Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-07-11

]
I" 1 confess | do not If you are mind
ed to 60 about the world seeking fallen
women, and giving up your time to their
rescue, you should have put on the garb
of Sister os Charity instead of bride.
do not see why we are required to
change our plans on account of this wo-
man-bad enough, even according to her
own story-and probably even that un.
true"
g. 1t is not untrue, Paul. If you had
heard her tell it you could not doubt
her. | do not mean to 60 about III search
of fallen women, but it is one thing to
seek for them, and quite another 10 pick
them up when they fall at my own feet.
Whatever your wishes are | shall obey
them; but | cannot change my opinion.
as to what our duty is"
For one moment Paul Herkimer looked
into his wife's clear eyes-met their
sweet, solemn gaze, and recognized the
pure, unselfshsou shining through them.
Then he said, the shadow meanwhile
clearing away from his brow
-" You are right, Constance, as you al
ways are. My own conscience, know.
would not be at ease should we leave this
poor creature to her fate. We will do all
you suggest"
Few words were spoken, as the car
riage, with four in it, rolled on toward
Bethel. The poor wanderer who had so
strangely found friend, sat weeping ST.
lently, with new hope Tutoring at her
heart. If she Only could 60 home again
only see and speak to her parents-no
matter if they ,cere harsh to her, if they
could never quite forgive her-only to
see their faces, to be under their roof, to
go back to the simple habits of her home
ly childhood, seemed to her but too much
mercy.
That night, just at twilight Constance
Herkimer knocked alone at the door Of
the home where the poor wanderer had
lived through all her peaceful, early years.
Her husband waited for her at a little
distance, but she went in quite alone.
She saw there woman looking a great
deal older than her years-prematurely
broken and sad, as those are whose last
hope in life has set. She knew by those
yearning, sistful eyes, which many tears
had dimmed, that there would be glad
welcome from that mother for the lost
that was found But the father wore an
iron mask. No joy and no sorrow spoke
from bis passionless face-he did not look
as If he had ever wept or smiled. Con-
corning has reception of his returned
child, she saw no indication on which to
found so much as a conjecture.
Saying-for sole excuse for her COM
Ing to the house--that she was stranger
in the place, and being in circumstances
Of doubt and difficulty, came to seek
Deacon Gray's advice, because he bore
the name of a just man, she went on ana
told the whole story. Before she had
finished the mother was sobbing wildly;
but the father sat, never turning away
his stern, observant eyes. At last, the
tale all told, the narrator asked
&" What will those parents do? What
would you do, if it were your child so re-
turned Would you abandon her to de-
struction or would you remember what
long suffering the Heavenly Father
shows to His erring children :"
Now, indeed, the dead calm Of the old
mans face was broken up. Rising, but
leaning over bis chair, as If lie feared to
trust himself without its support, he
cried
" Bring her to us, in mercy bring her
to us She is our child, our only one
though her sin were ten times as great,
when she forsakes it, she shall find only
love and welcome in the hearts Of her pa
rents"
And waiting to hear no farther, Con
stance Herkimer left them there, and
hurried away
In ten minutes more that latch was
lifted again. A shrinking, timid figure
glided in, and the door was shut upon
Miriam Gray and her parents.
The next week Deacon Gray's farm
was sold--his dues collected, and he and
his went away from the town Of Bethel
no one in that neighborhood knew width
er.
Ten years afterwards the 0ctobersun
shine rested goldcnly over the fair and
peaceful acres Of rich and ample farm
in the outskirts of thriving Western
village. The day was already wearing
late, when a traveller entered the rustic
gate, and knocked at the farm house
door.
A woman opened tia woman still
fair md graceful, but whose face, so calm
and sad, would scarcely have been recog-
nized as Miriam Gray's, except for the
brightness Of the golden hair, and the
deep, clear blue Of the downcast eyes.
Apparently the gentleman was less
changed, for meeting bis gaze, she turned
CHASTITY pale, and Dried, passionately--
" Why why are you here, Guy Leslie!
Did you not work me voc enough 10 the
past?"
" Yes, and for FIVE years have been
seeking you far and wide, to see if that
wrong could notin some measure be right
ed. Ever since you left me my heart
hae achea for you, with q sad, dreary