Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-21

with paralysis, was lifting beseechlng
eyes to her face.
'Don't take on, so, dealy." she said,
soothingly. ''There's many one, the
more's the pity, driven to suicide by
hunger and cold. Why should this
one be-"
Then she choked. Her nursling,
her baby, the child she wors hiped,
drived by hunger and cold to suicide
"But, Jane" the invalid persisted,
"lt is such strange name. See," and
she pointed to one sentence in the
na,er hafn-"- -h~- ,-.'.t---oHiJ orue ~
the identity OF the would-be suici'le
is Il wedding ring marked John to
Delphine.
81 see," sail the nurse, "but--
but"
And again the wished.for words OF
!, comfort failed her. The paragraph
was no uncommon one, merely the
record of woman's attempt at self
destruction. She had thrown herself
off a bridge, clasping babe close i'll
her arms, and had been rescued and
taken. quite unco nscious, to hospital,
Her dress was described and the in.
scription on the ring given; thst was
ell.
But the paralyzed woman reading
the newspaper was journeying over
memory's plain, back-back twenty
five years, when a baby lay upon her
breast, the only one God ever gave
her. A blue eyed babe, nursed ten.
derly, reared in every luxury, petted,
INDUCED for twenty long years, the
idol OF two loving hearts. Then-oh,
the bitter rock on the plain-one day
this child of go much love left her
home to follow the fortune OF a man
who was 80 unfit for the care of her
sweet girIhood, that her father had
forbidden him to enter the house
where his child dwelt.
The lovers-if the very name is not
q dissertation, where on one side was
mercenary calculations, on the other
blind worship at the house OF
friends and planned an elopement.
When Delphine was gone, when no
doubt OF her treachery to her parents
remained, her father, stern, hot.
tempered man. cursed her, and for.
bade her name to be mentioned in his
house. And her mother, even then
helpless, shivered and moaned, and
silently prayed for the child whose
deceit could not destroy her mothers
love.
And for five years no line came to
tell them OF repentance. NO prayer for
pardon.
One letter from John Hollis, the
man who had 80 basely stolen young,
trusting girl from happy home to
follow his evil fortunes, the father
answered, crushing forever the hope
of fortune that had prompted the
villain.
Such letter as he read, grinding
his teeth with impotent rage, efec-
tuslly prevented second demand
upon his father-in laws purse, and
Delphine knew in that hour what
misery lay before her.
But she made no appeal.
The future she had deliberately
chosen she accepted ms her punish
ment, seeing at last how wickedly she
had requited the love Of years.
'Mrs. Bernard, DEAR" Jane said,
softly, caressing the haggard face, at
last buried in the pillows OF the lounge,
"don't-don't take on So"
''If only knew, il l only knew, I"
the mother moaned; "and, oh, Jane |
it is Thanksgiving Day. How can 1
pray thankfully il my darling lies to.
day in a hospital dying-by her own
act? Jane. must see Mr.. Bernard. !"
Jane went willingly upon this errand,
but returned slowly.
"Mr. Bernard has gone ont, ma am. :"
"Gone ont? Why, he never goes
till after TO-"
Down in the cosy library, where
James Bernard enjoyed the leisure
we'll earned by years OF mercantile
toll, the mornings newspaper had
been opened deliberately, the money
article scanned, the foreign news en-.
loved, and the reader was idly looking
over other columns. when sentence
seemed to spring out OF the page be.
fore him, so clearly 10 stood defined
against the mass OF print.
1.-The only clew to the identity Of
the would.be suicide is q wedding
ring, marked John 10 DSlphine.'