The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-11-10

With AWAKENED EYES
BY SYLVIA ct. JOHN.

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thing that would endure. He found
the girl. She had waited for her
lover-the strong man OF her dreams
all her life True, 1t was but lit
| tie tale Of childish years at best. and
when the boy-the boy with the
soiied soul and the sin-smeared Life
told her Of his love land. indeed,
he thought that he loved her), she
questioned not, but gave herself to
him. gladly and freely.
For little while all was well. The
boy kept the memory of the shroud.
the marble brow. the pulseless breast,
the nameless terror Of the hereafter;
and the girl wife, 30 calmly unafraid.
was love and life to him.
But slowly the vision faded. The
din OF the world broke in upon him
the noise of the tumult that he loved.
Clamorous voices called to him. and
! would not be denied. The girl wife,
with her Rrtless love, her transparent
sincerity. her dreams and her absurd
ideals. became hateful to him. He
called her hypocrite. but he knew in
his soul that he lied.
OF all this, he told her nothing, and
she. sweet soul. being a dreamer.
dreamed on. She dreamed that his
love for her, like her love for him,
was rooted in infinity, and had Meth
er beginning nor end. However,
changed he was. and oh, he was
changed However her heart might
grieve over him-and oh, the grief
was bitter!-one thing she never
questioned-his unchanging love.
1t was hard for the boy, these years,
harder than for her. He had to endure
her love, when every fiber of bis be-
ing loathed her. The chain that bound
him to her dragged heavily.
He wondered sometimes that he did
not break 1t, once for all. But he
could not; there was human goodness
in him still; something Of the primal
man-man before the fall Children
were in the home, and each one was
a mighty link, forged by nature, to
hold him in the toils-he loved and
hated them. The wife, too-the girl Of
| dreams-he loathed her, yes-yet.
there was the jealousy of possession
she was his-his to protect and care
for. though despised. Still the girl
dreamed on, and sickened him with
her kisses.
But the day of awakening was at
Misunderstanding for both. He, too,
was a dreamer. though his dreams
were evil dreams.
She was brushing his coat one day,
caressing 1t as If 1t we're living thing
and singing softly to herself, when a
paper dropped from one of the peck
cts. She took it up-it was an en-
velope. addressed in his handwriting
to one whom she knew we'll
A sudden pang smote her through
the heart. She opened the letter
there were fresh violets in it-and
read-only word or two, but enough!
All. God! The girl who had kept her
girl heart and her dreams through
the long years, would never dream
againl She was a woman, now, with
a woman's knowledge, and her infinite
capacity for suffering.
How long she sat there, conscious
only Of a mortal wound, dull throb-
bling In her ears, a blindness in her
eyes-she knew not. A careless whis-
tie aroused her. The boy had come
back for the forgotten letter. There
sat his wife, and the letter had fallen
at her feet She stopped and handed
1t to himi and as she lifted her eyes
to his, he saw that there we're no
dreams in them, but only memories.
You have read It," he said mechan-
ically, not as a question.
Yes"
st is all over them" he said There
was an accent Of despair In the word
He had lost her, and with instant
realization he knew that in earth and
heaven there was nothing 30 dear to
him. Her simplicity, her sincerity, her
sweet unworldliness we're jewels
worth the ransom Of soul. now, to
the fool who had despised them. But
1t was too late. There was a fire
smoldering on the hearth. He raked
the Goals together and threw the let
ter In the midst, vtolets and all watch
ing with a fierce delight as 1t shriv-
eted into ashes.
At last he turned and fixed his gaze
from the hearth. He moved toward
her and took up his hat, holding 1t In
his hand as a chance caller might, be-
fore he went away. Yet he delayed,
as seconds ran into minutes. He could
not 20 until she knew, though 1t was
too late now. But his tongue failed
him-the ready tongue, so glib at lies,
halted at the truth
81 cannot ask you to believe me-" he
said-the words were heavy, indis-
tinct, but truth spoke In them-"I have
lost all claim upon your confidence;
but love you-y6u only. l have
been mad-besotted-but l love you.
now. ought to be sorry for you, but
/ am thinking of myself shall
never hook upon your face again. Obi
my God!"
He had awakened from his dream
of sinful pleasure. The boy had grown
to be a man in that hour, and knew
that in all the world there was no one
30 good, 30 beautiful, 80 altogether to
be desired as the wife he had de-
spised.
"Good-by," he said. with despair
in his voice, and would have passet
out, but she stayed him with a ges
ture.
"Waiti" she breathed with difficulty
God give me light" And crossing Il
her room she shut the door. Like {
criminal who knows the verdict, an(
yet, perforce, awaits the sentsnce O.
the Judge. the man sank into chair
The little children cried in vain FOL
mother that night. The eldest, CIR
with her mothers dreamy eyes. gav'
them bread and milk. and hushet
them to sleep.
Down on her knees, the stricken
woman crouched, not praying, but
waiting for light-longing, hoping, bu
resigned to Gods will, whatever 4
might be- Must she condemn him
now. when he loved her? The broker
marriage law Witnessed against him
He had despised and rejected her-s
wife Of youthful oh, she loved him
Must she send him away. homeless
without a wife or children-wher'
there would be none to watch for hi
comfort-none to be glad Of 1t just fo'
loves sakef Could the good God re
Quire Of her that merciless justice
When she sent him away she tool
from him his last hope Of renewed
life, and doomed him to sink lower
Oh. II she might but keep him. guar