Tensas gazette., 1917-12-07

shine of each others presence. Ii is
| just heart tragedy in the life of two.
The greatest trials of life are not those
which come to us from the world out
side the home, but those from the
world within. With the inspiring pres
sure of the hand we love held tight
in our own, the battle of life can be
borne bravely, but when the refuge
of love and mutual respect and esteem
Is swept away, the very bulwarks Of
the home seem gone.
Occasional discords, misunderstand-
ings and little clouds of unhappiness
may not be serious. The sun of recon-
ciliation may scatter them, and in the
balmy atmosphere that follows they
may be forgotten. But 1t is different
when love itself grows cold and re-
spect for each other, which is so able
an understudy to love, goes on long
vacation. Then inbarmonies intensity
as the days go by; antagonism on the
basic questions of life grows more bit
ter; grim, hopeless silence takes the
place OF speech, or the atmosphere be-
comes vitiated by hot words of recr,m-
ination and contempt. There Is some
times an indignant outburst of anger
at white heat that is not SO awful as
1t seems. 1t may be the fierce flame
OF protest from the heart that shows
the fire of love Is still burning; but
constant, cold dead sarcasm and bit
terness speak only of embers.
This condition is not a matrimonial
duet; it is matrimonial duel. When
either husband or wife speaks words
meant to sting, phrases seemingly in
nOcent to others hearing them, but
which are deftly loaded to annoy or
madden as they relentlessly find their
way through the vulnerable point in
the armor, it is time for those two
to declare truce and to hold a speedy
peace conference or there will not be
enough love left to hold an inquest
over. They may even grow to hate
each others ways, moods, acts, and
turns Of speech. The voice once loved
may now sound shrill and hard; the
step on the stair which was sweet mu-
sic may seem a jarring discord, and
the ripping laughter may strike only
a vibrating note Of vague rebellion.
This surely shows Cupid Is getting
ready for a postmortem and a dead
happiness will soon be buried.
Sometimes the growing separation
Is on one side only, and one still loves
with the old intensity and the old
heart hunger. AS absence is always
harder for the one left behind, so this
twilight Of love Is most painful to the
one whose love Is still constant. 1t Is
the dead nerve that carries no pain.
The finer nature suffers most in life,
disturb the sensitive soul of violin
are powerless to affect brass cymbals.
There may be q conscious effort on the
part Of the one who loves to disbelieve
In the growing separation-nOt to cred
1t 1t, not to realize 1t, nor to accept ii
for a moment as a possibility. But
sometimes a word, q look, a sentence
or an act makes further self-illusiOn
folly, as lightning flash may reveal
to traveller an abyss at his feet.
The smile that was the light of our
life no longer cheers us; the caresses
that told Of love unstinted are with
held; the tenderness that seemed as
sure as sunrise or sunset has turned |
to doubt, and the one who still loves |
may battle hOpelessly when all life |
around him seems to move in a fog |
At such times despite every wisdom |
of heart and mind, one can never say
the right word or do the right thing. |
Heart strings of sentiment, that once |
at the slightest touch and |
brought out in an instant a food of |
music from the finest memories of the |
soul, are now mute. No explanations. !
no pleas, no barring of ones very heart, |,
no illumination of the subtlest wind |
ings of thought and emotion can van
Quish that vague something that sep |
arates.
We may stand broken hearted by a |
wall of separation made up of gossip, |
fear. doubt, suspicion, injustice. and |
misunderstanding, with that most help |
less of all despairs when we see love |
that was our whole life, and still is |
all that makes life worth living, swept |
away as one would watch from dis
tance n boat carrying a loved one |
swept by the rapids over an engulfing |
cataract. This is the time when men, !
cries of past joy rise like ghosts and |
bring only pangs of pain, when loves |
dead roses leave us only the thOrns.
Love rarely dies a sudden death. |
1t is usually ailing a long time before |
is decease. Little ills that could read. |
lily be cured in their early stages are |
permitted to run into more serious con- |
complications set in and love. |
with its vitality exhausted through /
long suffering, finally dies. Loves !
neglected colds often develop into con.
Prompt treatment with
little unselfish care, tender watchful- |
ness and cheerful, patient nursing may |
restore love TO perfect health.
The great things that separate two |
who have loved are usually only trines |
grown big and tyrannOus through be- |
ing ignored, basic evils in the charac. !
ter, temperament or disposition Of ell |
ther that should be silenced and con-
Quered in the best interests of both. |
Even disloyalty may be only the ci-
max-form that heart hunger, neglect, |
loneliness, jealousy, vanity gone to
seed, revolt from an atmosphere OF |
monotOny. unsatisfied longing /