Weaker than a Woman — page 277: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

268 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. *¢«A haunted chamber, long ago I closed it, and I cast the key Where deep and bitter waters flow Into a waste and silent sea. ‘6¢ Dear, it ishaunted. All the rest Is yours ; but Ihave shut that door Forever now. ’Tis even best That I should enter it no more. **¢No more. It is not well to stay : With ghosts, their very look would scare Your joyous loving smile away— So never try to enter there. ‘Check, if you love me, all regret I'bat this one thought remains apart; Now let us smile, dear, and forget The haunted chamber in my heart.’” When he had finished he bent down, and kissed the fair face, and Eve, knowing the way to his heart, said: “Iam quite content, and I trust you.” And they talked of other things, while the sun shone over the lake and the birds sang their sweetest, CHAPTER XLVIII. DESOLATE SPLENDOR. Five years had passed since Felix took his fair wife home to Eden House—he would call it “Eden” because it held his Kve—and Eve was now one of the happiest women in the kingdom. For in the room where she spent her morn- ings—a bright sunny room looking upon a beautiful world of trees and flowers—stood a little cot, and in this cot slept a baby—Eve’s baby. He was, his mother said, the loveli- est, the finest, the most intelligent in the whole world, and Felix laughed as she defied any one to produce such another. Felix wanted Eve to accompany him for the Parliament- ary session. She looked longingly at the baby, and then > longingly at him. . ‘“ How can I possibly leave little Lester?” she said. “ Aunt Jane would take great care of him, but she says he wants reforming—and I should not like to have him reformed.” “ Bring him with you, Pearl, and he can assist the Legis- lature of the nation,” replied Felix, laughingly. And Eve was only too pleased to comply. EOMIC 200 cS " , com — i <a a2 oh Se fPatt 4 aout 2 we Oe ae