True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-09-26

'uS Pl0oNo sIiSuO yVuGhlA uSuIe III
oilgrim dress hurrying along arugged path
'trewn with sharp finty stones; the ten
ler feet of the pilgrim were cut and bleed !
ing /; her hands were pressed over her eyes, |
as though in sad despair. Before her the
way seemed even more drear and rugged,
whilst behind her stretched fair and
lovely land, goodly to the eye. In this
figure, there was much expressive Of deep
and bitter suffering, mingled with stern
determination to press onward. l looked
at this picture in amazement Alice War
rem bent over me.
"You seem to like it, Fanny. ! paint
ed that not long before | came to you. l
have named all my pictures. / call that
Duty's Pilgrim ''
Then Miss Warren crossed the room;
and when she returned, she held in her
hand a roll Of paper. This, after Il mo-
ment'S hesitation, she spread on the table
before me, and stepped back a few PAGES.
What made me gaze for a few moments
so stonilY, and then spring suddenly from
my chair What made me shrink from
A
Alice Warren, and hide my eyes in the
long folds Of the white countcrpane? 1t
was only little crayon. sketch which lay
there in the evening sunlight; but to me
it was terrible. ' ~
A young fair girl struggling in the coils
of a great serpent, The countenance wore
the impress Of agony, and yet it Seemed
to ME that the full dark eyes rested upon
the hideous reptile with an expression Of
strange, reproachful tenderness. ALICE
WARREN was written upon the edge Of
sketch in clear, bold characters. %
"Get up, Fanny" said Miss Warren,
calmly. Don't knccl there any longer by
the bed. Get up, and tell me how you
like my picture. Nay, child, won't you
admire my handiwork ?"
"I am afraid of you, Miss Alice" I
cried out you are strange; you are ter
rible. What does that horrible picture
mean? Why did you put the seal Of a
serpent even upon letter?'
"An emblem, mere type" returned
she, musingly.
"0f what, Miss Alice ?" I asked,
"0f myself, of my own condition; for
oh, Fanny p she exclaimed, falling on
her knees beside me on the floor, terrible
coils are around me, around my heart even
at this moment, fearful, yet beloved in
their fearfulness am striving to break
them. | am utterly wretched. Child,
pity me-" #
II do, dear Alice Can 1 help youT'
"No, no. God only can do that, Fan
ny Raynor. The pilgrim in the rugged
way is MYSELF; the heart, the figure with
in the serpent folds are NINE, hideous EN-
blems, wofully true"
kissed Alice's pale white brow, and
then I got up gently from her side, anc
went to the table. The grim picture la.
there. I snatched it up hastily, and will
trembling fingers flung it upon the littl'
fire which blazed upon the hearth.
F"You are dreaming, child. Did I no
tell you that it was only a type, a shadow
What use in burning it," a w.
And this was all Alice said for sh,
laid her head down upon my shoulder, ant
cried again.
"It makes you more wretched, dear Mis-
Alice, to have such strange ugly thing
about you" 'i 10 F''.o. .h' },a
"But the reality is here,P She replied
striking her hand upon her breast; 'th
burning reality is here, more fearful thai
the type. Oh, Fanny Raynor, if yo
knew ALL If you knew the blaokness @
my woe, you would weep for me-"
No revelations did Alice Warren max
that evening, nothing further than din
strange hints. Her words were wild, of
en- broken with sobs; ; and | soothed he
tenderly, whilst my own heart was NOR
painfully perplexed than pn.!F ever The al
tunln moon shone in dimly through tn
shaded window, and the freight threw
faint red glare upon US, as we croucho
on the floor together. se ss,t s
The sound of aunt Esther's cheerfl
voice, asshe stood at the gate talking to
neighbor, and the merry shouts Of the Vi
lage children at play, came up jarringly |
my ears. I donot know what Alice tho
lbut I marvelled. Joy and sorrow We
.3t.