The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-11-03

Il
would kill bis child and bring her home
to him, confessing that l did it, and glori-
flying in the end of that horrid game of
quoits on whose first throw he had staked
my heaven and lost it.
The little maiden took my hand conf
dinghy. That might unncrve me; so
loosed it and l told her to 90 before while
I followed She tossed back her ours
and went bounding ahead at rate nv
strides were hardly equal to. Still | kept
my eyes upon her. After a while we
came to low brook-course between two
hills, over the foremost one of which I
could just see the chimney of my brothers
house. I looked about memo one was
in sight-rescuo was impossib IDLE. The
devil whispered, "Noww Then l called
to her to stop, saying | must look for
something I had dropped. She obeyod,
and stood amusing herself with making
"a f. l
wreaths Of the voilets that grew by the
water-course, while stopped TO find a
heavy stone which might do my bidding
of vengeance surely and silently. I'll
around me in the bed of the brook were
nothing but pebbles. | walked q few
PAGES further down in my quest. The
little girl must have thought mo leaving
her, for all at once / heard her call gently.
81 am waiting for your!
ssGracious God! Who spoke! Do
the loved that are forever lost to us out
of Paradise 81 am waiting for you"
foated down through the prison bars
from her whom the father had just num-
bered with the saints! ....g .eo..f.f.
l stood u } and wsn e: el back, moro
dreaming than awake, to the spot where
Georgo Markham's daughter still staid
plating voilets. She turned to me with
smile and said, II did not mean to bur
Il d
ny you, sir, but my father is very unwell
and ought to be at homo. Will you
please to tell me how late it is?"
For the first time after those fifteen
years in which knowing toll and darkness
only, had asked no other measurement
Of time, mechanically put my hand to my
breast and drew out my restored watch.
Was | sane? The second hand, stopped
at the last kiss of agony given me by my
beloved whether by miracle or the agita-
ton Of my grasp, l knew not, suddenly
moved on. Like lightning flash rush
ed on me the memory Of my vow, ''Til
we meet this watch shall never count
time again" ~ --@-i e.
Yes we had met-met in that voice of
quiet waiting-met in this wondrous
omen of the watch-met when I knew
not-when she was seen by none but
God and her sister angels. And the
wratbful emhers went out in the breast of
Johe Markham, and viewlessly lowering
over him, the long cherished dead smiled
blissfully as she saw that in that moment
there had entered into him new soul.
/ clasped the little one in my arms. /
told her that her father was my only
brother, and waited humbly to see her
recoil from the loathsome convict. But
with childlike JOY she Rugged me closer
around the neck. and cried, "Oh | am so
glad. I am SO glad! Poor papa has
been talking about you these four days,
and saying-but oh, he must not die!
81 cannot die till John comes home"
With a reverent step, and bowling low,
[ came into the room of my dying broth
er. His pale face flashed and paled again
as he saw me, and then hiding it in the
pillow, he cried, sLook not on me! God
is wreaking his wrath on the devil who
wasted your lifeH' =
"Not SO, my brother" / answered SOL
emily. 81 from my soul forgive you.
How much more shall He who pitieth
his children For me, He hath this day
wiped out the past like tablet, and look
ing up to Him as both of us condemned
in His sight. let us join hearts, making
no diffe renee, my brother" at aosis
/ held him on my breast through the
waxing and the burning of that strange
night-my first night ofliberty-my first
night with the new soul. And he sor-
rowed with the sorrowing that needeth no
renentance. With a kiss that brought
back the days of our childhood, at dawn
his spirit departed from me. Then, be-
side the little girl who had fallen asleep
from WEAKNESS, laid him who slept the
calmer sleep-ths sleep of calmness and
peace. The day came for the reading Of
the will. Relatives, friends, neighbors
were all collected in the parlor whore my
brother used to sit, pining remorsefully
through the long evenings with his
motherless child. Yet they all sat apart
from the retprned convict looking al me