The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-13

read daily from some passage OF Scripture,
and latterly she had invariably chosen this
text: For this cause shall man leave
father and mother and cleave unto his wife,
and they two shall be one flesh. Therefore
what God hath joined together let no man
put asunder."
And Luella knew her meaning right
well. 1t was as plain to her as if he
mother had read: "For this cause shall a
woman leave her father and mother and
cleave unto her husband"
The droning morning voice had dwelt
with her through the day, the words changed
to suit her case as we change the words of
most texts to suit our own cases, "a woman
shall cleave unto her husband" Well
why not? As she looked out into the dusky
night her thoughts went back to John and
to their last quarrel What had it been
about? She couldn't remember. 1t was,
perhaps, some little thing that led to hot
words flare of recriminatioD, tears, and
III tue enu w thlS StpHiatiOH, tllS nlSeiaDle
separation!
If John only knew how she felt tonight,
how like a lost dog left out in the cold,
afraid of stones, afraid of blows from
brooms, afraid of everything, he would
feel sorry for her, she knew he would.
He had been kind to her in many ways
d.
She had not worked in John home as she
did here, and then his bread had not been
the bread of charity choked down with
taunts. Oh, no! John was generous and
kind if he was bit high tempered She
suddenly raised upon her elbow. What if
she had been high tempered, too, and sulen
and mulish? Perhaps it was her fault,
after ALL that they quarrelcd
A flush came over face in the dusk Sup
pose, oh suppose she should 20 to him now
this very night and ask him to forgive her
would he?
So intent was she on this thought that
little hand, warm and moist, crept into her
own unnoticed, then another, and baby
Bess cuddled close, rubbing her soft cheek
against her mothers.
81 want 90, momsey," she said, and
Lucia Rugged her to her BOSOM In her
selfish distress she had forgotten her child
rem.
She lay still with the child in her arms,
Johns child? There was a look of John
in the pretty face with its half closed eyes.
If she could 90 back to him now with
baby Bess surely he would take her in.
She was so tired of doing battle with the
cruel world single-handed.
Suddenly her mind was made up. She
was ready to 20 now if he would take her.
A thrill of JOY shook her at the very thought
OF home, her own home, place in which
she had every ri! hit to live. where she
would be no usurper, where she would no
longer eat the bread that belonged to others
She waited until the child S eyelids closed
and then she raised her and carried her to
the house where she found little Alice asleep
on the doorstep, her round arms supporting
her dirty little face. The sight was like a
spur urging her onward.
She woke the child and coaxed her into
the house; there she stood, boldly upright,
the baby in her arms, the child clinging to
her skirts, new independence in her atti-
tude since her resolve to 90 back to her
husband.
Her mother was reading by the dim light
Of the smoking lamp which she had never
thought to turn down. James sat loosely
i'll chair, his legs far apart, his clasped
hands behind his head. Eliza had pushed
back the unwashed dishes and leaned her
elbows on the table, a frown on her brow, her
chin in her hands, devouring a yellow
backed novel.
They looked up inquiringly as Luella
stood in the middle Of the room with her
children. They wondered why she was not
in the kitchen, as usual. washing up the
dishes.
'Im going home to John" she said in
answer to the look.
"Well, 20 along then, " said James, spit
ting between two divided teeth at the black
cavity of the summer fireplace and hitting
the exact spot aimed at, ''and good radiance
to bad rubbish
81 wish to goodness you would wash the
dishes first" exclaimed Eliza, to whom the
feel of greasy dishwater was worse than
perdltion.
"rhe Lord be with you," said her
mother, her eyes upon her book as if she
were reading the words off, the Lord be
with you till we meet again"
Luella laughed Historically, for her