Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-07-10

w lbu All OU'h H"NiNhSN ~ 80
only human. You may wake up to
the fact that you have ruined both
yonr lives. The poetry and con
genial surroundings you rave OF
may be all right in their place.
But you are losing the chance to
1--we the sweetest of all poems, the
helpful life of loved wife, and
wasting your
you are cruel, Margaret Elsie
interrupted hotly. i wish l could
die. Then, perhaps, yOn all would
be sorry for your unkindness to
me-
'Oh, we would forget lt then and
sing your praises. You r'mem-
Der
'Sweeter woman never drew breath
Than my sons wife Elizabeth
With your poetic knOwlege / don't
need to remind .you Of the fact
that it was after tie flood that
ElIzabeth's mothrr-in-law said so.
SO if you were to die | do not
knowthat by thetime John married
again he would forgive even the
muddy coffee and
That is enough. ! came to you
for comfort, not insults and Elsie,
wipiug her eyes. hurried down the
path in the direction of her own
home.
Margaret smiled Il little as she
carefully moved tn dasher to
gather the golden butter, bat the
smile was followed by d quick
sigh
As for Elsie, | wish could
affirm that she was so impressed
by her cousins words that she
went home aud began to mend her
ways. But truth cOmpels me to
admit that she went straight to
her own room, threw herself upon
the unmade bed and iudnlged IN "A
good cry. Regarding John MtSon'S
dinner that da, 1t was mucn like
his breakfast, except That Stroug
tea took the place of the coffee,
and a leaf of bakers bread brought
from Layton was decided i'm.
provement on the mullins OF the
morning.
After the meal was flushed
Elsie lisiles,ly gathered up and
washed part of the dishes. SIZE
had really intended to wash them
all, but an Interesting subject Tor
poem came III her mind. 50 The
dishes were left, aud, with dirty
dress and unbTuShed hair, the
Young wife sa, down to devote the
afternoon to Yer,e.mahing.
A week later john Mason came
hurrIedly into the room where his
wife sat reading.
ELSIE, ] must go to Hatfield at
once. cannot return before to-
morrow night. VIII you get ne
some dinner while | dressl ] must
catch the I.2O tram at Lay tom
What have you got to g to
Hatfield fOrP
Business. rll tell yon all about
it when get back and hurried
upstairs.
Elsie rally eyinced very little in'
terest. She listened to the mess
age he left for the help, aad also
to his suggestion that sue go t.
Margaret's for the plght, ~hIle
t wing to decide if Solitude or
.Snul Unnger' should be the name
OF her new poem.
John didn't kiss me- she thoughl
arer his departure. He remembers
that | told him last week that such
things were silly. l don't believe
be has kissed me since.'
A few minutes later she went to
he secretary to copy the poem
that WAS TO make hcr immortal.
As she let down the writing table
a letter dropped out. She stopped
to pick it up when il fell fro u the
envelope. The first word arrested
her attention.
DARLING-Meet me at Hatfield to
night. Must see you. cannot live unless
do:
Yours with uudyiDg love.
GENEvIEvE
Mechanically the wife returned
the letter TO the envelope and re-
placed 1t in the S, cretary. IbeI
she tottered to a char aud tried u
think.
John, here husband, f .lsr! /
could not be! Aud yet there wa'
his sndden departure, his refnsa
to tell his business, and, above al
else, the letter.
, How could hei' she cried. lie
? knew | loved and trusted him, an
, that would have died for hiu
Oh, John, how could you ruin on