Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1859-04-09
SStlttt Gale.
lFIum BAchwood's Magazine
THE ERICkSONS.
CUIP TER III.

mar ! La IiI.
No+l's picture went. When the excite.
ment attendant on its completion and dis
patch were over, my godmolhers brief look
Of g'adness vanished. After week or two
she began TO get more than ever pale and
anxious.
They may reject it, Ruth," she said to me
one day. "rhey reject mapy pictures"
Lhad not known that: to me till now that
unknown Academy" whittier it was gone had
been II boundle55 repertory. Receiving this
new idea, drew toward my godmother with
strange sympathy. OF late had begun
dlmly 10 guess what N0el's success or y oels
failure were to her. From that day forward
We looked and waited for news together. 1t
was hard for her, think, but in her anxiety
she bad no other companionship than mine.
After throe weeks the decision came. II
came in q letter which bad to lie with US
whole afternoon unopened, for when it arrived
Noel was from homo It was evening al
most night-when no returned. AS he cAme
in, lie took It from his mothers hand, and
Carried it, standing with his back to Us, TO the
window: elsewhere in the room there vas no
light to read 1t. There he opened il, and,
having read it stood utterly silent.
She had not sat down. After few mo,
neuts She went up to hin aud laid scr hand
on MS arm. iIc tuEheN IOuuu NJ we lOuNh
una looked at her: they each looked at tho
other. She never asked to see The !etpr.-
lie only said:
I'VE cannot help it, mother"
Then shB tried to answer him, and broke
down. He took her in his arms. and kissed
her again aud again. But he said NO more TO
her: lie left the room without another word.
She had snnk down into seat beside tho
window. After little went up close her.
I | had nothing to say, but knclt down at her
, feet, and took her hand aud put to my lips
/ In the darkness she cried u little we bNl
! cried. vas sorry from the bottom Of NY
, heart.
/ For many days after this night throughout
the house there was an underlined anxiety and
res:lessness Ny goGmo,hcr had been deep
ly grieyed. hut Noel was unhappy with bit.
ter sorrow 20 which hers bore 10 parallel
lie never spoke Of bis disappointment il
would have been better il ha had but he
brooJed ever it until hs wore his strength
away. Slowly. but surely, he became bodily
i'll h9 grew so gauut aud thin, that, with hi.
flushed, hollow cheek and burning eyes, he
used to make my heart sad to see him. II
was in vain that nv poor godmothcr would
urge him to take rest do not think he
could help it be could not rest. II worked
until hs could work no more. Ono night
when Mrs. Erickson and were sitting alone
together, in the silence there came a Soucl
above ug-the poweress fall Of something or
the ground 1t was Noel who had tainted a
his work. They raised hin up aud conveyed
him TO his bed, and lie did not rise from it.
CHAPTER ".
did not know it then, bpt have learn
since that there are strange turning points il
! do all
straight road forward. Sometimes when W.
suspect its coming least, our even course il
cut across by new path and we turn SHARP
aside, to the right hand or to the left, int
darkness ar light. When il was past, knew
tuat Noels illness had opened such path Il
me.
SwiItly, at once, we entered into the YER
presence Of the Shadow Of Death. Even nov
as look bsck. there is something in the re
membrance of those first days when Noel wa
struck down that still shrink from and shi
YER at. 1t was not ordinary paint was q
il the house had been swiftly struck wit
darkaess. The various incidents aud inter
|. ests OF our daily life ceased utterly before il
D suddenly, imperiously, in one single cay, al
/, thoughts and hopes and fears seemed set 70
me within the walls Of that room | never Gu
tered, aud upon the aspect Of that face ] ne
yer saw
For nine days aud nights he was "aick unit
death" Only when our hope had sunk to it
last ebb, and our fear had grown to be as
great shadow thick darkness that coul
be felt"-did the light at last come back to u
One night had been wandering about th
house the whole night through. listening
: hourly, to catch the first sound Of the or
/ that should toll me that the end had come
Hour followed hour till dawn, and it was nc
uttered. When il was morning i went
the passage beside his room. The door wa
open. As | Stood | saw the curtained be
within. saw my godmothsr, too, sitting
its side. had been waiting, knowing notl
ing, all the night: | could not 60 away.
. stood 10 the doorway ill she raised her hss
=. and sax ne. and beckonsd to ,De TO come,
I He MAJ lyino slsenin0 Pafh.rs IA VA