The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-13
From the Galaxy.
THE HARLEY PATENT.
fCONCLUDED.l

ces. letters came from Gilbert. Not
often, but rarely Sometimes they
| were peevish and reproachful; some
times tender, encouraging. They did
not appeal to her. Their spirit seemed
far away from her own. She had
lapsed so far from her past, from her
own normal self, that she was past
wondering at her own heart blank.
She felt neither pity nor resentment;
sometimes it came across her that her
husband had right to her-that she
owed him duty she was not render,
ing; then again, when he reproached
her because she no longer cared for
his protracted absence, she felt GER
tain contempt for his weakness. She
had never given way so There was
nothing flexible about this woman s
feelings One night in June, she was
to watch with a sick friend living
mile from the village, by the
name of Asenath Breck. Walking
along the quiet road between the
fields. whitened with the full moon,
a step came quickly after her, and in a
moment Friedrich Heckel overlook
her. The minister seemed always
fitted to such nights. There was
something mystical and super sensual
about him. with his great burning
eyes and small yswarthy features. AT
ter a greeting, they walked on a
distance in silence. As they were
nearing the house, he Stacked his
SaRuth Harley, he said, II have
something to say to thee" -
She looked at him in her grave,
inquiring way, but she did not
perceive that there was anything un-
usual in his expression, or that he
caught at his breath. salv a30iSa +
l have something to say to, thee"
he repeated And again she looked
at him gravelys IS = Iasa.estA =
Thee knows that / have often felt
that my work in Refuge was not
enough for me to be doing?"
She bowed hershead 1ssAsV
8 | must GO elsewhere
" Thee will go TO the Missions?" she
asked, prepared forwhat he had said.
Yes, TO the Missions"
There was another silence. Then
he said, in hushed voice, q
10" Thee feels sympathy with the work
to be done there?"
"Yes, Friedrich Heckel." 9iisA 6
But thee has never felt, perhaps,
thatthy duty might be that way also?'
sEiSher started; her face was quite col
orless in the moonlight. There was
nothing really strangesin what he had
asked; all their talk in their associa-
ton had been of callings and sacri-
fces;s but the question sounded
strangely for all, and as she started
she saw that his eyes were upturned,
fixed and blazing.
s s L must have help he said, as if
to himself, below his breath. My
heart, my carnal heart, is rot
ting in me Pc He threw his
hands up, like one in a eonvulsion; ;
his voice had the shrill, expiring
information peculiar to spiritual ex-
citement;f but the passion was over
almost before she could notice it.
1 want work. be continued. in
common tone. " [ am going to the
Lords great vineyard to find it. He
moistened his throat, raised his voice,
and went on, speaking quite clearly:
!" / have thought of thee, Ruth .Har-
ley, as worthy laborer in this field.
l have thought there might be balm
for thy hurts in this vocation. There
are those and here he paused again
for minute" who, could go, but
have notthe spirit. There are others
who have the spirit, but are bound In
the flesh. He looked at her; she
could see what he was thinking; he
was thinking that she was a deserted
and chiIdless wife. He added sim
ply, You and / are free" I
His words sounded grateful to her.
They made her conscious that
her life was bereaved and empty,
and at the same time offered the
means to soothe and fill it. She real
lied that the dumb sympathy be-
tween this man and herself lay deep;
that her spiritual life would be
shrunken, apart from him. -
S He watched her. He thanked God
that she did not fully understand him;
that he was strong enough to have
held himself from 'betraying the blot
upon his godly asceticism, his pure
austerity; strong enough to have lived
down the one passion of his life with
out divulging tito the woman for
whom he had noright to feel it. By
and by she said: a.sI laneEl
!" I will wait for light before [ an
swer,, Friedrich Heckel"
= The light "came to her that night,
as she watched alone with the sick
woman. The necessity for decision
reused her from her long apathy.
She reflected on her duty to her hus-
band, on the manner in which she
had put all thought of him away from
her life. She sitted her temptation to
go to the missions, and found it foul
with self love. She was frightened at
t..Ie II ISos Solf wronobaJ oD,-