Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-12-03

my eyes closed. Tell me all about your
society. What are the young ladies to
do?"
"Oh, they're to visit the wives in the
afternoon and read books to them, solid
books, you know, about wages-all
kinds of things workingmen like. Then
in the evening the wives will be able to
talk with their husbands on equal
terms and the men will not want to go
to the public houses. Isn't it capital
idea?'
A sad little smile touched Marsden g
lips for an instant. "And where do you
meet today? It's long way for you to
go to Whitechapel. "
Didn't tell you? The Marchioness
of Gloucester is giving drawing room
at her town house, and Lady Helen
wrote an urgent note, insisting that
should come even though it were only
for an hour, as her mother depended
upon my advice SO much.
"Of course 1 know that's just a way
of putting it, but l have taken lots of
trouble about founding the union, so l
think it would hardly do for me to be
absent. You're feeling much better,
too, aren't you, today, Thomas
Eyes, much better. The pain has al
most ceased. Perhaps it will be quite
gone when you return. Can you spare
Just ten minutes to sit beside me? There
is something 1 have been wanting to
say, and perhaps this is my only chance
When 1 am we'll again, maybe
afraid
Mrs Marsden sat down, wondering,
and her husband waited a minute.
lone understands many things that
puzzled him before when he lies in
quietness for weeks and takes an after
look Yes, l suspected it at times, but
was a coward and put the thought
away. 1t seemed curious that no one
came to spend an hour with me, as men
do with friends, and noticed that they
appeared to avoid me. l thought it was
fancy, and that had grown self con-
scious
Everything is quite plain now, and
lam not hurt, dear, and don't blame
any person. That would be very wrong.
People might have been far more impa-
tient with me and might have made my
life miserable.
God gave me a dull mind and a
slow tongue, it took me a long time tc
grasp anything, and no one cared about
| the subject that interested me- Beatrice,
l wish now you had told me how
bored our friends. 1t would have been q
kindness. But never mind that now.
| fn oiu
what troubles me most is that al
these years you should have been tied
to a very tiresome fellow" And Mars
den made some poor attempt to smile
Had thought of what was before you
1 would never have asked you to marry
me.
Don't cry, dear did not wish Il
hurt you. wanted to ask your pardon
for all that martyrdom, and-to thanh
you for-being my wife, and there
something else.
"You see, when / get well and an
not lying in bed maybe could not tel
you, SO let me explain everything now
and then we need not speak about sucf
things again.
perhaps you thought me too eco
nomical, but was saving for pur
pose. Your portion has not brough
quite so much as it did, and wished
to make it up to you, and now you car
have 5000 year, as before. If this i'll
ness had gone against me, You would
have been quite comfortable-in money
mean, dear.
"No. l insist ON your going to Lady
Gloucester 's-the change will do vol
rood-and I'll lie here digesting the Ret
ormation, you know" And he smiled
better this time, quite creditably, il
fact. "Will you give me kiss just Il
keep till we meet AGAIN.
When the nurse came down at t.
take charge, she was Mortified to flint
her patient alone and in the death ago
nv, but conscious and able TO speak.
"Don't ring-nor send for my wife
/ sent-her away, knowing the end wa
near-made her go, in fact-against he
will. "
The nurse gave him brandy, and h
became stronger for minute.
"She has had a great deal to bea
with me, and Ibid not wish her t
see death. My manner has always bee
SO wearisome-I hoped that-nobod
would be here You are very kind
nurse. No more, if you please.
"Would it trouble you-to hold IN
hand, nurse? It's little lonely al
not afraid-a wayfaring man-thoug
a fool-not err therein
He was not near so tedious with hi
diving as he had been with his living
Very shortly afterward Thomas Mars
den had done with statistics forever