The Irish standard., 1904-10-29
The Man Who
Returned from the
Under World
By EVELYN MARTIN


called it a tragedy. But they were
truly Christian family, unimaginative.
ly orthodox, and knew how to bring
- discreet resignation to their griefs.
He had caught chill in the last week
of his honeymoon, and returned home
to die after a three-days' illness-three
vague, Intellectual days OF optimism ana
inexperienced nursing.
The whole thing was horrible and sur
prising, and the little bride-l9 years
old, blue eyed and fluffy-was so strlck-
en- with astonishment as to be only
half conscious of her misery She
went to the funeral, walking firmly and
quietly by her father-in-law. 1tseemed
to her a ceremony more dignitied than
terrible, for she was unable to con-
ceive Of her husband as lying in the
coffin which stood, a 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 curates wife She had written
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 1t
was cruel and unfair that he should be
free and joyous on some happy spiritual
In the world that had suddenly become
uninteresting. He had been so kind
80 considerate, 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
hurt her intensely and she detested
pain.
Something in her mind cried out: 20
come back! Come back! want you!'
His death, his vanishment az sht
thought of it. sitting in the darl
church with her eyes fixed on the white
mass of flowers, seemed too monstrou!
and unnatural to be true.
She cried little as she walked bacl
across the churchyard and thought O
the text which the curate had severa
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
ters were with her. They all felt
little tired and dull now that the erea
event was over They went slowly dow
the church lane, through the garde
gate, up the path still marked with tn
heavy footsteps Of the bearers. Th
dead man was in all their thoughts Jus
then; he had been a great gardener
and had planted a little while befor
his marriage the lilies which his brid
now brushed with her stiff crepe skirt
In the garden which he had given lif
e to it was difficult to believe in his death
They looked at each other, recognizin
between them an added sensation G
toss.
And in the porch they found hi1
waiting for them.
Afterwards, when they came to tai
about it, mo- one could quite remembe
what he wore or how he looked. Onl
he was there, standing in the doorwa,
as he had been accustomed to stan
looking at his flowers after morn
ing's work at the desk There was a
air of entire reality about it.
His father, tongue responding auto
matically to the stimulus of sight, be
gan to say: "Hello, my boy!' The
he stopped, looked hastily at the Others
and hoped they had not heard him.
For just five seconds there was
dead silence. The father heard tn
watch tick in his waistcoat pocket an
the sound of his own strenuous breath
He knew that the three girls were a
looking at the figure in the porch. The
the bride gave a little cry. Her hus
band had stepped towards her, holdin
But his arms with that boyish gestur
Of affection which she had always like
30 much.
Is Bertha. darling. couldn't leav
aiasss'-pul Z, he al voice had the joy
him and nun