Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-02-16
Written for the Register.
ONLY A WOMAN'S WAY.
hearts but smiling faces;

Breaking hearts but smiling faces;
Life's play, the world looks on.
Who can gauge the weight of sorrow?
Who can note the sting of scorn?'
"Well, Jack. old fellow, what's in the
wind now? Here YOU are with your
feet on the mantle and your thoughts,
from your expression, in the depths.
Have all your rich relatives died and
left you nothing; has your new race
horse gone lame or, worse than all,
are you in love? If the latter is the
case nod your head, for 1 cannot expect,
in the face of such a calamity that
you will be able 10 utter an ineligible
sound? What, is it true? Had l not
already exhausted my supply OF "Out-
ward signs of GRIEF over my own
various and numerous fair friends who
have with an almost, to me, precon-
| ceived method Of procedure, declared
that this is so sudden, Mr.. Templeton.
Really, had no idea that you thought
of me in that manner; have the very
highest regard for you, but, really, as
for feeling the affection for you that
wife should feel for her husband. (And
| oh. heaven, What an unknown quantity
that is until we marry) I am afraid
! cannot say what YOU desire of me. but
will always be a sister to you, etc. and
! I. after having consumed innumerable
B. & S. S, smoked pipes and cigars until
my head whizzed like a top, have lived
/ TO see my hearts desire marry some
| fellow who now locks like a tramp,
avoids all of his old time friends,
| gives up his club. smokes "twofers,
and looks like he would like to meet
] his last call and would check out with
a smile Of hope upon his face. My boy,
I have had it like You now have. and
no one on earth knows better than I
| do that you are thinking at this pres
! ent time that what I have said might
| apply to the girls l have met, but if
had only seen Dolly and talked to her.
and felt the sweet, soothing influence
| of her presence, how it braced a man
up and made him feel that the world
lay at his feet, that for her dear self
he could achieve the impossible; that
for one smile from her lips he could
go through fire and water, would not
4
symptoms Of the disease and. I confess.
a very serious one. No doubt you make
her presents that thrill you with de-
light when she deigns to accept them.
You beg her to attend the opera. to al
low you to inclose her tickets for the
matinee. and when she writes you
sweet little notes thanking you for
your kindness and signs herself sin
cerely yours you hug yourself with de-
light hold your head up in the air
and wonder if any man on earth is as
happy as you. Then, when you get by
yourself, you take the note out and
read and re-read it, and wonder if she
really is sincerely yours and swear
that she shall yet be even though you
have TO work your fingers to the bone
TO provide her with the luxuries that
her refined and delicate nature de-
mands. Then there come q change,
slight at first; your business is not as
good rs =. has been. You are not able
to give the same kind of presents.
Your theatre ,ickets become less fire.
Quen- When you call, you some
times find she has another caller. al
hear OF her being at the opera. to re-
ceptions, ETC., with some one else, and
sometimes you meet her on the street
wearing a magnificent bunch of violets
that you had not given her You feel
dull, heavy feeling at your heart Cor
rather on your left side and you have
not the same feeling of triumph and
begin to get crusty and i'll natured.
Your friends look at YOU and smile,
and everything seems to have gone
wrong. One night you can stand it no
longer, YOU so 10 see her and have
made up your mind to tell her just
how you feel knowing that she will
say, you foolish boy" You call and
the servant says, Miss Dorothy has
gone to the theatre, sir" You ask
where, and upon being told, buy a
ticket and hasten there. There she sits
in a box, you are too hard pressed
now to buy one. and the caller" is
with her She wears a lovely bOquet
Of American Beauties" and turns 10
her Escort and smiles in the same way
she used to smile at you. Il is too
much. You leave the theatre. You
seek your club and try to assuage your
SORROWS in the flowing bowl" To
your friends who ask what up" you
reply with a scowl. Presently you no
tice that several Of the boys after look
ing in your direction smile and then
whisper together You cannot stand
it any longer, and go home. The next
day you write her note asking her to
take a drive. A reply comes saying
that she is very sorry" but she is go
ing riding with Mr.. so and so (the
"caller'O. You feel upon receipt OF
this that heaven and earth have rolled
together like a scroll, and the "yawn-
ing pit is your only hope. You con-
clude to drive by yourself and take the
route v3u think, and hope. she may
take Yes here she comes. You get
! ready 70 bow. She has passed You
with merely an inclination Of the head,
and turns to her escort. says some
thing and both taught You cut Your
horse savageiy. You have murder n
your heart. You gOtO YOUR office in the
morning feeling like a murderer on the
day Of the execution. Your clerk
hands YOU the mail Your eyes bright
en-. your heart beats wildly; It's her
hand writing: eagerly YOU tear open the
| envelope and YOU see this:
Mr.. and Mrs. Cyrel Mortimer re-
quests your presence at the marriage
of their daughter, Dorothy Leslie, to
Mr.. B. Huntington Carroll, Wednesday,
June the Nth 1894. Christ Church,
Charleston, S. c.
Poor wretch. your love dream is over.
Take up your thread where you lest IL
Il IL