The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-01-06
} After Loving Thirty Years.

w lieu Lara bduhS, WnO was ~
years older than she, and shy, silent
man out of touch with village life
everybody said that she made mis-.
take that she would soon regret. Yet
though village eyes kept keenest watch
upon them, village prophecy was for
once at fault. Hester's girlish beauty
changed into comfortable middle-aged
comeliness, and Ezra grew stiff and
rheumatic, yet their devotion to each
other was unchanged; indeed, after
Mamie, their only child, married and
left home, it seemed as if the pages
OF life had blown back for them and
they were once more lovers, and the
world was for them alone.
That was before Ezra had typhoid
fever. Through his long illness his wife
nursed him tenderly, but he came from
1t broken-down old man, with his
ears forever sealed to all the common
sounds to which his life had been set.
He was slow in realizing this, but one
day as he lay watching his wife and
the doctor, the knowledge broke harsh
~ upon him. He could see his wfe's
lips move as she smoothed the bed with
her soft, wrinkled hand, but he could
hear no word. Then he turned his dull
eyes, with pitiful look of pain darken-
ing them, toward the doctor. He, too,
was speaking, but the deaf ears could
catch no sound. His weak, peevish
voice Jared suddenly upon their talk.
why don't We speak SOS I can hear
ye, Std O mum bling SOP"
His wife started and then cast a
quick, imploring glance at. the doctor.
She leaned down over the bed; her face
was in the shadow and her husband
could not see her eyes.
do you hear me now, dear?'' The
words reached him family, and from a
distance. He struggled with the sounds
minute or two before they resolved
themselves into words.
"Of course hear ye," he said, fret
fully, "only why don't you speak up?
amt so sick, be -"
The words were a little clearer now.
though still far off. "You have been
very sick, but are getting better fast.
II has to be quiet for you, you know,
dear, but you will soon be up, now
The old man shut mis- eyes YEARLY:
the effort had been heavy one for him.
His wife turned to the doctor, her eyes
shining through her tears. II can make
him hear" she cried. II knew could.
l 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
nothing. He was a young man, and it
seemed very pitiful to him.
But he had not understood the old
mans strong constitution. In few
weeks he was about again, as well as
ever, apparently, save for the sealed
ears. His wife cha tered to him in her
old fashion, and kept out of sight the
medicines she took for Ler strained
voice; she cautioned the neigh bors who
game 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 a life Of
nearly 70 years, and in place of these
there was great vacant stiffness; and
he knew all.
One afternoon she found him sitting
I'm the big wooden chair in the kitchen,
studying his old twisted hands. He
gave her tremulous smile as she
came in.
I'm most broken up, HESTER" he
said.
''Don't!" she cried. Don't, Ezra!-
can't bear it! We're both getting
older, but that's all it's"
He shook his head sadly. mo, faint,
Hester-I've been a-seeing it for 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 good
girl, and we've had happy life to-
Gerher, but l didn't calculate for YOU
to be tied up to an old man.. I've got
to thinking about it lately, and some
times l think folks was right and it
hadn't orter BEEN"
The woman listened and great pain
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
he. voice carried it with clear distinct
ness to him. ezra, have I ever said OF
done thing to make you feel sop
He looked up, startled. "God knows
you haven't, Hester" he said, earnestly
"And, Ezra, if anything should hap
pen to me-if should be sick or help
less, would you love me less? Would
you?''
A change came over the old man; il
seemed for an instant that the face O.
his youth looked back at her. If i
wasn't for your suffering, Hester,
wish you could see," he said, almost pas
~ioaately. =
He rose stihly, and stood with his arm
about her, looking down the road. I
was toward nightfall, and the vale.
was full of shadows, while above tn
hills foated soft gray clouds dea'
sunset. And even as they looked sud