The Upas Tree: A Christmas Story for all the Year

upon Helen as a cru

womanhood ree

done," she cried, "that a ma

t of Ronnie's gay, boyish trust in her; their h

nched h

Aubrey Trehe

d bowing her proud head, she

od up and walked

e son if I weep," she said,

sodden, dank and cheerless. Summer was long dead and over, yet f

nd, at that moment, the wintry sun, bursting through the November clouds,

vinces! I will take this gleam of sunlight as a token of triumph. By the help of God, I will write such an answer to Aubre

l at Leipzig, evidently before receiving hers. It was a disappointment to have nothing more

ords had altogether failed him. He feared to spoil all

h should bring him to

must be posted to-day, and his

with that letter unanswered, she sat

, because I cannot enter the presence of my little son, with such a letter as

completely overwhelmed me at first, at the thought that any man-ab

uld be written-such a proposition made-to me?' The sin of it seemed to soil me; the burning wickedness, to bran

nd, through my shame and tears, I saw a vision of the Holy One, standing serene and kingly on the pinnacle of the temple, where, thoug

ple of wifehood and motherhood, and I say to you: 'Get thee gone, Satan!' You may have bowed my mind to the very

rds in which to prove to you the utter vileness of the sin, and yet to show you also the way out of

ongly. I did not love you, Aubrey, or I would never have sent you away. I co

line. I had loved the man I thought you were-the man you had led m

y. I was not concerned just then with what you might eventually prove yourself. I did not love you; therefore, I could not wed you. Though, as a side issue, it is

; nor can I bring myself to allude to the sub

would be to degrade

rove how pure was the fountain from which that water flowed. Nothing could be gained by such a proceeding. Pouring

letter. Please understand that I answer it completely in the abstract. You have dared to apply it to my husband and to me. I do not admit that it applies. But, even if it did,

is wife, she has a right to leave him; the

loves a man enough to wed him, he bec

diately feel free to commit suicide. I face my failure, resolve to do b

sillusion come to her through him, she must face them as she does when they come through herself. She must be patient, faithful, understan

e woman's answer-to the subt

of a perfect love and mutual need; or without due consideration, 'unadvisedly, lightly, wantonly,' notwithstanding the Church's warning. Or when people have found out their

isappointment, loss, loneliness, remorse-all these may be hard to bear, but they

g, I quote to you in full the final words of the first chapter of the first epistle of St. John? I do so with my heart full of hope and prayer for you-

the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.... If we confess our sins, H

act on this

tter things of you, and who will

EN W

rt