The Shasta courier., 1860-03-10


land She kind smiled and said guess
you are mistaken, Mrs. Jones' oh says |,
shere is no use trying to cover it up, and seem
independent like-sorrow will come to all of us,
whether we live in rich houses 81 pSor ones; !;
and everybody round here knows how harsf
Judge Leland drinks lately, and how bad he has
got to be- Then tell you her faee flushed up;
and you ought to have seen her-she looked like
picter-but she didn't say word till after the
color was all gone, and then she said, Il belisSe
your intentions are good, Mrs. Jones' -bRsI must
ask you to drop this co2Se5a don. vi have
sorrows, they are betwee6hy yself and my God.
Wasn't that pretty way for her to talk when
she never goes to class meeting nor the sewing
societies, and onlyXsodfes to church half day
on Sunday?"
"What did you say, Mrs. Jones, to such i'm
perdence?"
al tell you fssr a flush sBout my face then,
and told her felt it ny duty to urge her to
attend class-meetiug and the sewing circle,
where she could be doing some good, and setting
better example before her partner. thought
saw >krs In her eyes when was coming away
so humbly trust have been the leading in
strument of turning one in the right way"
And with a-wave or two of white haudker-
chief before Der eyes, and a solemn shake ofthe
head, Mrs. jones took her homeward road.
n
1t was blossoming June day-full of glad
Gill ,,t- M 7 az ta 4 ts,r
the morning with her head bowed in her delicate
hands. There was little need for any one to pull
away the clinging vines of hope that shaded ~
entrance to her young, aching heart-f&E
had seen as others could rot see, the mai
step of her gifted husband waveri she had seen
a>sther light than that of reason aud love 10 his
dark eye. Yet had she gone patiently, prayer
fully by him-chidiug him very gently-,encr-
cling him with more affection-till he ma}Relled
in his heart of her purity and loveliuess.
Harry Leland wondered at the stiffness ms he
came up the paved walk leading to his beauti-
iul home No sweet face darted out to greet him
no warbling voice wound through the half
open door. 1t was still-so shHl-and his heart
seemed to have ceased beating as he suddenly
beheld the dropping, motionless figure. "Mary
-daring-my God, she is dead !" came forth
with terrible groan, as he clasped her in his
arms.
No, no-not yet She will come back to know
how one hand can sweep the stars out of her sky
with few words. Dutyp Would to God
this word was not cloak to SO much of revenge
and Jealousy
Yes, she came back to life, and smiled her old
fond smile, in answer to his anxious gaze. Oh
how that strong, proud heart loved her! How
he strove to win back her joy 1t was too late
one drop Of bitterness too much crushed the
tender springs forever, and her agonized hus-
band saw the small hand wasting-wasting as
the summer flowers left off their glow. Day by
day he was becoming stronger in purpose and
heart-day by day she was drawing nearer the
pale city out of sight, till day the village bell
tolled-and the villagers said, she is gone !"
Old Bette Norcross hobbled over on her crutch-
es, to kiss the hand that had blessed her so ma
ny times with charity little Nellie, the orphan
girl, wreathed white buds in the dark, shining
hair, sobbing softly 10 the room of death and
blind Nina smiled strangely as she reached her
arms towards Heaven, and said, al hear her
walking there" They draped her beautiful form
in snowy robes, and left her alone with the an