Year: 1876

/ Il.


times. five cannot live in peace togethy


we had better live apart. got letter from
mother this afternoon; she Is sick and wants
me. | have borrowed money on my watch


and am going home on the next train. Now.
| perhaps YOU can have "some peace of your
| life aud not be bothered eternally by


woman, wanting some new tangled thing or


other"


trust can earn enough TO buy my clothes
| and furnish me with food besides; but il


must be dependent on charity grudgiugly be-
| slowed, will 90 to the home the public pro-
| vides for the destitute You said you were a
| fool to marry, so need not fear you will be
| sorry that | have gone away; for a little


while If you wish it, or for always, as you
! tuiU! ELLEN


Did his meek eyed Ellen write that let.
ter? Was she really gomez Nonsense! IL


was some trick of Imagination. But when
he had read her letter once more, he be.
| gan to realize its truth.


For days, anger, dismay and sorrow all


were in his heart; but the anger held


sway at last. How dared she take such


stepY Perhaps she expected him to come
! humbly and beg her to come home, but


that he would never do. They were dreary
days and nights that came and went so
! slowly, and he found that taking his meals


at restaurant was neither pleasant nor
| profitable. His house was so empty and


desolate he could not stay there, and as
he had loved his wife and his home in
spite of his fault-fnding, it was hard
! When he had read her note, he had said,


"Let it be for always" But by and by


he began to wonder if she would be glad
| to come back, ii he should conclude to 90
for her. OF course he shouldn't go-he
had no thought of it, but would she come
| if he did.


To all inquiries he answered that his


wife had gone to her mother, who was i'll,


and it was uncertain when she would re-
turn. Day and night he pondered upon
it all, until he grew absolutely jealous of
the old friends of her childhood, whom
he imagined would make her forget him


and their home. The days were long
enough for many sad thoughts and some
regretful ones, albeit they were December
| days; and he found time to remember a


good many unkind things he had said to
the sweetfaced little woman he had prom
ised to love and cherish. He remembered


a winter not long before when he had
gone down, down to the gates of death.


He had stood face to face with the awful
mystery, but Ellen's slender hand had
drawn him back. He remembered how,
when he was able to sit up one day, and
his wife was taking her needed rest, the
doctor had told him of her unwearied care
and that to her faithful watching alone,
he owed his life. Then he had vowed to
himself and his God anew, that he would !
love and cherish her always. Alas, the |
VOWS we make and break.


With the closing days of the year,
there came into his heart new
tenderness for his wife, and a resolve
was born there to try to bring her |
back and be all he had promised be- |
fore God and man for the days and |
years TO come. Meanwhile in her old |
home Mrs. Eaton was finding love and |
work, both needed sorely by the troubled |
soul. Her mother grew worse and for
some weeks was great invalid. Ellen's |
time was so filled up with the duties of |
the present she found the weeks less |
dreary tnan John was finding them. But |
sometimes the longing TO know something |
of him grew almost irresistible; and il |
took all her courage to wait, when her |
mother grew better and ceased to need her |
care constantly.


The days went by till the new year was |
at hand, and it seemed as if she could not
resist the longing for home and John, for |
she knew, in spite of his harsh words, |
that he must miss her sorely. Many a |
time she called herself hard names for |
ever coming away as she did. OF course |
John did not mean half what he said |
On the last night of the old year she had |
gone 10 the Office and called for letter as
she had done many times, in vain. She |
went back slowly with great aching in |
her heart, for she had said to herself over |
and over again, that he would write or |
come that night.


How could he help remembering that |
the next day was the anniversary of their |
rrio Jn lof
by without wordl But in that quiet
place there would not be another mail |
that week, so she went home desolate.
How bitterly she repented that she had !
not forgiven his hasty words and borne it
all! She went slowly up the hill, feeling
as if everything beautiful was gone, and
there was nothing more that life could
give her. One, who had come in little
time before, found hope springing up in
her face.


She went straight to her mothers room.
I" Back at last, Elleng There is company
down stairs and l want fresh cap from
the sitting room cupboard" said the old
lady; and she went down again YEARLY.
As she opened the door a gentleman turned
from the window,


"Oh! john" was all she said, but am
sure he knew she was glad to see him.
He took her in his arms, the little wife he
had not seen for so long, and there was
glad, happy silence for little time. Then
he did what he had hardly done in his life
before-asked forgiveness of another. /
am sure Ellen was as glad to forgive as
ever a woman was, and nestled down be-
side him, utterly forgetful of cap and cup
board.


81 could not stay away another day."
he told her, "when l thought of to-
morrow. 1t was, Ellen, 1t was dreadfully |
hard, for was too proud to own was
wrong; but the fact is l couldn't help it |
this time. Are you sure you are glad TO
see me, Nellie?"


II can't tell you how glad, John. do
believe l should have started home Mon
day if you had not come. Butwhy didn't
you come before, or write, Johnr'


Z" | was too angry with you, Nellie.
Don't look so sorry my dear, it was over
long ago, and | was angrier at myself
than ever shall be with you. l did in
tend to come before, but business pre-
vented and l had a fancy you might be
more kindly disposed toward ME if /
waited till tonight"


=" AS if needed that, John. The least
little bit of a word would have brought
me back, and 1 wasn't two miles away
4 MlolCu sSlA odSh III my WAN
at home, waiting for you, and that hateful
letter in the stove, or all unwritten.
guess if / had waited, you would have
come with me TO see mother, would you
not, John, dear {"


"I can't tell, Nellie. was a great
brute then, but mean, God helping me,
TO be more what promised six years ago.
We will try, both of us, to make our home
more what il ought to be, Nellie. Aud TO
show you l am in earnest, here is your
watch once more;" and he put the chain
round her neck, and gave her real
lovers kiss.


More than once the mother heard Mel
lies clear ringing laugh, and smiled at
the sound of the music she had missed so
long. During the hour that followed, as
she waited up stairs, and the twilight
deepened into night, John said softly
Aren't you afraid to trust me again,
Nellie, for fear shall fall again into my
old WAYS yp