Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1899-08-16


which you are very sorry"
A moments hesitation, and then
Eyes, yes,--I am heartily sorry"
"Now mark me, Clarence, and az
swer honestly: Don't you think you
wife is as sorry as you are"
II cannot doubt it,"
"Is she net probably, in the seclui
ion Of her home, suffering more keenl
than you arei"
:. II doubt that, Mr.. Wardle. At q
events, ! hope she may not be sufierin
more
i Very well. Let that pass. 70
knew she is beaiiDg her part OF th
burdeni"
"Yes,7-I know that" ..
"And now, my boy, do you realiz
where the heaviest part Of the burden
islodged" 60
/ Clarence looked upon his interlocu
ter wonderingly.
| IF the storm had all blown over, and
I you knew that the sun would shine
when you neIt entered u ur homo, you
would no. feel SO unhappy"
Clarence assented.
But" continued Waidle, "you fear
that there will be gloom in your home
when you return PIG.
The young man bowed his head 40
he murmured an affirmative.
Because" the merchant added,
with a touch Of parental sternness in
his tone, you are resolved to carry it
there"
Clarence looked up in surprise.
Ill carry it,"
"Aye.-you have The burden in your
heart, ard you mean to carry it home.
Remember, my boy, have been there,
ard know all about it. have been
very foolish in my lifetime, and / have
suffered. I suffered until I discovered
my Jolly. and then I resolved TO suffer
no more. Upon looking the matter
squarely and honestly in the face, l
found that the burdens which had 30
CALLED me bad been seif-imposed. OK
course such burders can be thrown of.
Now you have resolved that you will
go home With heavy heart and dark
face. You have no hope That Jour wife
will meet you with smile. And wbyf
Because you know that she has no par |
ticular cause for smiling. You know !
that Ter heart is burdened with The
san aflicti'n which gives you SO much 1
I'm est. And SO, you are fully assured
ut ycu are to find your home shroud-
cd in gloom. And furthermore, you
don't know when that gloom will de:
pi RI, and when the blessed sunshine Of |
love will burst in again, And why |
don't You know Because it is not
now in your heart to swesp the cloud |
away. You can say to yourseli,-T
can stand it S. long as she canl Am I |
not right
Clarence did not answer in words. 81
ri know am right" pursued the
merchant, "and very likely your wife
is saying to herself the same thing.
So your hope Of sunshine does not rest
upon the Willingness to forgive, but
upon the inability to bear the burden.
BY and by it will happen, as 4 has
happened before. that one OF the twain
will surrender from exhaustion; anil il
will be likely to be the weaker p rty.
Then there viii be collapse, al q
reconciliation. Generally the wife fails
FIST beneath the calling burden, be-
cause her love is keenest and most
sensitive. The husband, in such
case, acts the part Of . coward. When
he might, with breath, blow the q -ud
away. he cringes and covers until the
wife 10 forced to let the sunlight in
though her breaking heart"
Clarence listened, and was troubled.
He was not fool, nor was he liar.
During the silence that followed he re-
atctsd upon the past and he called to
mind scenes just such as Mr.. Wardls
had depicted. And this brought him