Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-01-12

Knocked her while It applauded her.
That world, therefore. she now began
to fear. The one being upon earth
with whom she could be associated,
who knew nothing about it, who could
cast no stone at her she realized was
the man whom she had made, and
this man looked to her almost MS men
look to. the Divine. Yet she felt that
some day he would have to know.
Some day she would have to tell him.
What then? That feeling was ever
with her. She constantly asked her
self that question and found no an
swer.
Indeed, it was he who had taught
her the truth of Christ. She had not
been able, she had felt a strange un-
willingness, il indeed it were possible,
to break down the lingering remains
OF faith in that man. That babble of
childish prayer had, in some strange
way. caught her heart strings. 1t was
the one memory of intelligence that
had remained to him. Now that he
was capable of expression, again and
again he had told her of the dim recol-
lection of a long voyage i'm an open
boat with a woman and some animal,
which she knew must be the dog. He
could''remember nothing of the inter-
course between him and that woman
except that she had been good to
hin, ,ntt hat ic 20
the wisest recall of mother-and
that she had taught him and made him
say always that prayer whose. CO.
herency and meaning to her intense
surprise she found herself imparting
to him. And she could not make up
her mind to take from him the reality
Of the only recollection that remained
to him.
Her new belief, as has been said,
was both joy and sorrow to her. Save
for her experience in the ship she had
been happier in her philosophy She
had suffered grievously through her
trust in it and in man, but her con.
seriousness that she was fundamentally
right in her beliefs had consoled her.
Now to. feel that she had been wrong;
that she had thrown away under the
leading of false light what she could
never again-Ah. no 'Magdalene ever
wept bitterer tears at the feet of
Jesus than this woman in her hours
of solitude over her mistaken past.
her loss and shame.
She had hours of solitude, too. Early
in the life they lived, she had laid
7! down certain regulations. He was in
| the formative period then and had
unhesitatingly acquiesced in them. So
far those regulations had neither been
abrogated by her nor broken by him.
| A cave upon the farther side of the
island had been found and that was
his home. They breakfasted together
| at certain hour, which he told by
means OF the sun and she by her
faithful watch. The, morning was spent
in study. In the afternoon they sep,
arated. each passing it III accordance
| with individual preference, but he
vigorously kept to his side and she TO
her side of the island during the
period. Certain dividing lines clearly
established and understood marked
which was his and which was hers
At supper time they met again and
passed the time together IN conversa-
ton until the rest period arrived
Things had to be this way else life
would have been unenduraJle. They
lived on the natural products of the
island which. We're varied and stuff
/ GENTLY abundant to fulfill all dietetic
! requirements.
/ She had also taught him things moi
learned from books. Among them
truth, honor. duty and dignity-all the
virtues. Her instruction had been
first, that which was nntural-ethical
merely, but afterward 1T had grown
spiritual Unspotted. from the world
he. and she washed white she hoped
and prayed in spite OF spots. they lived
a life of idyllic innocence Yet be
4 cause he was man and she was 8
woman, strange fires glowed beneath
the outward calm, strange ideas and
desires and thoughts rose from both
hearts. This was inevitable. Hei
original relation to the man had been
one of SO great superiority as to be
fatal to the early DEVELOPMENT of any
feeling but the maternal. Even now
she possessed the superiority which
association with her kind. her longer
training and her greater opportunities
had given her. And yet she could only
recognize that to the impartial view
considering his abilities and oppor
tunities he stood quite on level with
her. Perhaps had he enjoyed her
chances he might have stood higher.
She began to idealise him, to dream
about him, to wonder. She trembled
on the verge of passion. She knew his
10 be brilliant mind. She OWNED
his to be knightly soul. Physically
in face and figure. no more splendid
man, untrammeled by base convention
ever stood upon the ckrth's surface
Grace and strength mingled in har
mony that was as striking as it was
full of charm. She had no opportuni
ty to test his courage, for no physica
danger ever menaced them. But she
4
The woman Sad had bitter expert
ence with love. Following what She
believed to be the highest inspiration
she had wrecked her life and brought
herself to this pass. The revolt Ii
her soul at the thought of the mar
who had SO degraded her, or who hat
SO taken advantage OF her ignorance
and innocence-the more complete
since they were covered by conf
dence OF knowledge and sophisticatio1
as to allow her TO degrade herself
convinced her that what she had mis-
taken for divine light was only a false
fire, an ignis fatuus which had led he
into the marsh and slough of slime
and shame. She loathed the though
Of that man. She had loathcd. whel
she had been thrown upon that island
the thought of all men. This ont
had given back her confidence in he
kind. Yet sometimes she wondered