Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-04-01
CHAPTER XXXI.
Bless the Barrier "

Ned IhorDurn S experiment had an
swered remarkably well. He and his
young wife dwelt in the same tent with
the two old people in perfect amity and
freedom. Perhaps this was due in a
great measure to the old people being
very much wrapped up in each other.
Mrs. Thorburns inyalidism took dis
tinct turn for the better, now that she
had invalidism of another person be-
fore her eyes daily; and Capt Kelly
exerted himself to keep his weakness
and ailments in the background as
much as possible when he found out
how sincerely distressed his old friend
was about them.
There is never anything pathetic in
young love in my eyes. 1t is some
times pretty spectacle when the man
is proud and chival, Gus and the girl
happy, but queen of herself through it
all. II is more often ridiculous and
rather nauseating one when both are
openly, supinely and seltishly engrossed
by their passion to the embarrassment
of cooer-headed bystanders. But it is
not pathetic.
But about the affection of the old
people who have long ago, been separ-
ated during the summer and autumn
and come together again in the winter
of their lives, there is a good deal of
pathos. Familiarity has not taught
them to disregard the nice little cour-
tesies of life which are rarely remem
bered and SO much more rarely prac-
ticed between a husband and wife who
have pursued together for long time.
They have the felicity of believing
that their lives would have been lives
of intimate happiness II only their
young love-dream had been realized
in an early marriage. No one can rob
them of this belief, for no one knows
any better than they do themselves
whether if not it would have been veri-
fed. They derive intense satisfaction
from dwelling on the possibilities that
fate denied them in their youth, and
take reawakening and strong pleasure
in making the daintiest and most fas
tidious show of which their persons and
clothes are capable, each in order that
tho eyes of the othe" may be gratitied.
All this is eminently pathetic.
SO are the little half-timid reyiyals
of those tricks and habits and harmless
affections with which they charmed one
another in those beautiful bygone days,
when first they met. when the world
was young and the goose a swan and
the lass a queen. Old Mrs. Thorburn
remembered each detail of her young
naval hero's uniform as wildly as If
she had seen him wear but yesterday,
and Capt. Kelly, whatever or whomso-
ever else he forgot, had a clear and
distinct vision Of the sweet young girl
who had been wiling to take him for
better or for worse in the days when
his income was limited and his profess
sional prospects nil.
So after spending long hours in the
garden together, when it was fine and
in the easiest of easy-chairs by the fire
when it Vas foul, the two old faithful
reunited friends, whose hearts beat
warmly for each other, laid their case
before the young ones, and asked to
be allowed to marry, and pleaded not
to be considered and treated as lunatics
for doing so, even now at the eleventh
hour.
"It would rouse me and make me
take the gentle exercise which is good
for me about the house if ! had him
and his little comforts TO consider con-
SANITY Mrs. Thorburn pleaded, with
oil uyh a
preached the subject to her daughter
in-law, and Patrice tempered judgment
largely with mercy and pointed out
clearly to her husband that the com
partnership between the two old friends
would scarcely be closer or altered in
any way. only each would have the
comfort OF knowing that 1t was so firm
ly consolidated that nothing but death
would sever II.
"The dear old dad will have my two
hundred year Ned. will not let him
go a penniless Bridegroom into your
mothers safekeeping. She enjoys hav-
ing matters of the house to attend to-
now that she feels better; so they
must have a small compact one that
won't run away with them and become
manageable: and * must be near
enough for us 10 have an eye on them"
so 1t was settled within any dissen-
tient words from Ned and though some
people laughed at the idea of forget
full old gentleman OF 70 and daintily
old lady of 65 embarkng on the sea Of
matrimoney together there was nothing
ridiculous about Il in the eyes OF those
who knew them best and understood
the pathos underlying their picture Of
revival Of the old, ole story,
When Sholto Graham heard of It he
grew angry and cynical, declaring that
II was only the appalling selfishness
which marred Patrice's character.
"Old Mrs. Thorburr has money, you
may rely upon that" he said TO Mrs
Cumberland 80 PatIlce has just shun-
ted all the trouble and responsibility
Of that old luna.ic stepfather Of hers
upon the poor old woman That was