Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-10-12

Then she induced me to embark in COM
mercial enterprise with my few re-
naming thousands, while she devoted
herself to the beautiful task of max
ing my home a paradise for me. My
ventures prospered and 1 grew rich
and was tempted again. But my sis
tcr led me to spend my money and my
! leisure in doing good deeds, and so she
won for me what I never had before,
the love and respect of good men and
women. All my life she surrounded
with the glory of her love. She gave up
the world for me and saved me from
myself. She was a noble woman. And
now she is gone. Do you wonder that
1 am sad?"
Stephana was much touched by the
story of the devoted sister, and went
upon her way, thinking that any girl
who had the opportunity to lead so
beautiful life need not be so greatly
disconnected with her lot. Neverthe-
less, Stephana reflected that, as she
had no such opportunity, she would
prefer to remain boy. In an hour
she was quite as eager as ever to find
great deeds to do. So she walked brisk
ly along the road until presently she
heard the sound of surf beating upon
rocks, and, turning q sharp bend, she
came upon wide prospect of the sea.
Ragged cliffs stretched away before
her, save where an opening led to q
pretty little bay, in which the waves
sang gently upon a beach of silvery
sand. Beyond the beach stood hand
some house, while just outside the
bay rode at anchor a splendid steel
battleship. Beside little pier in front
of the house lay barge, which had
evidently brought ashore some officer
of high rank. Stephana descended to
the beach and walked to the pier.
"Whose house is this?" she asked O
sailor.
THAT is the home of our great ad-
miral," was the reply, land we have
brought him ashore to see his wife, who
is dying"
Has he done great deeds?" asked
Stephana.
1.-The greatest on the sea-" answered
the sailor. eff you live to do but one
such deed, my boy, you will have the
world at your feet"
Stephana, full of desire to meet such
a man and hear of his deeds, walked
towards the house. In little grove
beside it she saw man walking up
and down in great agitation. She
judged by his Uniform that he was an
officer.
"Sir," she said, 81 wish to hear about
the admiral's great deeds"
MY boy" said the man, 81 am the
admiral. I do not know what great
deeds 1 have done, for to-day my life
is empty. My wife is dying"
But" said Stephana, those we love
must die, but noble deeds live forever"
"Boy," said the admiral, sadly, you
speak like child. When you are a
man with gray hair you will know
that riches, fame, wealth and rank are
empty and worthless; and that the
only thing worth living for is the love
of a good wife. 1t is better for man
to be a poor laborer and to have his
wife by his side, than to be king and
be alone. was poor lieutenant when
1 married her, and l had no ambition,
no energy, no courage. But she used
to sit by my side in the evenings and
read to me from the histories of navies
the achievements of good officers.
Finally 1 said: 4 wish l could be like
those men, SO you SHALL she said.
But I am only poor lieutenant said
l, and they were all commanders, or
captains, or admirals.' But they were
all lieutenants first she said. And
then one by one she read to me the
books that told the story of their lives
and aroused within me the desire to
study and prepare myself for posts of
command. Then t.4ere came a war, and
my wife said to me: GO and win your
| fame. 1 will keep the home sweet till
YOU return I went, and when l was
amid the smoke and fame of battle,
1 realized that I had left the greater
hero at home to fight a silent battle
against her anxiety and dread. At last
was wounded and sent to q naval hos
pital. My courage was gone, and !
was quite ready to give up the strug-
gle and die. But she came to me, and,
though she was overwhelmed with
grief, she thought only of my honor
and she sustained me through ali that
trial and brought me out of it, praise
God, better man. Boy, I tell you now,
from the experience of 80 years, that
men are weak, impatient, cross, I'M
heroic, and that nearly every one of
them owes his so-called greatness to
the far higher nobility of some dear
woman, whose bravery and faith hoo
-..-,..,suuluIiy uUwu toward the oeach
When she reached It the waves wert
still singing o. the sand, the barge lay
at the landing place, and the great
battleship's brasswork glittered like
polished gold in the sunlight. But
Stephana thought only of the noble
woman whose face she had never seen
but whose life had glorifed her home
and her husband and laid up for bel
treasures in heaven.
Somehow she reflected, these mer
all seem to think they owe great dea
to us women. Oh, forgot! I'm boy
now"
She smiled as she climbed up thu
cliff again and set out along the high
way once more. In good time she came
to another fine mansion, and saw TIT
porter sitting at the gates.
"And who lives in this fine place"
she asked.
THE famous Gen. Power" answered
the porter, as if proud to serve so not
able master.
Stephana entered the gate and passet
up the handsome drive that led TOWARD
the house. On the veranda she saw I