Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-09-28
AFTER LOVING THIRTY YEARS.
Hester Grew Deaf to Better Mate With
Ezra.

When pretty Hester Warren married
Ezra Banks, who was 20 years older
than she, and shy. silent man out of
touch with village life, everybody
said that she made a mistake that she
would soon regret. Yet though viii
lage eyes kept keenest watch upon
them, village prophecy was for once at
fault. Hester's girlish beauty changed
into comfortable middle-aged come
Illness, and Ezra grew stiff and
rheumatic, yet their devotion to each
other was unchanged; indeed, after
Mamie, their only child married and
left home 1t 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 tenderiy, but he came
from it a broken-down old man, with
his ears forever sealed to all the com
mon 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 harshly upon him, He could
see his wife's lips move as she smooth
ed the bed with her soft, wrinkled
hand, but he could hear no word
TfTen he stfrifeti, iiiis tfJfii eyes, 81 the
pitiful look OF pain darkening them
toward the doctor. He, too, was
kn 81,
no sound. His weak, peeyisa voice
Jared suddenly upon their talk:-
why don't We speak sos can hear
we, Std o. mumbling so?"
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, as from a
distance. He struggled with the
sounds a minute or two before they
resolved themselves into words.
"Of course / hear We" he said fret
fully, only why don't we speak up? |
amt so sick, be II"
The words were a little clearer now,
though still far off. "You have been
very sick, but are getting 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 shining through her tears. 81
can make him hear she cried, 81
knew l 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
nothing. He was young man and it
seemed very pitiful to him.
But he had not understood the old
mans strong constitution In a few
weeks he was about again, as well as
ever, apparently, save for the strained
voice; she cautioned the neighbors
who came to see him, and thought that
he did not know But she was mis-
taken; 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 still
ness and he knew all
One afternoon she found him sitting
in the big wooden chair in the kitchen
studying his old twisted hands He
gave her a tremulous smile as she
came in.
Tin most broken UP, Hester" he
said
DON'T" she cried don't. Ezra'-I
can't bear til We're both getting
older but that's all tbs"
He shook ais head sadly. No faint,
Hester-Tye been a-seeing it for a long
time You're young yet-you can see
and hear just as you lister but I'm
an old man, Hester. You've been a
good girl, and we've had a happy life
together, but | didn't calculate for you
to be tied up to an old man. I've got
to thinking about it lately, and some
times I think folks was right and It
hadn't orter been"
The woman listened and a 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
her voice carried II with clear dis
tinctness to him, Ezra, have ever
said or done a thing to make you feel
500"
He looked up. startled God knows
You haven't, Hester" he said earnestly.
And Ezra, if anything should hap
pen to me-if l should be sick and
helpless, would you love me less?
Would your
A change came over the old man. II
seemed for an instant as II the face OF
his youth looked back at her IF II
wasn't for your suffering, Hester, l
wish you could see" he said almost
passonately.
He rose stidly 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 doated soft gray clouds-the
/ lead sunset And even as they looked
.s.4