The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-01-27

then fullbIown liverymap. Now it
'appens as 'Ow gets spliced loike other
folks and me wife, she was darlint
and the pride of me heart-she wuz,
Gosh, but them was 'appy days. She
were be eauty, she were, but by all the
saints in 'Eaven her looks were 'er un-
doings. / minds our baby comm and
how we calls in Young spark of
doctor, by name Mclaughlin, who got
'er well mighty quick but kept calm
to see 'er for months afterwards be-
cause he said it were necessary. Oh,
Wuz blind, Oi wuz, and then one day
she was gone-yes, she, my Tizbeth.
DID | vow vengencep That there
word ain't strong enough. Did I drink
to drown me sorrows? There amt no
word will answer me purpose to tell
ye what basic ] became. But I ups
and follows 'er and finds 'er livin'-well
the-life they all comes to that diviates
from vertue. Well, then, me 'eart
breaks-yee, fairly bust for [ still lub-
bed FER. God, what did do? First, I
says, Revenge to i'm and 'er.' Then I
argues what's the use and me mither's
teachin's comes back to me and re-
calls as 'ow she is still my 'Lizbeth and
was no hetter than she, yes, even
wuss. for was drinkin' as no swine
would do Then after thinkin' awhiles
to meself l ups again but like a man
this tonne and goes to 'er and says,
'LiZbeth, luve yer, come back to me
and maby we can forget the past to-
gether. I've been bad, likewise as ye.
Let us make 'ome again. Me 'eart is
breakin' for ye. She bides me persua-
siOns and no better a woman iver
breathed than she from that day, but
could not althOgether cast off the 'abits
Pad gotten into and one day l recalls
to 'er face 'er past and throws vile names
in 'er face. God, shall never forget
'er look and by all that's holy believes
as 'ow 'er 'eart also broke that there
mint. That night gets boozed and
| when got home she was gone just as
she said she would do if liver threw in
her face that which promised nivver
to do. l remembers her last words:
John, you'll never have an opportunity
/ to call me names again. and when re-
alizes she's goner goes plump to ELL
! Only today ears where that cursed
doctor lives and says to meself, 'it's up
to you now, John, to get even and then
come what may, you will be even with
from them runaway 'Osses [ reckOns /
was near lis 'ouse but serpose as my
'LiZbeth who has now taken a religion
would say: Man perposes but God
desposes.'
"Guess, Dock, if could hut tell Liz
teth afore die that luvs 'er; that she
was nivver to blame; that she was led
} on by a villain and the glitter of things;
that 1 might have found 'er and saved
'er long ago-that could die 'appy;
will yer 'elp me, Doctor ?"
had listened with bleeding heart
to these words. 1t needed little to con-
vince me that like David of old the
finger might he pointed to me and it
be said: "Thnu art the man." So
many years had passed since wrecked
my own life, that readily understood
why l was MT recognized. Surely at
last the sword of Damocles had fallen
and Providence was working NY Meme
sis. In my profession was 81 ccessful;
hy my friends [ was respected
always canker was eating my .,itals-
:, remembrance of past wrOn
Already saw my career CT
the Justice which would com
semyself from society.
!, COnId make recompense an
ment? Was after all but pawn on
Gods checkerboard, or was the player !?
If so, how by a merciful intervention
of Providence conld redeem the past,
for recall it was impossible. The bur.
/: den of wrong doing is more often
keener to the instigator of sin than to
> the companion in crime. Such it had
been to me.
Resolving to save both husband and
/. wife employed instant means. Ieaw
the wife: made confession of my sins:
> reunited her with her husband who
speedily convalesced under her minis
trations; sold my practice: purchased q
e business for the injured husband; wrote
3 a full confession to him and then quit.
: ed my country and now live in the hope
q that, in nv seclusion, may find peace
with nv Maker and bring happiness
T bv deeds of kindness, to other homes.
s / sit tonight by my fireside alone and
8 see in il the face of one woman hut to
y whom dare not tellthis story. thrust
she will read this page in my life's his
q tory and then maybe-bnt dare HOPE
that she will come in the evening OF
= nv life and cheer my last hours and
l teach me to say: "Father forgive, knew
% not what did," II she reads this ani
5 comes to me shall know that there Il
a love- greater than human love, ant
= that I also am f0rgiven-that m,
y punishment has snfficed-that my clos
- ing davs NAV be davs of hope and thai
= in the Beyond shall know the sinne
= was loved though the sin was deplored
Il There is no sinner too vile for Hi
!. mercy and for this reason will still
y hope and while hoping, still hope more
: u