The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-04

DdIlQ -
"Hush,"
1t was Mr. Gilchrist who dared her
! fiery finger; Philemon said nothing.
Hush, He may be the father of
your children. Don't curse
But she only lowered the higher. and
her beauty, from being simply majestic,
became appalling. "Children," she
cried IF ever / bear children to this
man. may the blight of heaven strike
them as il has struck me this day. May
they die as my hopes have died; or, If
/ they live, may they bruise his heart as
mine is bruised and curse their father
| as
Here 1 fed the house. I was shaking
as if this awful denunciation had fallen
on my own head But before the door
closed behind me, a different cry called
me back. Mr.. Gilchrist was lying life
| less on the floor, and Philemon-the
| patient, tender Philemon-had taken
Agatha to his breast and was soothing
her there as if the words she had
showered upon hi mhad been blessings
| instead of the most fearful curses
which had ever left the lips of mortal
woman
The next letter was in Agatha's hand
writing. II was dated some months
later and was stained and crumpled
more than any others in the whole
| L.
told why? Were these blotted lines the
result of his tears falling fast upon
them, tears of forty years ago, when
he and she were young, and love had
been doubtful? Was the sheet so yell
lowed and so scanned because it had
been worn on his breast and folded and
unfolded so often? Philemon, thou art
in thy grave, sleeping sweetly at last
by the side of the one idolized, but
these marks of feeling still remain in
dissolubly connected with the words
that gave them birth.
Dear Philemon-You are gone for a
day and a night only, but 1t seems a
heightened absence to me, meriting a
little letter. You have been so good to
me, Philemon, ever since that dreadful
hour following our marriage, feel that
1 am beginning to love you and that
God did not deal with me so harshly
when he cast me into your arms. Yes
terday / tried to tell you this sfhen you
almost kissed me at parting, but l was
afraid it was a momentary sentimental
ity and so kept still. But today such a
warm wellspring of joy rises in my
heart when I think that tomorrow the
house will be bright again, and that in
place of the empty wall opposite me at
table l shall see your kindly and for
bearing face. l know that the heart |
had thought impregnable has begun tc
yield, and that daily gentlenesS and a
boundless consideration from one who
had excuse for bitter thoughts and re-
elimination, is doing what all of us
thought impossible few short months
ago.
Oh, am so happy, Philemon, so hap
by to love where it is now my duty to
| love, and if it were not for that dread
full memory of a father dying with
| harsh words in his ears, and the knowl-
edge that you, my husband, yet not my
| husband are bearing ever about with
] you echoes of words that in another
nature would have turned tenderness
| into gall, l could be merry also, and
sing as I go about the house making 1t
pleasant and comfortable against your
| speedy return. AS il is, / can but lay
my hand softly on my heart as its beat
| ings grow too impetuous and say, God
bless my absent Philemon and help him
to forgive mel l forgive him and love
him as 1 never thought 1 could.
That you may see that these are not
the weak outpourings of a lonely wo-
man, | will here write that / heard to-
day that John and James label have
gone into partnership in the shipbuild-
| ing business. Johns uncle having left
| him a legacy of several thousand dol
| lars. l hope they will do well. James,
| they say. is to all appearance, perfect
! ly cheerful and full of business, and
this relieves me from too much worry
| in his regard. God certainly knew what
kind of a husband / needed. May you
find yourself equally blessed in your
wife.
Another letter to Philemon a year
later:
Dear PhiIemon-Hasten home, Phile-
mon; 1 do not like these absences. /
am now too weak and fearful. Since
we know the great hope before us
have looked often in your face for a
| sign that you remembered what this
hope cannot but recall TO my shudder-
ing memory. Philemon, Philemon, was
1 mad? When l think what l said in
may rage and then feel the little life
stirring about my heart, 1 wonder that
| God did not strike me dead rather than
bestow upon me the greatest blessing
| that can come to woman. Philemon,
Philemon, if anything should happen
the child, l think of it by day, ] think
of ii by night. l know you think of it,
too, though you show me such a cheer
full countenance and make such great
plans for the future. Will God remem-
Der my words, or will he forget? 1t
seems as if my reason hung upon this
question.
A note, this time in answer to one
from john ZaDel:
Dear John-Thank you for words
which could have come from nobody
else. Ny child is dead. Could 1 ex-
pect anything different? If l did, God
has rebuked me.
Philemon thinks only of me. We I'M
derstand each other perfectly, now that
our greatest suffering comes in seeing
each others pain. My load l can bear,
but his Come and see me, John; and
tell James our house is open to him.
We have all done wrong, and are
caught in one web of misfortune. Let
it make us friends again.
Below this, in Philemon's hand:
My wife is superstitious strong and
capable as she is. she has felt that this
sudden taking off of our first born is a
sign that certain words uttered by her
on her marriage day, unhappily known
to you, and, as / take it, to James also
have been remembered by the righteous
God above us. This is a weakness which
/ cannot combat. Can you, who alone
of all the world beside know both it and
it's cause, help me by a renewed
friendship, whose cheerful and natural
character may gradually make her fop-
get? If so, come, like old neighbors,
and dine with us on our wedding day.
If God sees that we have buried the
past, and are ready to forgive each
other the faults of our youth, perhaps
he will further spare this good wo-
man. | think she will be able to bear
it. She has great strength except
where a little child is concerned. That
alone can henceforth stir the deepest
recesses of her heart.
After this a gap of years. One, two,
three, four, five children were