The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-27
AS THE WORLD SEES.
IFrom the sd. Louis Renublic. ]


About twenty years ago there lived a
big, brawny, blithesome, young fellow
in one of the small towns which adjoin
st. Louis. He was merry of mien, wit
ty of speech, and a great favorite with
everybody young and old. No huszing
bee or apple pairing was deemed a sue
cess if he did not appear. More than
one village belle, by indications of the
eye, if not of the tongue, had given him
to understand that she would have no
serious objections to joining her lot in
life with his own.
But the young man was nice to every
body, perhaps a slight prejudice in IA
vor of the inconspicuous and plain look
ing young women, who were generally
neglected. He showed not the slightest
symptoms of falling in love, however.
His big, kind heart just took in all the
forlorn ones. He gave them the best
time that he could.
One fall there came to this little town
a small, plain featured little girl whom
the school trustees had engaged to
teach in a white painted country school
house about three miles from the viii
lage. She was the daughter of a min
lister and had absolutely no experience
in school teaching. They took her to
board at the young mans home. She
was homeSick and forlorn when she
came and discouraged at trying to
make the big boys behave after she be-
gan her labOrS.
She walked every morning and night
the three miles to and from the school
until the worry of teaching and the
unusual amount of exercise brought
about a serious illness. At length came
long weeks when she was too feeble to
be moved and too discouraged to care
whether she lived or died. Then the
big hearted young man showed how
tender and kind he could be. He fed
parched with fever. He brought her
the earliest spring violets from the
fields. He sat by her and read aloud
from Godey's Ladies' Book and Peter
No. -fr,o
other nice household pamphlets they
had twenty years ago?
He lifted her into the old fashioned
chaise for her first venture out of doors
one balmy spring morning, and before
the fat old sorrel drew them back to
the low rambling frame house he had
asked her to marry him and she had
timidly consented.
that the lines on his face have cut their
way in much deeper than on that April
morning twenty years ago, and there
is gray about his temples; now, though
the little woman is palmer in feature
and even less tasteful in dress than
she was then, there is no welded pair
of whom people would be so apt to
say, they lived happily ever after
ward"
That showed that the dear public has
no power TO pierce through externals,
and that, as a matter of fact, people
really know nothing about it. For sew
eral years they lived in absolute hap
piness on her part, and contentment, at
least, on his. Children two and three
were born to them. The man made
strides in his profession, devoted him
self to it, and finally removed to St.
Louis, the larger, field for an ambitious
law-worker, built a home on what is
now one of the boulevards, and became
a city gentleman in all respects.
He was successful from a business
point of view. His children were grow
ing, were well and happy, and evinced
decided tendencies to turn out neither
fools nor reprobates. His wife wore
silks and diamonds-aH paid for-kept
his house neat, or her servants did,
looked after his creature comforts
properly and adored him.
OF course, he was happy, you say, and
the average man would be, ought to be,
under the same circumstances.
Yes, perhaps the average man, but
not this one.
He was utterly miserable. Why? Be
cause he'd outgrown his wife. Because,
when he had labored at his law, read
the best literature, increased his appre-
citation of all things good and beautiful
in every way, she bad staid behind,