Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-09
WITHOUT A HEART.

1u6r6 Is I0dlly NcIy LULU Ill Uulh
story. Indeed, it would never have been
written but for the womaN's dearest
friend, who, dying alone and uncared
for, with heart full Of bitterness to-
ward the whole world, begged that a
pile of yellow letters be opened and read
after her death. "She would have had
me burn them," she said in trem-
bling voice, but that I will not grant
her. All else granted her. Neverthe-
less there was only one other woman
whom she wronged more deeply. Let US
both be avenged in the reading Of these !"
She whom her friend at SO late an
hour so severely condemned was the
wonder Of her day and generation.
Women have sometimes been heard to
say that they have no hearts, but they
do not mean it. This woman did.
Friendship, humanity, religion" she
said over and over again, as girls have
said before, "these I care for, these /
understand, for these I will make sacri-
fees, but not your idle talk Of love-
which wrecks mems lives and fills
women's hearts with unrest. for one
render thanksgiving that I have no
heart" Then those who were older said
to her, as elders have said before: "Wait
awhile. You are young yet. We shall
see your heart yield some day. F"
'No," she answered, "you shall not
see it yield, because it will not; and the
reason it will not yield is because have
no heart Nature, more merciful to me
than to my sisters, put little hard
piece of ice in it's place which keeps me
cold to the most passionate pleading
which was ever uttered in the name Of
love-"
People predicted that she would be-
come soured old maid and regret her
lot. She did not. She grew more beau
tiful and brilliant and scornful every
day. Lovers came, and she Knocked them
one and all; she Knocked them to the
end, and to the end they came. She kept
their likenesses, though not for love, for
often to her confidential friends she
would allude to them with the intensest
bitterness as the men she hated most in
the world. And when they inquired
with surprise, knowing that the reject
ed suitors had most cause to hate her,
"But wherein have they offended?" she
would only laugh in reply, and her
laugh had hard, cold ring in it like
the tinkle of some icebound waterfall.
She did incalculable harm. There was
sweet, shy girl to whom she was an
oracle, who took timid counsel with her
when a man came and told her that he
worshiped her and wished to have her
for his wife. This girl the woman with.
out heart earnestly advised not to
marry.
"But I love him, too" said the girl.
"Would you persuade me that my affec.
ton at least will not last? There is
something in loving, even if there is nc
answer to the cry Of ones heart"
At this the tinkling laugh Of the wo'
man without heart sounded cleare,
than ever. "Then, dear child, "she said
more gravely, "let me tell you positive
~, it will not last. It will not last, be.
cause it is only dream-the madness
Of a day or an hour born Of youth and
beauty and feeting with them. Lool
around you and see women by the thou
sands, dragged down into the mire
crowned with crown Of thorns, cruel
fed on their own affections, because
they had hearts and believed in love.
Then look at ma-free, tranquil and
happy-and choose.
SO convinoingly did she speak that
the young girl, to whom her words were
very gospel Of authority, believed he,
and would not listen to her lover.
Thereupon he grieved inconsolately 70,
q space Of time, then married some one
else, both Of whom were very bitter te
the woman who had loved him. This
woman afterward became the dearest
friend Of her with whom this story
deals and lived with her until death
smote one Of. them.
But the woman without heart lived
to see them grow old and sad and
stricken with care and other burdens
who had prophesied sorrow for her, and
she pitied them unfeignedly for the
hearts they carried in their bosoms, and
when they said, "What, has no man
ever found yours for you YETI" she
laughed exultantly and said: mo, and
he never will. I will give munifcenl
reward to him who finds the man who