Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-03-21

delight, and her husband, pleased Will
her pleasure glad, too, Of any relief
In his monotonous life, had talked Ia
the "hands," examined the machinery
and acknowledged that there might
be worse lot In life than to be master
Of mill.
'.At one time ] wanted to be an en-
gineer, but my mother thought the
profession not 'genteel enough. She
would have put me into the house,
but loved machinery, hated trade.
You would not have wondered, had
you ever known my grandfather Pat
erson--" Roderick stopped "But
he is dead, and he was clever man,
and an honest, in his own way
1t was one Of the things which 81
lence most loved in her husband, part
of the infinite respect deepening every
day, which would have made her pass
over so many little faults in him, that
she never heard him speak ill-natured-
ly or unklndly Of any human being,
81 almost wish that had been in our
firm, or some other, that you might
walk in silk attire,
And siller haze to spare
But after all, my wife, you would not
have cared to see me millionaire, and
n money-grubber--Grub street seems
Il deal nearer my mark
They both laughed and entered the
house gayly-almost for the first time
without looking on the hall table for
the vague expectation Of something.
1t was not till Silence had taken off
her hat and began to make the ten
that she saw large carriers parcel
with the eminent publishers label
outslde-one of these neatly done up,
innocent-looking parcels which often
carry with them a stroke Of absolute
doom.
'Let me open it, said Sllence-and
her husband let her.
1t was civil note y very civil note,
placed on the top Of the MS, and eX-
pressing a great regret that the latter
was found unsuitable" In reading
it Rodericks hands shook nervously
and his color went and came,
''Never mind, 1t does not matter; 1t
was what l should have expected"
was all he said.
"No, 1t does not matter" said ST.
lence, firmly, "rhey only say it is 'un-
suitable to them. 1t may suit some one
else, Let us try"
Eyes, let us try" echoed Roderick
mechanically, his hand before his eyes
"And If we fail
we fall
We screw our courage to the sticking
place,
And we'll not fail
"My Lady Macbeth" said he, scarce
ly able to forbear smile at the sweet,
broken English, and the brave heart
which tried so hard to keep up his own.
"Then let us once more get together
to murder sleeper only publisher.
Whom shall the MS. be sent to next"
That very day--for Silence never let
any grass grow under her feet-she re-
packed the MS. and sent it to another
house. From whence it came back at
once, unopened as all arrangements
were made up--in fact, the head Of the
firm was Just starting for Switzerland.
He, honest man-for publishers are
but men, though poor authors will not
believe it-being perhaps little worn
out with year of worries-the ge-
nus irritable are the most worrying
folk alive-added a well meant but
unnecessary sting to the effect that
"he would advise the author to try an
other tack-histOrica novels never
sold"
"rhen l had better burn it." said
Roderick, quietly. But as he advanced
to the fire there was an expression
in his face which his wife had never
seen before. She flung herself before
him in an agony of tears.
"You shall not 1t is mine, mine,
whether the world likes it or not We
will never give in; we will try and try
again. Don't you remember Bruce and
the splder?"
"A good smile; because in the mean
time might lie in this horrid cave and
starve. Thank you, my dear. No, l
had rather go out, take my sword in
hand, and die fighting"
He laughed loudly, and then he, too
burst into tears.
Without any words, Silence laid her
husbands head on her shoulder, sooth.
ing him less like a wife than a mother
or rather combination Of both. The
worshiped ideal, the queen" of boy
ish fancy, had long ago melted into q
mere woman-nOt perfect, but yet try
ing hard to be "as good as she could,
both for loves sake and for the SAKE
of that Love Divine which is at the
root of all. And so She was gradually
! becoming what man so sorely needs
his wife to Discomfort, solace
strength; his fellow-laborer as wei
as his counselor; neither superior MOI
inferior to himself, only different.
And in this character she made thu
wisest suggestion that could have beef
made, and which the day before he ha(
absolutely scouted-that they should &,
away for a few days; accept the lates
of the many invitations of good Mrs
Grierson, and visit her-not at Richer
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