The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-16
The Child-Wife's Justification

W. @1aNoOh. loN6 scenes from
the great novelists. Among these nore
| makes stronger appeal than that
which was enacted in Dickens's David
| Copperfleld" between David and his
| child-wife, Dora. just before Dora's
death
| David is represented as saying, DO
I know that my chlld-wife will soon
have told me nothing new to my
thoughts; but am far from sure that
| have taken that truth to heart.
hold her hand in mine, hold her heart
in mine. 1 see her love for me alive
in all its strength. 1 cannot shut out
a pale, lingering shadow of belief that
she will be spared.
| My childwife says, I am going tc
speak to you. Doady. 1 am going to
say something have often thought
of saying lately. You won't mind?'
with gentle look.
mind. my darlingT
because l don't know what you
will think. or what you may have
thought, sometimes. Perhaps you have
often thought the same. Doady. dear,
am afraid was too young.
II lay my face upon the pillow by
her, and she looks into my eyes and
| speaks very softly. Gradually, as she
goes on. l feel. with a stricken heart.
that she is speaking of herself as
past.
~ am afraid. dear. 1 was too young.
don't mean in years only. but in ex-
perience. and thoughts. and every
| thing. / was such a silly little crea-
ture 1 am afraid it would have been
better IL we had loved each other as
a boy and girl, and forgotten it.
have begun to think I was not fit to
be wife
81 try to stay my tears and to re-
ply. oh, Dora, love, as fit as l to be
a husband!
a. don't know with the old shake
OF her curls. Perhaps. But If I had
been more fit to be married. might
have made you more so too. Besides,
you are very clever, and / never was
1--WE have been very happy, my
sweet Dora 1 was very happy.
very. But as years went on my dear
hoy would have wearied OF hisochild-
wife. She would have been less and
less companion for him. He would
have been more and more sensible Of
what was wanting in his home. She
wouldn't have improved. It is better
as 1t is
"'oh. Dora. dearest. do not speak
to me SO. Every word seems a re-
proach.
"No, not syllable she answers,
kissing me. Oh. my dear. you never
deserved IL. and I loved you far too
we'll to say a reproachful word to you
in earnest-it was all the merit had.
except being pretty-or you thought
me SO. Is 1t lonely downstairs?'
Very. very
Don't cry! Is my chair there?'
e" In its old place
~ said that Ii was better as 1t ISL
she whispers as she holds me in her
arms oh Doady. after more years,
YOU could never have loved your child
wife better than you do; and. after
more years. she would have so tried
and disappointed you, that you might
not have been able to love her half so
we'll! l know I was too young and
foolish. 1t Is much better as 1t is"
The Reading Habit.
Sooner or later we all OF us need
some kind of consolation and diver
sion; for the world is not invented to
suit any one mans fancy. and the
continuous clash of wills Is bound to
bring about a certain amount OF sor-
row to every one. or all consultations,
fectiye is passion for the printed
page. To be able to step out OF our
immediate environment at Will. to
roam the centuries to scour the EARTH
to beckon the spheres. to have all the
best minds ready TO serve our need
this is the gift for the reader.
Reading. like everything else, is
matter of habit. The little child, az
a rule. finds it painful and certainly
less alluring than action. But habit
perfects one in this matter, and life
with books may become as vital. as
real. as consoling as a life with So
ciety. Moreover. as soon as one has
learned to love them. books never fail
us; they are always accessible. always
willing to yield up their secrets. always
sympathetic.
In life one cannot always cultivate
the associations we would like The
people you want 10 know may live at
the other ends of the earth. or their
moods may be variable. or their inter
ests other than yours; but in world
of books we can literally choose just
what we want for our own immediate
consolation.
On the whole. there is nothing IN
the world perhaps that so repays a
woman as acquiring the habit of read
ine-Harpers Bazaar,
Bctsey Bnrkcr's Alderney.
Mrs. Gaskol. in "Cranford." gives an
amusing account OF how some advice
given by Captain Brown-a highly re-
spected member of Crawford society
in lest, was taken in sober. serious
earnest
The advice referred To was on this
subject An old lady had an Alder
ney COW which she looked upon az
a daughter y caller could not re-
main for the regulation quarter of an
hour without being told of the won.
derful milk the wonderful intelli-
sence of this animal.
The whole town knew and kindly
regarded Miss BETSY Barker's Attorney,
therefore great was the sympathy and
regret when, In an unguarded moment.