The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-02-17
WHOLE NO. l,26S

] L
took her to my modest home, | discov-
cred that she had many little faults
all women haye--and thought could
wean her away from them. The big
faults, of course, was willing to con-
done, for they Were part of the bargain
My wife was u bit gay, bit frivolous,
II bit stubborn and bit too fond OF
dress. But | loved her with all my
heart, and she loved me. And because |
loved her endeavored to cure her of
these little imperfections
1t was adinicult piece of work. Sharp
words Were spoken ON one side, tears
shed on the other, and the upshot of the
matter was that one day my wife left
me and returned to her parents. They
wrote me long letter. expressing re
greet that my wife could not live with
me and advising that we had better
separate.
might have applied for "A divorce.
but could not bring myself to do il, and
the other side took no steps for Il legal
separation.
My life became dreary and sad, and
believe | was ON the short road To hvpo-
| ehondria
Mouse came just i'll the nick of time
and saved mo from that flute. gave
him all my love- and he was all the
world to me
Bnt my present dilemma was due to
the coming of the little castaway.
''Mousc, Mouse, | said more than
once, what have You done
There We're days when / dreaded to
20 homc-two sickheds. nothing to eat
for myself; forsooth, n cheerless, lonely
home.
When sat down by Johanna's bed,
she tried to console me rs best she could
but her cheerful words fell upon deaf
ears
One evening i'll March | again wcnd-
cd my way homeward | thought of
Mouse, of Johanna, of the trained nurse
and was in the worst possible humor
Opening the door with my latchkey, /
hung my oyorcoat on the rack and made
more noise than was necessary in tax
ing off my rubber shoes. Invent into the
| dining ROOM and
Had Johanna been providing about i'll
spite of tho doctors express orders to
remain in bed? The tea steamed over
the alcohol lamp. There were fresh bread
and golden butter, ham, cold roast beef:
the evening papers VERT nicely stacked
on one side; an the either, my hex of ci-
gars, the ash tray and the matches
just ns Johanna was wont to arrange
things in he good old days. before hap
less Mouse interfered.
| went into the next room, where
Mouse WIS kept The lamplight was
muflied, hut in the scmidalkness / rec.
ogni2od the form of the trained nurse
bending over the haby's crib.
Tho trained nurse! Was ! dream
ing? l knew that head, with the dam
tily nodded cheek, the rich blond hair,
gracefully arranged at the back.
| had kissed it many times. A step,
and was near her. ''Anna!' cried.
MY wife,
caught her in my arms. She pressed
her head to my breast and whispered:
Richard forgive mel
| n WIS nor dream. II was sweet re-
ality. Again the lovely woman in my
arms whispers;
Can you forgive me, Richard?"
| can only kiss her again and again
and listen To the story of her coming.
Johanna had written her in what
plight | was. She had told her about
the coming of Mouse, the child's illness
and her own, and my helpless condition
in the face of all this trouble. And then
Johanna had lcctured her about the
great virtue of forhcarance and other
wholesome truths with regard to the
married life of two people who III reali
ty loved each other.
Tho old woman words went straight
to Annals heart. She CAME and held
her in my aims and begged her to stay
| forever
by this time Mouse had been aroused
from his peaceful slumber. When he
saw me, he stretched out his little arms,
and took him and laid him into those
Of my wife.
'Will yon DC II mother 10 him.
asked.
II viii love him ny you do, an
Rwcrcd the sweet woman by my side
And thus peace has once more come in
to my house.
And the causc Of it all was-Mouse.
Blessed Mouse From the German
For 81. Louis Republic