Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-05-06
CONSOLATION.

Mrs. Jefferson was not more than IS
years of age, and she had spent fourteen
years of married life in India. She had
seen three of her children buried in an
unhealthy station, and had been to
England once seven years before, to take
was on her return voyage from visiting
her children that ! met her.
She was so much less aggressive than
most of the women on board, and de-
manded so much less attention, that it
was restful to lazy man ike myself
just to sit quietly by her deck cha;r.
share my books AID newspapers with
her, and enjoy my evening cigar by her
side. Mrs. Jefferson did not object 70
smoking; she seemed indeed so ditfident,
so humble and unexacting that | found
myself wondering what the man must
be like who was her husband, and hoping
that he was not selfish brute who sat
upon the little woman She was not
communicative. and | found out very
little about her during our long chats.
Perhaps | am egotistical and talk a good
deal about myself when get a patient
listener. BE that as it may, ] CLEANED
nothing of Mrs. Jefferson's own history
from her, and at last determined to ask
the captain of the ship if he knew any
thing about her.
1T is odd that you should ask me
that said Capt. Hargreaves, for it was
only today that ! began to recall Mrs.
Jefferson to my recollection. She told
me her maiden name this morning. and
said that she had travelled out with me
once before. and I recollected the cir
cumstances Immediately.
"She was going out to India to be
married to this man jefferson, and a very
pretty girl she was i'll those days though
one would hardly guess it now to look at
heroine gets accustomed to that sort of
thing on board these p. & @. vessels
one year pretty girl with pink cheeks
and her lovers photograph on her cabin
table, going out to be married and to be
happy ever afterward, and a few years
later, the same girl with all the roses
washed out of her cheeks, bringing home
a little boy on girl to say good-hye to
them in England and to 90 back to some
plantation i'll the hills, where perhaps her
husbands is the only white face she sees
for most days in the year"
yet they'll continue to go while the
world lasts" said |. Il hope Jefferson
was the right sort of MANI"
so far as | can hear" said Capt.
Hargreaves, "he is very much the re-
verse! He got into some trouble over
business affair, and lost good billet
down in Calcutta; then he came into a
little money, and bought tea plantation
somewhere in the back of beyond. But
he was always something of a bounder,
! fancy, and his misfortune, as men of
Jefierson's type always call their mis-
doings, soured him. He took to drink,
| believe, and this little woman doesn't
have the best of times with him. She
has got children at home and has lost
several others out in India"
Naturally one avoided the subject of
Mr.. Jefferson ever afterward when talk
ing to his wife, and | heard nothing
about him till the very last day of the
voyage.
1t was horribly hot weather-quite ex-
hausting for ladies. Mrs jefferson had
been confined to her cabin for some days
with II bad attack of fever and headache
She looked pathetically small and weak
when She came on deck again, and curled
herself up in my big deck chair which |
had prepared with cushions for her. Civ
ing me at the same time look so full of
gratitude that it was enough to make
any decent man feel ashamed of himself.
The rest of the passengers began to 90
below, card tables were put away, the
principal electric lights were put out. but
still Mrs. Jefferson sat in the deck chair.
looking small and weak among the pil-
lows. and | took it into my head sudden
" that she wanted to say something to
me, but that speech was difficult to her.
and in flash knew intuitively that she
had learned the silence which so many
women have to learn.
II want to thank you." she said at last,
for all your goodness TO me on this voy-
age Her voice was 50 low and gentle
that | had to lean forward to catch ex-
actly what she said. and as | did so She
laid her hand in mine. Perhaps YOU
don't know she said slowly. quite
what your friendship has been to me"
stumbled and said something bald
and stupid in response, and Mrs. Jeffer-
son went on:
For seven years l have lived for moth.
ing but this visit home to England.
When anything in my life was a little
disappointing. l always said to myself. 4
have the children to go back to- And
every week | had their precious, foolish
little letters, which told me 50 little and
kept me hungering to see them"
1t must have been awful to leave
them again | said and in the dark 1
took again the little hand which had lain
in mine.
They We're so fond Of me-" said Mrs.
jefferson, still in the same halting fash.
ion. like one who speaks an unfamiliar
language. Il mean when they were little
things. do not think quite tiny children
could ever have been more fond of their
mother. And'-she hesitated for mo-