The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-01-01

tenness of the peoples patriotism
that drags down Holy Russia!"
Evil you let me do jt?"
mo, Ivan, cannot. God gave me
the work to do, and / must not skirk
it. If He intends me to escape when
it is done, He will help me; If not, /
will take-what comes"
Her blue eyes flashed with the
fire of religious fervor, but she leaned
across the table and laid her hand on
his, as if to soften the cruelty of her
own decision.
The girl looked very frail and
nervous as she sat in the fading light.
There was, however, strange, set
look about her mouth; her level, red
lips were pressed together with
| firmness betokening marvellous de-
termination for girl Of her ply
sique.
The young man rose from his seat
and walked to the window, pressing
the soft, straight hair back from his
forehead.
If you forget your own mother"
he threw back sharply over his
shoulder, you cannot overlook his.
What has she done that you should
punish her? She is no doubt proud
of her son, who, after all, has done
nothing but his duty, though God
knows he has done that WE'LL
Il think of nothing, Ivan-I think
of no one. All must be sacrificed to
the good of the country! Am 1 not
willing and ready to risk my own
life
"And throw aside my love-" inter-
rupted the young man.
For the holy cause? Can you not
give up something, Ivan? Though
married you, I could not make you
happy 1t is not in me to be content
with the trivial occupations of wife
and-a mother. I cannot rest now;
often think, Ivan, that there will be
no rest for me on earth. .
She spoke in cold, weary voice,
as though the words were forced
from her by some superior will, not
emanating from her own being at all.
Then he came towards her with
both hands outstretched
"Only marry me, Marie" he
urged, in a voice hoarse with sup
pressed passion. Marry me, and all
will come. right. Rest will come, and
peace-ah! and love, Marie; for you
do not love me now. l can see it in
your eyes. We will go away and
I, To nd
There we can watch things from afar,
for we can do no good; the sacrifice
of our happiness in the cause can do
nothing. 1t is not thus that the fate
of an empire is ruled. 1t is in higher
hands than ours; or, as some say, it
and statesmen, despite lives thrown
away and homes made desolate. If
there were work to do, / should be
among the first, you know that, Ma
RE. 1t is weary work to pass ones
life in idly waiting for crisis that
never comes, but it is written, and
we cannot but obey. When the time
comes, there will be no call for states
men and politicians; the people will
do the work, the people will find the
leaders. All, Marie! If you would
only listen when tell you that this
is not work for women, these are no
thoughts for woman's mind!
Everything in the past points to it,
everything in the present confirms
that God will not have such work
done by a woman's hand. He will
never bless such an undertaking.
Mental resistance in woman is
usually totally without respect to
physical force. The man might have
argued and persuaded till dawn, but
it would have been of no avail. The
frail girl was as intent on her pur-
pose as the most determined man,
and with the additional incentive of
a woman's unreasoning belief in her
own convictions, which will not lis
ten to the most direct and convinc-
ing argument, while it laughs at
milder measures.
The man knew this, and yet, with
the stubborn calmness of his north
ern blood, he still sought to appeal
to her reason. At the same time, he
attempted to arouse in her some faint
reflex of the passion within his own
heart. He took her two hands again,
he drew her towards him, and, stoop-
ing till the soft, wavy curls about
her temples touched his lips, he spoke
fervently and with flashing eyes that
vainly sought hers.
But she, forgetting that her two
hands were prisoners, that his arm
was around her, and that his hunger
ing lips were close to her own, still
chung to her argument merely as an
argument, and not with the feeble re-
sistance of one who has the faintest
idea of yielding.
(To be continued)