River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-09-22
The Man Who
Returned from the
Under World
By EVELYN MARTIN

1 J.
| without obvious eXaggeration, had
called it tragedy. But they were
truly Christian family, unimaginative'
ly orthodox, and knew how to bring
a discreet resignation to their griets.
He had caught a chill in the last week
of his honeymoon, and returned home
to die after three-days' illness-three
vague, Intellectual days of optimism and
inexperienced nursing.
The whole thing was horrible and sur
prising, and the little bride-19 years
old, blue eyed and fiufy-was SO strick-
en- with establishment as to be only
half conscious of her misery. She
went to the funeral, walking firmly and
quietly by her father-in-law. Itseemed
20 her O. ceremony more dignitied than
terrible, for she was unable to con-
ceive of her husband as lying in the
coffin which stood, beflowered and
subsidiary altar, at the chancel steps.
Everybody said that the wreaths were
beautiful, especially the great circlet OF
white roses which had been sent by
the curate's wife She had written a
verse on the card which went with it,,
for she contributed poetry to the week
ly papers sometimes.
The verse rang in the brides head
while the slow ritual of the service
went on:
1.-THE happy dead are here;
Their spirits in the sun
Sing softly and make cheer
Because that life is done"
She said to herself bitterly that it
was cruel and unfair that he should be
free and joyous on some happy spiritual
plane whilst she spent long gray years
in the world that had suddenly become
uninteresting. He had been so kind,
SO considerable, so much her own dur
ing the fortnight that they had spent
together. She missed his ready atten-
ton, the exclusive delight which he
had in her company, the way that his
hand caressed the short bits of hair in
her neck. She dared not allow her
self to realize that she would never
have these things again. The thought
hurt her intensely, and she detested
pain.
Something in her mind cried out: 30,
come back! Come back! I want you!"
His death, his vanishment, as she
thought of it, sitting in the dark
church with her eyes fixed on the white
mass Of flowers, seemed too monstrous
and unnatural to be true.
She cried a little as she walked back
across the churchyard and thought of
the text which the curate had several
times repeated: $50 also is the resur-
rection of the dead 1t is sown in cor
ruption; 1t is raised in interruption "
Her father-in-law and his two daugh-
tiers were with her. They all felt a
little tired and dull now that the great
event was over. They went slowly down
the church lane, through the garden
gate, up the path still marked with the
heavy footsteps of the bearers. The
dead man was in all their thoughts Just
then; he had been a great gardener,
and had planted little while before
his marriage the lilies which his bride
now brushed with her stiff crepe skirt
In the garden which he had given life
to it was difficult to believe in his death.
They looked at eacn ether, recognizing
between them an added 4ensation of
loss.
And in the porch they found him
waiting for them
Afterwards, when they came to talk
about it, no one could quite remember
what he wore or how he looked. Only
he was there, standing in the doorway
as he had been accustomed to stand
looking at his flowers after a morn
ing's work at the desk There was an
air of entire reality about 1t.
His father, tongue responding auto
matically to the stimulus of sight, be-
gan to say: Hello, my boy!" Then
he stopped, looked hastily at the others,
and hoped they had not heard him.
For just five seconds there was a
dead silence. The father heard the
watch tick in his waistcoat pocket and
the sound of his own strenuous breath.
He knew that the three girls were all
looking at the figure in the porch. Then
the bride gave a little cry. Her hus-
band had stepped towards her. holding
out his arms with that boyish gesture
of affection which she had always liked
so much.
Bertha, darling, l couldn't leave
you'll" he said. His voice had the Joy
full note of traveller come home.
She turned away from him and flung
herself against her father-in-law, hid
her face on his sleeve, and began to cry
Historically.
"I'm so sorry" said the young man.
'I've startled all of you I thought.
somehow, you'd understand when you