Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1859-04-09


d new color, that chsnged its grey TO crimson
and its darkness TO FURNISHED gold.
read to Noel; bot | was his reader, ana
nothing more lie used 10 thank me at the
close Of each days service, but he ever spoke
about ths book We read Ofwhat he thought
Of it Of whether it stirred him as 1t stirred
the Of whether he believed it, knew nothing.
bore this ignorance at first passveiy pre-
seutly bore it, growing ieverish under IT :
finally, | rebelled against it. lie might be
above me high as the sky was above the earth,
yet | was not utterly inanimate clay. lie
might speak one word to me was not wood,
that could not understand.
When he would not speak, of last spoke
to him. ! chose a moment when, one DAY.
had been reading till my check burned with
an excitement that took cowardce away. In
that moment raised my head.
Noel" cried, "is it true p
My question startled him for ali instant
he was surprised then:
You must Judge for yourself Ruth" he
said But my lips once uuclosed, l could
speak now.
"How can iudge for myself when know
nothing? And ] do not want TO Judge |
cried, passionately; "a! want to believe"
~ ou have what you want there he said /;
"you do believe
Yes! Believe but have no one to tell
me il attn right ! am believing like child
not knowing truth from falsehood."
was speaking like u child, too, passionate
ly aud petulantly; and be made no reply. In
the silence that followed, nv momentarIy
excited courage passed away. ! had spoken,
and what had my speaking Gaired for me?-
Deeper than before the color flushed TO NY
checks in humility and pain my eyes filled
with hot tears.
would have returned to the book again,
but the words swan before me conId not
go on til my tears went back. sat looking
down upon Z page md US | SO sat, y oeIs
voice came again to ne.
Ruth" he said, gently, what do you
wantg'
But my words were gone then l could
only answer--
"Nothing-pever mind-nothing now" and
| woulG hurrieuly have begun to read, but as
| commenced, he interrupted me.
Ruth" he said, quickly, Il am often blind
and selfish, So that DO not SEQ things that |
, ought to know, But am not welded to my
faults. | am taciturn, morose, unloyeable
man ; bat | DO not rant TO be feared. ] do
not want to be left forever to my own
! thoughts. Ruth. do not yo,. be afraid Of me.
Tell me, again, what you were going to say"
raised my head, | unclosed my lips
quickencd by those words | could speak
again With swift impusiye courage be-
gan ! told him Of my ignorance. ! told him
what wanted. ! asked him to give me hell.
Wha, followed was an hour whose happi.
ness words cannot utter. had become his
/ pupil, lie was my master. He led me where
my footsteps could follow. When he spoke
he changed ny darkness into daylight, and
! my twilight into sunshine. We had been to
! gether before, aud for me his heart and sou
/ had been like sealud book. The change
was now as the snceUt flowing Of the wslci
( when the rod strnck the stony rock.
! Orce, and once only, there came h pang 0
! pain over my JOY but alas it came as
! Hood, upon It's close. The book had beer
reading lay an my knee still ; th0 hour tina
was past had been ns if the book had spoker
to no with living voice When it wa
nearly ended, iu the gratitude Of my heart
told him so.
Alas that The thought came to me. o
that uttered 1t. His fac changed as
spoke with u sudden flash it changed to th,
old likeness il had worn before bis illness --
The anxious pain, the wearied turmoil, c!
came bnck.
Ruth he snid, hUr:iedly, Il am not lik,
that man. II could barter my life, | woulC
sell tho whole of il to be as that man is 70
cue single day You do not understand me
Ny cousin, this is the difference between US
he is clothed with power as u giant is will
strength. and-God help mel" lie suddenl
cried, | have the arm OF child"
NJ heart rose up n armS.
Noel, 1t is rot true"
at is true, Ruth; can aspire, and | cal
struggle. but cannot conquer. ! shall stry
to my LIES end and, bound us | am, huur
will come again, perhaps, us taey have come
already whenr Tor q moment 1 sblll hay
strength lkO him Of old, TO breaking tn
withes, as u thread of tow broken when /
touchoth the fire but for all that the struag.
only will be mine, and not the victory. NJ
little cousin, do not look at me SO sorroWfuliy
even though the warfare lasts through life
life itself sometimes is not very long ~
Was il true oh was il true | stoope,
my head, turned my face from him, an
wept one eush Of passionate tears. Tn
evening had drawn on, and hccould not Sc
me, He sat looking out upon the glowing
sky-Snd he neither new my sorrow, nor o.
joy.
CHAPTER Y.
Sometimes in orr lives the whole breadth O
Gods !igh; in heaven seems gathered with
the single limits of one little star, and as W
gaze on that We see no other thing in heave
or on earth beyond 1t. So had | gazed, aa
so had grown blind
1bs summer was over. Noel had reGaine
his strength, and was at work again. Onc
more tha seat was vacant in the west wiz
dow, and we two women were left alone. -
Then awote. in pain and sorrow. My sta
was taken from my sight, and, in the light {
common day | saw that Mrs. Erickson VA
dying.
She was dyinS! Human help could nc
save her The day knew it she told m
all che herself knew--that il was no new il
ness that was affecting her, but the extensio
OF disease that she had suffered for year
knowi0g-my brave odmother-through II
whole of it, that it must ond only by KILN
her.
1t was the close Of autumn when the day
grew dark, and the chill evenings drew i
early, began watch that ceased no NOR
I'LL my godmother lay dead.
She told Noel at the beginning Of the vii
ter. She fingered all through it. On one
the first days of spring, the long, rackini
bitter pain was ended and she died. l wa
kneeliug, crying by her bed when she depar
ed but her last thoughts, her last word
ber last look, was none Of them for me-
Her face was turned where che cosld loo
on Noel, aud TO the final moment befoT