The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-05-16
ssIS SHE HAPPY -,
BY KATHERINE DEAN.
concluded.

lConcluded.l
The prospects frightened in the quiet
country home that Helen had left. The
heavy weight of embarrassment that had
threatened her father with ruin was light
ened, and he was himself again, the kind and
cheerful husband, full of sanguine hopes for
the future. Frankly, the bright, ambitious
Frankly, was most happy by the promotion
to higher school, and surrounded with
every advantage that his active intellect
might crave. But, as months passed BY, and
Helen's letters spoke only Of the gayety Of
her outer life, and nothing of what was GO
ing on within her heart, still to Mrs. Irving,
| as she sat in her quiet sitting where
| she so sadly missed the cheerful, healthy
spirit of her only daughter, came the ques-
| ton, now burdened with sad yearnings, Sis
she happy 20 The promised visit home was
postponed from time to time by same slight
excuse ssFred didn't like the country - or
''some guests were expected from abroad I"
! or S'Fred wished her to spend few weeks
at Saratoga Helen wrote "Perhaps nf
ter that they might Gomez for how could
| she write that her husband was ashamed Of
her country relations, or that she could not
meet the reproof she merited in the calm sad
gaze Of the young clergyman George Mer-
| ryl? Thus months passed by, and Helen's
| letters grew less frequent, while her mothers
| quick eve detected the effort with which they
| were written to hide the sadness on her heart.
Erred was dining at the club or s'Fred
was gone out with party of gay young men
| on fishing excursion" BY and by the let
tiers ceased altogether. A month had passed,
and no word from Helen her mothers rest
less anxiety knew no bounds, till one morn
| ing an envelope was placed in her hands, with
| the familiar writing again, and IN few
| hurried words Helen claimed her mothers
sympathy in her new found JOY. The long
pent- up fountains of her love gushed forth,
| and her sad heart wound itself with passion
ate idoatrv around her child. Fred, too,
| was fond and proud Of his ''son and heir"
as the child gave promise OF uncommon
beauty and the forced gayety Of the wife
gave place to the earnest, truthful, and pas
| sonate fondness of the mother.
''Now, indeed, must go to her," said
Mrs. Irving. AS she read the words of wild
and fearful agony with which Helen wrote of
the dangerous illness of her idolized darling.
Three days later she crossed, for the first
time, the threshold Of her daughter beauti-
full home. Its oppressive stiffness seemed
nigh crushing her. The servants hushed
their footballs on the stairs the doors were
softly closed as if fearful of disturbing the
little sleeper above. In the gorgeously fur
nished parlors, brilliant flowers dropped in
costly vases, and their snowy colors, and rich
perfume, withcred and died neglected. la
an upper room, where the lightest foot sank
deep into the soft rich carpet, the faint light
struggled through the closedblinds and droop-
Ing curtains, and here, amid the rare collec-
tons from foreign lands, the costly books,
the rich paintings, the precious gems of art
most perfect, lay that fair rounded form, the
still and beautiful tenement of clay, from
which the angel-spirit that had been lent to
give il lighs for few brief months had been
called back to Heaven. There were no tears
in the large wild eyes that Helen raised to
her mothers face as she stood beside her, and
bending over kissed the cold brow Of the IN
conscious sleeper There WAS no qulyering
Of the tightly compressed lips, no relaxing
Of the pale rigid face that kept watch beside
her idol. There was something fearful in
this unnatural calmness and with a tender
yearning, Mrs. Irving passed her arms around
her daughter and murmured lovingly, .sMv
child, my child :" A slight shudder passed
through IIelen's frame, and, raising her ewes
again with that strange wild look to her
mothers face, she said, in voice whose low,
hollow tone Of agony pierced her mothers
heart "Mother, have no tears my heart
is turned to stone." With the same fearful
calmness she watched them lay her beautiful
treasure IN his little narrow bed, and passive
~ she stood beside the open grave as the tiny
form was gently lowered TO its last resting
place, only that dreadful shudder convulsed
her frame, as with that startling hollow
sound the first earth fell on the coffin lid
Vainly they strove by every gentle endeavor
to win her from her stony grief. She only
turned those wild fearless eyes upon them as
if they Knocked her agony.
Sand is there no hope? May but speak
to her 20 sEAlas, fear none but come -
and George AIerryl stood beside her, and laid
his cool hand on Helen's burning forehead,
and in low, calm tones he spoke her name
The quivering lids Enclosed, the large eyes
gave one quick and startled glance rs they
met his, not full of grave reproof, but deep
sorrow and heavenly love; they grew soft
and moist, the firm lips quvered, and the
frozen heart was melted into tears. ~
Again the house was a house of mourning,
but the mourners were not without consola-
ton. Helen, the bright and beautiful, was
dead, not in her stony calmness, but with
bright hope and yearning for that s.better
land'' SO pure and holy that those who loved
her best thanked God that the brief dark
struggle of her life was ended and to the
mother, heart-stricken and hereaved. came
now the answer Of perfect peace, 8 She is
happy"
Be NOT pRoUD.-I never could count how
MANY causes went to produce any given eff