Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-09-29
ELIZABETH.

k-s 1skAAD Il I 1 ks
The tloodgates of Elizabeth Andrews
soul were rent aSuudCr that morning, and
the repression. the sclf-control of years
was suddenly swept away. Ordinarily
she was a quiet, grave, self-containcd
woman, drilled in the school of adversely
and passive under aflliction's hand, Bat
today a cruel sentence from her hus-
bands lips had thrown her into par
oXySm of wild. uncomfortable weeping.
Before il her religion had seemed 10 scat.
ter like chatt before Il mighty wind aud
her hitherto Chidlikc faith was lost, up
rooted, torn away. Through hot, rebel
liouS. rushing tears she saw herself as
she really was; saw with the rcpugnance
OF beauty-Ioving nature her faded, sean
~ dress, her coarse SHOES. ner ruugnened,
toll-gnaried hands; saw, with suddenly
awakened eyes, the hair, so rudy once,
now almost turned to silver. The cheeks.
Worn thin by years of ioyless living; the
sad, pathetic eyes, from whose depths the
story If her life cried out
Who would ever dream that she had
been Il beauty once? And yet some tit-
teen years before, the little Western viii
laee in which she lived had held no ri
val to her loneliness. while the tair morn
ing of her youth gave forth but Il prom
Use of a brighter day. But fate had used
her wantonly, unkindly. When John An
dreWs entered into her hue, won ny his
impetu0uS wooing. his sturdy strength,
his bold. dark beauty, Elizabeth listened.
grasping, alas, the shadow for the sub
stance. She married him, and the awak-
ening had come only too soon. He was
not-nevcr could have 6oen--a lifting
mate for her. He llyeu. moved and
breathcd upon different plane.
i-n ,t..,
word, locking her grief and disappoint
ment in her own breast. Others may
have guessed, hut they did not know her
suffering. Little by little her beauty fad.
ed, her youth departed, happiness and
she came to the parting OF the ways"
bidding each other a sad farewell. But
Elizabeth murmured not, and with head
erect walked still the thorny path where
duty beckoned.
But today the injustice. the pity of it.
reused her to sudden passion. Night had
descended at last, mcrcifully barring out
her wretched day. The stars, those
bright-eyed, tireess little watchers of the
skies, were only paiely cleaning, for it
was not quite dark. Twilight. soft and
purple, bathed all objects in it's tender,
e.sxes - radiance. softening the harsh out
lines of the bare old world In the harm
yard the little calves huddled closer to
their soft-eyed mothers before their night
Of parting. The chickens had gone TO
bed an hour ago, all but the stately chan
tlcleer, who yet stalkcd majestically
about, still neckinE the soil of generous
Mother Earth for stray morsel of her
bounty.
Elizabeth could hear the stridcnt tones
of the hned men, the clink-clink- clnk Of
the heavy milk cans, while waited To her
ears every now and then was their sound
of hoisterous mirth, called forth by some
coarse jest. The misery, the hopclcssness.
the narroWncss, the poverty Of her lot
smote her with sudden crushing force.
Must | 60 on serving, f0rgying, toll
ing all my !ife?" she cried NO, thou
sand times no. Somewhere in the wide
world there must be love, affinity. even
for me, broken as / am"
She rose with burning cheeks anG
paced the room. why should | stay?"
she thought, rcbelliously. For what?
Neglect, pain, bitter words, my souls
Self-abnegation unapprecatcd serving
why not, after all, turn my back upon
the old life and do battle in different
ono! The future can have no terrors
other than ] have already borne and
there are no little childish voices I"ft to
call me back" Poor, poor Elizabeth. for
in the little cemetery yonder the last Of
her three dimpled darhngs had neen late
~ carried. In that dark hour Elizabeth.
for the first time, saw the wisdom If
their passing. Il would NOT call Won
back again my little ones" she walled.
Better death than Il repetition of a life
as mime and-SuCh father She walked
mechanically TO the closet door. where
her neager wardrob" hung. The great
iron horse Numbered by each evening, a
a safe turn Of the country road. How
easy it would be to board il and escape
forever, Could she--dare she do it.
With hands locNcd tightly against he
throbblng breast She stood there for but
q moment, then her resolution quicklg
taken, she forced herself to sudden ac-
ton. With cheeks still burning. She
loosened her faded dress. and stood, a
second later, slight, bowed figure in
her rusty gown Of black Her hands
trembled so she could hardly adjust her
hat, but she pcrseyercd, and soon stood
ready. Suddenly, in reaching for her lit
tie purse, the soft CLEAN OF her wedding
ing caught her eye. In an instant her
bridal dag came back to her. She saw
herself as she had been then. radiant
merry. joyful. her husband by her side
Some old words she had heard a white.
haired speaker in the pulpit once reyc".
emily declare came back to her anu
stayed her feyerisb hand: God pat the
strongest burdens upon the strongest
souls" God puts the strongest burdens
upon the strongest souls"--she repeated
it slowly Above the tumult oT her
thoughts, even as il came 10 Elijah IT
old. Elizahcth seemed TO hear "a still.
small voice"
N nal. tEpn, lGh, untaiibfUi. Eliza
hcthE Cauet thou not bidc little wllilr
and walk where duty beckons? Patience.
until thy summons comes. After that,
Joy peace. love. life eternal"
oh, there Is no escape" cried poor
Elizabeth None, acne With q sllilod
sob. she flung herself upon ner knees.
pouring ont her whole heart In Il plea
Tor strength and pardon. IN lrw min
ntee, kneeiins here. she grew strangely
tranquil. With cheeks unite color"s4
now, and eyes quite dry. she rose. she
laid aside her dress Of black and donnpd
again her working one: lifted up once
more her heavy yoke and slipped her
roughencd hands into their manucIcs 4
noisy step was heard ascending the
stairs. Without a preface nar husband
burst into the room. 81 saw I,z." br
gan he, with rough tenderness. I'm ser.
~ | said what ! did to you this morn
ing. You'll forgive me. won't YOU" lie
grasped her rudely in his strong embrace
and dropped a careless kiss upon her up
turned face. And Elizabeth. as she with
drew herself gently. ever So gently. from
his sturdy arms, said calmly: Forgive. |