Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-04-19
An Etching
from Life
By ADDIE FARRAR

and quick sympatnies. She was pool
and alone, shouldeung the burden OF
an existence under the load of i'll
health and lingering disease. His
natural chiyalry for women but as
serted itself when out of his greater
abundance he extended her many
personal comforts and little eourte
sizes her meager salary could not
compass. Ii never occurred to him
that a pettish and narrow minded
world might misconsU'& even the
kindest of intentions. Because OF
this, in the ed, he married her-not
that he loved her-his feeling for hel
was but a plying affection. Then
too, he was lonely-a stranger in a
strange land. and just then a home
of his own meant much TO him. IL
a way his ma rriage meant little, foi
in all the 30 years of his life he
had never fell but more than a pass
ing interest in any woman. Love
the love he had dreamed of, had never
come into his life. He had an ar,
dent, poetic temperament, and had
had wonderful dreams of the per
feet union of body and soul-the
only life OF a man and woman to-
gether.
Now that lie had settled down in
q quiet dome sticity and the care oil
his half-inyalided wife, who, relieved
of all the exertion of self-support
had blossomed into almost health, he
resolutely put aside such vague love
dreams and played at happiness. Foi
three years he had tried 10 believe
himself at least contented, and SC
great was his loyalty TO his wife, that
he refused even to himself to ac-
knowledge that his restlessness and
unsatisfied longings came from aught
else than desire to amass a com
potency and an ambition 10 become
a certain factor In the great world;
10 command for himself certain de-
gree of influence and power.
As for his wife, she was grateful
for his care, and loved him as sucn
women love, with a half-maternal
/ I0NUutNN AuNI lndAAitE - AAtfNAA - -
irritating business for the object oi
| lis affection. She was the kind oil
a woman who make better mothers
than wives. better housekeepers than
| companions, and who, while possess
| ing an the virtues of a good woman,
F, vet lack the little arts that hold
| man. She didn't understand him, and
she believed in his talents and pos
! sibilities only SO far as they ma
terialized into gold. This money she
{ handled judiciously, fed him excel
lent dinners, and starved his soul.
She. however, was quite content;
she could not miss what she could
not fathom. and even after the other
woman came into his life she never
noted that he was different, that has
whole being was awake and alive
4 oniyering with new and undefinable
emotions.
They were singularly congenial
there two, the other woman and he
Their tastes, their work, theii
thoughts. ran along the same chan
mel. and so great was their sympathy
from the first day Of their mere ae
ouaintance they had quickly passed
into close friendship, and If her beau
ty and grace had at first attracted
| him. her sweet disposition, her keer
intellectually. quick wit and gener
Gus broad mindedness held him.
For many months he had been
regular visitor at her house, ane
each succeeding day had brought e
him afresh the realization of his love
for her. TO him she was the one
desirable thing life held.
She was, and would always be the
dominant note of his life. She wal
the woman Of his dreams, and fame
wealth and position appeared al
nothing beside her. Gladly would h'
have renowned them all for hei
sake. but only too well he realized
his position His was a strong ma
ture, and he fought valiantly To-
what the world demanded of him
his LOYALTY to his wife. Night aftei
nigbt he had lain awake tossing Il
his agony of hopeless love-the low
his lips dared not utter, and ther'
was not a waking moment that he
| face was not before him.
For ten DAYS he had martyred him
self by staying away from her, bu
regularly every night he had waike'
mast the house to catch a glimpse 9
her through the low windows, with
ont which he could not rest
From outside he had watched he
among her guests, and wondered
She missed him. He had longed s.
10 go in, TO hear her voice in pleas
ant greeting, to see the Hush ans
on her cheeks, the roguish spark
IN her eyes, but il was a part o
the punishment he had laid out 10
himself that he should not.
A. he walked down the street, h
noticed that the house was not light
ed but by the rays Of the summe
moon he shaght the huster of
,,bi,e dress on the veranda, and con
- he saw her sink into on