Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-06-16
THE WIFE OF THE
RED-HEADED MAN. /"
By EDITH B. FESSENDEN.

with her reading or sewing, and al
most invaria lalss slssa .ssA.,=sroTs slsopo-srf
ter time and fall into a pleasant rev
cry, for she was young and life looked
fair.
Sometlin = she would heG~ the land
lords CighteGn-year-old daughter,
Gladys, as she talked and laughed with
her friends, just on the other side of
the hedge, and she Iften smiled in
sympathy with their gay laughter.
Suddenly she sat upright She
thought some one had called to her
but no, that could not b.. There it was
again, her name! Wide awake now,
she sat, alert and aEyiors. 1t was
Gladys 'ce. and she seemed to have
with her another young girl when
Mrs. Evans had met
And Mr.. Evans doesn't earn more
than $50 =. month, papa says"
And he is red-headed." { Giggles
from Loth).
mo, never would marry a red
headed MA"
What could she have seen in him 10
lover
Maybe it wasn't a love match.
There are so few nowadays"
Then what"
"How should 1 know? But I'll bet
she's tired of him by this time. any
how"
Wouldn't it be fun to know how
some couples happened to come TO-
Gether! l often think of it."
AT this point the girls decided 10
take a little walk. AS they were
about to pass her gate Mrs. Evans
spoke TO them.
Good afternoon, girls. Would you
please come in a moment?"
The girls looked at each other in
dismay. Could she have heard?
Having seated her guests in the ham,
mock, Mrs. Evans said:
Il happened to be sitting here while
you girls were talking, and it seemed
TO me l just couldn't bear to have you
think as you do about"
'Oh, Mrs. EvOnsP' interrupted
Gladys, with a flaming face. "Oh,
am So"
Never mind that just thought
would like to tell You a little story If
you will listen"
They sat, frightened, silent not
knowing what to say.
"Once there was a little girl who
lived with her grandfather and aunt.
They had a large house, comfortable
amount of money, and people were in
the habit of saying that this child had
everything So she did, everything ex-
cept what she wanted. She never
knew a mothers nor fathers love, nor
had the right to her fathers name, and
the grandfather was soured and en-
FILTERED by his daughters ruin and
death. so he and the aunt were usually
severe and strict with the child. She
had no young friends, for they would
not allow it. She did not go TO the
| public schools, but had goYernesses at
/ home.
II don't suppose you can picture the
lonely life of that child, growing up
/ with these hard, unsympathetic rela-
! tives. who carefully kept in the back
ground what love they may have felt.
/ Imagine having no friends of your
own age, no pleasures such as girls
enjoy! This girl was imaginative, too,
and liked TO spend hours at a time liv'
] ing In a sort of dream world where
everything was so different. This WAS
her one great pleasure. OF course, as
she grew older, she sometimes thought
of what love must be-hoT her own
possible lover would LOOKOUT all these
pleasant visions were rudely brought
to an end one day when Der grand
father told her of a man whom ht
had selected 10 be her husband. She
disliked and distrusted the man from
the first, and was most unhappy.
"But before a marriage could take
place an epidemic of diphtherit
claimed as victims both her relatives
and after their death it was fouD(
that the crafty sutton had managed Il
get their property into his hands, ant
by mismanag cement had lost the mos
of it. 1t was a terrible situation TO
that grill No relatives, no friends, NJ
knowledge of the world, no money.
"She was obliged to work at some
I
only possibility. There was no openin
! in her own town, but in another. nea
by, she secured a mediocre position
, where she taught three years Blu
, she had never learned 10 make friend
! the people thought er cold. uninteI
. esting, dull, and one hopeless nigh
when life seemed to offer her nothin
, but deeper and deeper unhappinesi
she went to the river and VS. aboU
to end the struggle, when a M
! stopped her. He questioned Ter kind!
and, indeed, kindness was the dom
: mating note ia he bearing.
= Poor little girl he said. POI
= little frightened soul. And he too
her homa, talked cheeri'y to he
brought her back TO life, as it wer
and after that he called often, alway
: displaying wonderful optimism, cou
i age and kindly feeling for her.
s'He was a true friend. the first 81
had ever ki Own. BY his thorOus
manlincss he showed how Eoble a ms
Z may become, and gradually her fat
3 in human nature revived. He WI
= respectful tender indeed, he seem,
to her the essence of goodness. Wh'
e he asked her 10 marry him-when
u painted for her their future where b
D. one thought would be her happiness
; how he could best make up 10 her I
u those bleak years OF unhappiness
when she looked into those eyes shi
" ing with love and tenderness-wb
" she saw that dear face that never be
aught but kindness and love for hel
re is It any wonder that she felt hers
supremely blestI Is it any wond