Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-07-08
MY HUSBAND.

sutton. Pnlllp ftuSStOn, as he SlOOu DC-
fore me one dull. drizzly April morn
ing. l was not surprised to hear him
speak in this manner. Before he NOV
ed his lips, knew the words that he
would utter. and yet block of granite
shat never feels springing pulse with
in ii, could not have been deader or
more silent at his words than was my
heart. / looked out OF the window and
saw the wide fields with the first faint
2ush OF green upon them-saw the
mist afar of, lying still and white up
on the hills like great ghostly shad-
ows-saw the leaden sky dip down to
meet the weird old pines. 1 saw all
this, and yet nothing that taught me
how to answer the question that had
been asked me- My life ran out dull
and sunless through all the years, I
thought. In it's spring it was forgotten,
and its bursting buds had withered and
died, waiting for the blessed summer
that would never come to it. II
raised my brows pitifully, asking for
the touch of a few flowers, should l be
crowned only with thorns? / leaned
my head upon my hand as / thought OF
it. Mr.. Hueston was still standing be-
fore me.
Miss Harwoodl" he said. as If to re-
mind me OF his presence.
/ looked up into his face. It was a
handsome, brave countenance, and not
unpleasant to look upon. The mouth
was full, firm. and proud; the nose
straight with slightly dilating nostrils;
and the eyes, those strangely peculiar
eyes that hue and blacken alternately
had a touch OF fire and passion in
their depths, as though they were
strong enough to translate, at times.
the soul that looked from them. But
look as keenly as 1 might, / could not
read the secret OF his preference for
me. He was rich man; /, poor girl
with dead heart. My cousins Il was
an inmate of my uncle's housed were
gay, fashionable, and beautiful-why
did he turn from them to me?
He did not say that he loved me. I
liked that He had been married once
to butterfly Of wealth and fashion
perhaps her grave held, or her life had
killed out, every sweet thought OF pas
sion and tenderness. 1 did not care to
know which IL was.
So cold a wooing, / thought, would
not lead out to a sunshine OF love and
romance But the flowers for which I
asked, what OF them? All, one spot Of
my heart had been left unsealed, when
the blast came that made it's surface
felt this. Through the narrow portal
would Gods blessed light ever thrill?
For the sake Of his little child. Z
thought I would marry Philip Hues-
ton. My soul moved towards the wee
'motherless darling. / was womanly in
that. For the sake OF a divided crown
OF motherhood, / was willing to give
myself away. 1 did not remember the
ties that must come between that and
me, but like a traveller who sees afar
the height for which he is longing. I
forgot the roughened valleys that Law
before it. So said, cooiIy and calmly.
to my sutton:
81 will be your wife, Mr.. Hueston."
This done. 1 turned to my sewing
again.
But. excuse me, Miss Harwood. I
shall be Obliged to return home at the
expiration of d weeks time. VIII YOU
be able to accompany me?"
So soon as that? 1 thought. but I
said:
"Oh, yes; my preparations will be-
slight, and I can 80 at one time as well
as another"
He bowed, and was about turning
away | detained him by asking for
tho child. He save quick, keen look
into my face, as though striving to
learn whether or no the thought Of her
troubled me. Instead of disquiet, he
saw smile. My eyes felt large with
kindly light.
Il shall send the nurse with her in a
day or two"
/ was q little disappointed in the an
swer. l was laboring for a prize, and
could not bear to have it removed so
Tar from me, even for the short space
or few days, but 1 assented quietly,
and commenced folding my work.
There was a sober bridal outfit to be
arranged, and must not lose time up
on anything else.
"A bridal outft!".
] repeated the words to myself, they
were so strange. Pausing before a
mirror, I thought how poorly orange
flowers would Irvine with my hair. If
could but have yew! Away back in
the past some one had said to me that
nothing poorer than pearls ought ever
20 shine from the deep brown of my
DE9ids. remembered the words then,
and caught them up, as we sometimes
Ncatch sound that is dead in its echo.
was little weak for a moment. and
felt like putting down the burden that
had taken so bravely a few moments
before. But 1t was only for a moment.
The cross that is not heavy enough to
break, may strengthen the wearer; my
shoulders would be fitted to it some
time, / said.
never looked back after that, and
IN the weeks time l became the wife OF
Philip Hueston, and heard from the
lips OF his two-year-old babe the
blessed word-'Mother!"
What a strange life led after that
half shadow, half sunshine. For the
love Of the child 1 was blessed, and to
1t I gave every thought, forgetting the
sweet, tender claim of wifehood that
was upon me. Craven creature that ]
was! Because death had entered my
soul, barred and locked its chambers
leaving but one little place for the sun.
shine and free ar to riot in. I had
known only the wants of childhood;
had had no mother to supply them; sc
1t was that grew into the gentleness
of the mother. and the little soul
GRATED into the strong tree OF mine
lived upon it, and the child became