The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-02-16
A fter Thirty Years ~

When pretty Hester Warren married
Ezra Banks who was 20 years older than
she, and shy. silent man, out of touch
made mistake that she would soon
regret Yet though village eyes kept
keenest watch over them, village prophecy
was for once al fault. Testers girlish
beauty changed into comfortable middle
aged loneliness, and Ezra grew stiff and
rheumatic. yet their devotion to each
other was unchanged; indeed after Nam
ME, their only child. married and left
home. it seemed if the pages of life
had blown back for them and they were
them alone.
That was before Ezra had typhoid fever.
Through his long illness his wife nursed
him tenderly, but ne came from it a
broken-down old man. with his ears for
ever sealed to all the common sounds to
which his life had been set. He was slow
in realizing this. but one day he lay
watching his wife and the doctor, the
knowledge broke harshly upon him. IIe
could see his wifes lips move as she
smoothed the bed with her soft. wrinkled
hand, but he could hear word. Then
ne turned his dull eyes, with pitiful look
of pain darkening them, toward the doc
TOR. lie. too, was speaking, but the deaf
ears could hear no sound. His weak,
peeEiSh voice Jared suddenly upon their
talk.
Why don't ye speak sos l can hear We,
Std o. mumblin 500"
His wife started, and then cast a quick,
1mploring glance at the doctor. Sha
leaned down over the bed; her face was
III The shadow and her husband could not
see her eyes.
do you hear me now, dear?"
Inc words reached him family. and from
a distance. lie struggled with the sounds
a minute or two before they resolved
% lI~4AC inf
"Of course, | near ye," he said fretfully.
"only why don't you speak up? l amt So
sick, be r.
The words were little clearer now.
though still far off.
You have been very sick, but are get
ting better fast. 1t has to be quiet for
YOU you know, dear, but YOU will soon be
up now"
The old man shut his eyes YEARLY; the
effort had been a heavy one for him. His
wife turned to the doctor, her eyes shin
ming through her tears.
Il can make him hear" She cried Il
knew | could. | didn't believe Ezra could
get where he couldn't hear me. And he
needn't ever know now
The doctor looked at her and said moth
ing. He was a young man. and it seemed
very pitiful to him.
But he had not understood the old man s
strong constitution. In few weeks he
was about again as well as ever. apparent
~, save lOI lllc seated ears. Ills VIE
chatted to him in her old fashion, and kept
out of sight the medicines she took for her
strained voice; she cautioned the neighbors
who came to see him. and thought that he
did not know. But she was mistaken:
there were other soundS--many of them
that had been woven into life of nearly 20
years, and in place of these there was
a great vacant stiffness; and he knew all
one afternoon she found him sitting in
the big wooden chair in the kitchen. study
ing his old twisted hand. He gave her a
tremulous smile she came in.
I'm most broken up, Hester" he said
Don't" she cried, " don't Ezra!-I can't
bear it. We're both getting older, but
that's all it's
He shook his head sadly
NO, faint Hester-Tve been a-seeng it
for a long time. You're young yet-you
can see and hear just as you ulster, but
I'm an old man. Hester. You've been a
good girl and we've had a happy life to-
gether. but l don't calculate for YOU to be
tied up to an old man. I've got to think
ing about it lately, and sometimes l think
folks was right and it hadn't orter been -
The woman listened and great main
seemed to beat up in her throat and choke
her voice. She leaned over and put her
trembling hands on his
Ezra" she cried, and the appeal in her
voice carried it with clear distinctiveness to
him, Ezra. have l ever said or done a
thing TO make you feel SOP
lie looked up, startled.
God knows you haven't, Hester" he said
earnestly.
And Ezra if anything should happen to
me-if L should be sick or helpless-would
you love me less? Would your
change came over the old man: If
seemed for an instant, thct the face of his
youth looked back to her
III it wasn't for your suffering, Hester
wish you could see." he said almost mas
sioua tely.
He rose stffly and stood with his arm
about her. looking down the road. 1t was
toward nightfall. and the valley was full of
shadows, while above the hills fioated soft
gray clouds-the dead sunset. And even as
they looked sudden thrill and flush came
across thes... and the valley was filled with
the glory of the afterglow, ana the two old
hsures stood silent III the midst of the
golden light.
1t was few weeks after this that Hester
caught severe cold. She was in bed for
several days and Mamie haJ; fer husband
anu child to care for. and her mother would
not let her stay long
They'll be needing you'll can get along
now" she said
Il guess they can get along without me-
q little while longer answered Mamie
What say"
Mamie looked alarmed: she raised her
voice and spoke with careful emphasis:
II guess-they can get alorg-without me
Her mother nodded.
81 said it had been quite a while" she
said I'm glad you're going Mamie.
though we shall miss you So"
Nannie's face filled with a pitiful tender
ness. Her mother looked up suddenly and
noticed, and a strange expression came in
to her eyes. She spoke with curious eager
ness.
Mamie" she said, tell me true-don't I
hear as l used to?"
NAMES face flushed. With a sudden i'm
pulslve gesture she threw her arms about
her mother, sobbing bitterly But in her
mothers eyes the strange expression grew
into a glad light.
Don't feel SO, Mamie" she said Il
guess I'm almost glad. I'm going to tell
your father
Mamie went home the next day sorely
against her will She told her husband
that it almost broke her heart to think Of
them so; If 1t wasn't for little Mamie she
would go back there and stay but she