Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-09-30

, mean tell your mistress-that w we,
} this next my heart, in remembrance of he
5 goodness, till my dying hour. Is Mis-
+ Dixon well?"
"Yes, SIR" was The reply.
, "And happy!" he asked.
"Yes. sir, she's got nice shop" said lh
girl; "yonder it is"
Frank looked in the direction indicated
and perceived neat little shop-window
graced by some choice articles OF feminin
attire.
81 would net see her for the world. Sh,
would despise me-" he mutteree. "Tel
her," said he to the girl, ''that the strange
will ask for blessing on her head ever.
hour of his existence" And 80 sayilg, h,
walked out of the churchyard, and stook th,
I-road that led away from LucyS aaade.
The girls ;ncoherent accent, coupled
with hat she haG witnessed in the church
yard, threw Lucy into state, of vio'en
agitation. The strangers knowledge o
her, his extreme emotion, and Franks Ions
silence. raised an extraordinary suspicion
| in her mind
'.It must be Frankl" she exclaimed, ant
| hurriedly putting on her bonnet, she ran
down the road with the speed of fawn.-
She soon overlook the wanderer, and one
glance at his face, although pale aud emaci-
ated, was sufficient.
Frank, dear Frank" she cried, as she
laid her hand on his arm =
"Lucy!'- he gasped, and fell senseless on
the road The shock had exhausted his
strength.
Loudly calling for assistance. some ia.
borers approached and carried the insensi-
be form of the withered but once hand.
some Frank Webster to the nearest inn
where he was speedily put to bed, and Lucy
despatched messengers for medical assist
ance.
For weeks poor Frank lay lowering be-
tween life and death. Lucy, the gentle
hopeful Lucy, was all the time his tender
and having nurse. How great was her joy
when he was pronounced out of danger.-
She bowed down her head, and, as tears
glisteneG in her eyes, her lips moved, but
only One knew the language they breathed.
When Frank was sufficiently recovered
he related his adventures. After he left
London, he procured employment as copyist
in an attorneys office. In that situation he
failed; for he was continually making
blunders. HI then became a strolling play
er, and, being the worst actor in the comp
any, only received kind of bread and water
salary. On the breaking up Of the comp
any, he resolved to enlist as soldier: but
an unconquerable desire to visit his native
place. and once more behold his beloved
Lucy, seized him. and he travelled two
hundred miles on foot for that purpose The
state of his apparel induced him to abandon
the latter object, and he merely intended TO
pass through the vrlo@e wTffoidr dfssfaciog
her, or wounding her feeling by his woefnl
appearance.
Some days Afterwards, Frank said to
Lucy. "When contrast what have done
Yiih what you have done, how humiliated |
feel! You tried to do what you could do.
and succeeded tried to do what | could
not do, and have failed, and ..deservedly so;
for my eyes are opened now"
'Hope for the better, said Lucy, sweetly.
"You have passed through severe ordeal,
but the experience you have gathered will
be of priceless value to you hereafter"
"Ah, Lucy dear, that sun-dial teaches a
great lesson. | grumbed at the slow, mon
otonous travelling Of the shadow, without
thinking if it went round quicker it would
show there was confusion and disorder in
the world. The lesson has not been pro-
iless- | now fee that man should be
content with the station he is fitted TO fill.
and never be tempted from it by any object
entirely unsuited 10 his habits''
"My dear Frank" said Lucy, archly, "you
became morbid on the subject of shadows.
You Interpreted their meaning wrongly;
for we all Of US have shadow, and if We
only would admit it, perhaps it is one of our
best lriends'
When Frank was restored to GONZALES
cence. the good rector, one of his earliest
friends. procured him The situation of usher
in a neghboring school. 1t was just the
employment that suited him, and he rapidly
rose to the highest class as teacher. In
due time, he married the wise and good
Lucy Dixon, and the Benevolent rector and
has lady lived long enough TO see him head
master of the very gralnmar-school in which
he had been educated, which was one of
the most richly endowed and fourishing in
England.
So much for the people doing what they
can do. and continuing to do it, and for
those who try to do what they cannot do,
and, of course, fail, and are consequently
severely punished for their temerty.