plan Of