Year: 1879

|


by little, as l gathered the truth, I


became even more sorry for him. You


said you would not marry an unsteady


man, even if he were Robert. I knew


it panied you to push him off, but you


were right and firm to do it. and you
went your way strong and safe after
ward. But he he had not only lost
you, but he was in danger of losing all
I could not help being most sorry for
him. l never questioned but that you
were right, but | could not get over the
pity of it. II seemed sucl an unspeak>
able pity that one so bright and hand
some and hopeful should be led into bad
ways. Ny heart ached to think of it.
For all the sorrowful feeling I carried
in my heart for him, never thought it
would fall to me to do anything for him.
You know he hoped you would relent,
and he used to haunt our way with that
haggard face he wore in the first days
after you parted from him. You would
never turn your head to give him one
look. You were right, and yet it used
to turn me faint almost with pity and
regret to see you pass him SO. One night
you took to going home by The by-streets
so that you need not see him again, and
you would not let me 60 with you.


That night Robert came up and spoke
to me. He said he felt would be sorry
for him. His talk was all about you,
Roxie He seemed to find comfort in
praising you. He thought there was
never such a strong, beautiful woman
in the world as you, never another that
he could SO love and lean upon. At first
felt so strange with him l could only
listen to him and answer him little,
enough to show I cared. But when he
began to say that you had taken the
| wrong way with him, that you had taken
away the spring of his energy in trying
to overcome his faults, that he had
nothing now to try for-nothing to look
forward to-then found tongue to talk
to him. why don't you win her
back p [ said. "You can do it It's
only to be manly and upright as you
were meant to be. If you would not
drink again, Robert, and keep away
from bad companions, she would see the
change il you SO soonl She's very clear
! sighted, and in her heart Pm sure she
loves you. Why won't you try to win
her back?


spoke so last and earnestly, he looked
at me in surprise. But did rat care,
[ was so sorry for him; l went or talk
ing; l said more than I could repeat.
All that was in my heart about him
came out, and could not say it with>
out tears. From looking surprised he
began to be moved and sobered. He said
he did rot know any human being cared
as much for his salvation as I seemed to.
He said L put new courage into him,
and that be meant to try again. When
thought it all over at home that night
I wondered that should have said so
much to him. But it made me happy
to have done it, and happy to thinE be
would now win you back and that the
pain and hardness between you would
be ended, and things would be as I
thought God meant them to be-.


You know that from that time Robert
fell into the habit of joining me every
night. He did take real earnest start
toward better life. I could feel sure
of it, and presently I wanted to see it.
| asked you one night to 60 home our
way. You refused, and then told you
plainly 1 wanted you to see Robert
that thought he had changed. You
looked sharply at me then, and I re-
member what you said:


"He will never change except as the
/ weathercock does. He's weak; it's in
grained" And you said that for yours
self you'd not be such a fool as to see
him again.


Presumptuous to judge him SO? No,
dear Roxie; that was your light and
you saw it clearly. You were not
wrong because was led by a different
way. But | could not help seeing that
you were losing your tenderness for
him, and I was SO troubled about it
that begged Robert to write to you or
try to see you.


He said he wouM wait little longer
he did not believe you could trust him |
yet.


Every day I grew more uneasy, and
urged it again. And at last he said
plainly that he had given it up-about
you-that he knew you could never
trust him nor have patience with him.
1 could not deny it any more. When I
thought of your face as you last spoke
of him | knew it was true. And even
while / was sorrowfully thinking about