Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-05-31

nall 10 me-. IwaS Wine love 1
cared for?" I remember the words,
Hannah Fanthorn. They have stung
my soul often since. Do you know
J lied then"
"Lied?"
"Yes, lied. Willie's heart never
belonged to any one but you. He
was as true as heaven. 1t was who
wanted him TO wed Dorcss Oakley.
| then thought peor girl like you
beneath him. 1 told him you loved
aeousin who came to your home so
often; and when your letter came he
believed ii. ] thought he would
marry Dorcas then. I never meant
to drive him from home and kin; and
he went, and the last words he said
were, "Sabrina, my heart Is broken. "
All these years he has wandered over
the world lonely. sorRowing man;
and I. his ewn sister, the cause.
"And she-Dorcas-oh, You know
my lover Tilted me for her; all the
place know that"
/ looked at the poor dying woman.
1 was trying to forgive her, but
could not help speaking harshly.
II am only stranger" said,
''what have suffered is nothing to
You. Buthad You no mercy on your
brother? You have had time TO re
pent."
"Timei" she said. ''Yes, Hannah
Fanthern, it scenes like eternity:
but | have sought for him in vain:
for years l thought him dead. Yes
terday | learned that he is alive, and
not many miles distant. Old before
his time, they say, but he liYes.
Look she continued, drawing o
packet from under her pillow, lin
this | have written the truth. 1t
shall be sent to morrow. IL I die
in the night it can go all the same.
Win and you may meet again, and
be happy when / am under the turf"
Then she began to wail-"Don't
leave me, don'tleave me to die aione!"
do not fear" ! said, and try to
-thiRk of other thinks. Forget earth,
look 10 heaven
never left her. Sitting by her
side on the third night / saw a change
come over her face, and bent over
her.
''Hannah Fanthorn,' she whis.
pered, shave you forgiven me:"
''As l pray God to forgive me-" l
answered. Then fainter she spoke:
"Be kind to VIII. He loved you.
Oh, TO think that | should have lost
my soul that you should not be my
sister-you seem so much like one
now!n
And with these words there came
look into her eyes l shall never
forget and in the Christmas dawn
she lay on my arm dead
On Sunday they buried her. The
graveyard mas fIil.- Ere-Y -onS
came to see Squire Hazlet's daughter
laid in the grave vault. / stood neal
it; but though the solemn words oi
the preacher rang in my ears, and the
coffin was before my eyes, and i
should have thought of nothing else,
my mind would wander away TO the
past-and / saw Will Us used to see
him and myself, as in mirror,
young and blithe leaning or his arm.
Then / found myself praying for the
dead woman and murmuring, 'God
forgive her, for she knew not what
she didr'
/ came back to the prestGt with q
start and thrill. They were clos
ing the vault And beside the cler.
gymau, and speaking to him in q
whisper stood tall man with a for
eign look about him, and q heavy hat
slenched over his eyes, man all in
black, with hair rs dark as night, but
with here and there n SILVER thread.
Why did my heart beat so as / look
ed at him? Surely / had never seen
that man before!
Iturred away and went homeward.
The path lay by the old Hall. i
paused a moment to look att. Every
window was shut. From the broad
front door and from the neck OF the
stone lions on the porch streamers
of Grape were fioaling. Oh. how
often had seen every window ablaZe
with lights and heard music and dane
ing feet and laughter from without.
And now, in the winter rwilight-for
at five, the day was nearly done, End
the clouds lowered heavy with com-
ing snows-now how dark and cold
it was! And yonder in the graveyard
lay, in their grim vault, master and
mistress, and she who had been the
pride of their hearts, the toasts and
beauty of the region-Sabrina Has
! let. And Willie-where was hei
The gloom, the scene l had just
witnessed, the memories were all too
much for me. 1 bowed my head
upon the old stone of the gateway,
and wept. "Gone, gone, gomez /
cried, and tue sobbing wind among
the branches overhead, seemed u
repeat those words, "Gone, gone,
gone"
/ heard no step on the soft snow.
l had seen no shadow | never i'm
agined any one near me until hand
came down upon my shoulder, hand
large and strong but trembling like
an aspen leaf.
l looked up. Beside me stood the
dark man, / had seen in the grave
yard. When ] turned he moved his
hat, and 1 saw the face of Willie
Haslet-a face altered and aged,
bronzed and sad, but his with life
! in it.
/ Hannah, Hannah he said.
And I, as though l spoke in a
dream, murmured:
"He has come back again. He has
come back again."
''Yes, Hannah, back again" said
the low sweet voice, that had been in
my memory many years. "She Is
/