Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-23

my sister; think you are my sister, Meta
| think so; think so, somehow"
The girl could only sob, clinging to her.
esther, I can't bear it If you only
wouldn't try to smile SO p
"Why shouldn't ] smile, Meta? l am
very glad for you-oh so very, very glad +"
softly. Then presently: Robbie would
be so glad, too, Meta"
They stood there clinging to each other
these two girls whom God was leading, each
in his own good way. And the merry winds
of the New Years eve swept by them, laden
with the New Years stories. Beautiful,
beautiful stories, Meta thought. And Esther
thought-what did Esther think? None
had told her yet about the blessing.
At last Esther kissed Robbie's sister with
long, long kiss.
"Good night, Meta! !"
"Good night, Esther"
Through the golden light from the win
dow passed the happy girlish face, and on,
to hide IT'S bushes in the dark walk home
ward. She looked back once Esther was
still standing in the doorway, with the lone
" face in the shadow, her hands thrown
down and folded.
Meta carried the little picture in her heart
for many, many years.
Esther stood in the doorway, her hands
thrown down and folded, until the girl was
out of sight. Asking, perhaps, one dumb,
stifed question of this New Years eve Won
dering little why it should leave her moth
ing nothing Of all the happiness with which
the great world was filled tonight. All!
for Esther did not know about the blessing,
the beautiful, bright blessing which, even
| 10 har AshQ tn IL
surely.
She stooo in the doorway, her hands
thrown down and folded, until her mothers
voice came sharply from the house.
esther Esther, child"
She went in. 1t was not face with
which to sit down in the lamp-light, and
stitch away upon her fathers shirt, and hear
her mother talk OF Metals wedding. Hard
ly face for that
Mrs. Searle looked up over her spectacles.
"Well, do declare, believe you're gone
crazy, dreamin' and peerin, out there again
always dreamin' and perrin
esther, do you know what the Their
mometer is" remarked her father in his
precise tone.
81 am going out to walk" said Esther
quietly, very quietly; but her face was
turned away.
Mrs. Searle resumed her knitting in des
pair
"Well, I say fort, Esther Searle, you
are gone crazy Father why don't you tell
her she shan't stir step such night as
this?"
'.Ah ahem! the thermometers only two
above, Esther"
81 must be off, alone. I mean I want to
walk for few minuLes," said the girl, her
face still turned away. Then she shut the
door upon her mothers unfinished sentence
Esther could not bear to be rude, but
there were other things she could not bear,
as well, just then-went up stairs put on her
hood and cloak, and hurried out into the
still, dark night.
When she had passed through the gate,
she came back, for some reason, she did not
know why, and looked in at the window,
the warm homelike window, where the old
people were sitting by the fire. Did she
hear one whisper of the blessing that was
coming, or they?
If she heard it, she did not understand.
She turned away from the warm window,
and the freight, and the aged faces there
within it, then out again, where the night
was dark and still. The sharp, fresh wind
whirled about her, and the snow lay deep
under her feet
She turned aside from the road where the
sleighing parties shot by, and the merry
voices sang, and the happy faces showed in
the light from happy home windows. 1t
was no place for Esther, tonight
So she made her way off into the fields,
where the snow lay white and unbroken.
She had no fear of the loneliness; she did
not mind the deep cold drifts through which
she waded. For there had come one Of
those few hours which did come sometimes
into the girls patient life, when her soul
cried bitterly unto God, who had smitten
her, and to be alone with Him was all that
she could do.
! So, walking on and on, her hands thrown
down and folded, with the snow below and
before her and the night around her, she
talked with him, and he with her. Perhaps,
too, with Robbie-I do not know.
| 1t was picture-the poor lonely figure
that the happy New Year had forgotten and
passed by, the crowned triumphant figure
for which the blessing waited.
Down over the fields ravine worked its
way to the river, steep place, with rocks at
the bottom. At one point it was crossed by
what we call, in country parlance, ''dry
bridge" 1t had stood there for many
years, serving for narrow foot-path, and
safe enough. 1t was old now, and water
soaked; the snow had fallen on IL, a heavy
weight.
Esther, walking on and on, neither know
ing nor caring whittier, came at length to
the ravine and the little bridge, and stop
ped, merely to wonder whether she had
better 60 home, or if she would be missed
to stay out little longer-that was all.
Nearer and nearer came the beautiful
blessing-she to it and it to her.
Esther stepped upon the little bridge,
wading through the snow, and reached the
middle of it, wading through the snow,
and, turning. looked down into the black
ness, where the rocks were sharp
Well, when the bridge rocked and swayed
and creaked; when, with groan like the
groan of human thing, it toppled and fell
crashing down-there was one swift con-
scious instant, and in that instant, will you
believe it, that Esther Searle gave thanks to
God?
1t must have been hours before she died,
lying there alone in the snow, arousing now
and then from her stupors to feel the chill of
the wind and see the far sky dimly. Dreams
| of Robbie came and went, always of Robbie.
For now she should be Robbie's wife at last
at last, after the long waiting. and the weary
days and sleepless nights. They were all
over now for Robbie's wife
Dreams, too of Another: he who of all
! the blessings had chosen for her this, most
bright and most beautiful; he who had never
forgotten TO love her, who knew how patient
~ she had waited for Robbie and how hard
it had been; he who was faithful to his
promise, and in this her lonely aging never
for one moment left her.