The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-12-04
THE journal.
fH7 sisfERs story -OdNTrEuEu From
TIiE F1RsF PAdE.

80 Se.A1 Oofiu1 WhtIugv 2
i waited over Bethlehem, to lead I
God
Yes; but Eaie, If he wBdds9 bi,tt
day we SIC kseDi1g looks 6eWb u11o
the earth where fie has Ev6li1 He mds
feel saddened, even there.
David / can feel the Cbristms
peace floating in upon uS
And He came % give Us Gfe.s DsEi,
said as if to himself.
I turned to him with yearning i
my heart
"A new, abundant life, David
new abundant life
He bent and kissed me tenderlv. bu
shis face was sd.sad kbAt slAeeW srd
came into my heart almost as a re
buke: And when they saw the sta
they rejoiced with exceeding prea
joyP We were not doing SO as v,
closed the door with the Christmas il
our home. f2l53lp1ey
winnie what good thing th,
Christmas morning service is; 1 feel 1
perfect longing lot It today.
It atways makes US feel better.
doesn't it DayP She asked with child
ish esrnestnes u f1A4
Yes
1t did and We came home with a new
brightness round us like aglory from
the grand old Christmas message.
~E'Efie. here is the Oakley carriage
David heard, and 1 saw his height
ened color as he moved to meet them.
They came, they said, to fetch us
all and to bring their Christmas greet.
ings; and thoagh they gave it lightly
and lovingly, noticed Hopes face
was very pale, and her eyes restless and
wandering.
4 viii leave Hope Mr.. st. George
said at last while I 90 aud leave her
presents with the Reetory children.
Winnie will you come and see them?
Winnie went gladly, and We three
were left, as we so often used to be,
as We 50 seldom were then. The car.
riage had hardly driven of, when
Hope sat down on a low seat before me,
which was turned away from David,
and took a letterfFom her pocket Her
voice was very calm, very quiet.
4 had letter from Erie this morn.
ing, and he enclosed this for you Efie.
Now this was such an odd thing for
Erie to do, that looked up with quick,
sudden surprise, which Hope must
have misinterpeted, for the crimson
rushed to her face in a moment.
Then-never glancing at David
laughed little forced laugh.
1 trust yours is longer than this,
Hope; but l held it as Il it was pree-
ious to me all the same. saw a sharp
pain pass over her face; but it was
hidden from David, and her voice was
unchanged.
4 viii tell you of mine first, please.
think he writes to me because he
knowe that it is to tell you something
that viii make you sorry; and he
thinks it viii be better told By me,
because, he says, yor are veFy fond of
me, and she made a little pause,
and seemed to draw in hAr breath be-
fore she went on.
He has decided not TO come home
any more;3 he loves that country better
than his own. He has quite decided
not TO return; he is very happy there,
he says, and he has-formed a tie
so1elOse and loving IN that new land,
that-his life can be no more lonely.
Hs says he leaves his sisters with one
who can well take his place, and he
trusts to me to tell them, because he
always felt as il. 1 we're his sister; and
/ ought to have told differently, but l
could not That is all"
David had risen as she repeated
those words, and had come round
where he could see her face. He ask
ed one bresthless, wondering question:
Did Erie write this T aud made as If
she would pass her letter to him, he
turned away. 1 felt as if in dream
when I opened mine there were only
three lines, except the words of love
at tbe end:
DEAR LITTLE ErT1E:-HOps will
bring You this, and viii tell you of my
resolution. 1 have my own home,
now, and cannot leave it. God bless
you all
Holding the letter tightly in my
hand, / left the room. l did not mind |
what Hope thought. She would know
what this was to me, and I must be |
alone. / don't know how the time
passed; Winnie disturbed me at last
coming TO tell me the carriage was
waiting. I went down, calmly, know
ing it was best that we should 20, ana
when Mr. St George spoke so easily |
and naturally Of Erle's decision-of
his attachment 70 foreign land, and of
his finding a wife there-the dreamy
unrsality of cur misery melted away,
and l began 10 wonder and doubt with
a strange mixture of happiness and
pain.
The evening was pleasant, if not
very cheerful, and when at last we
found the snow was falling heavily we
we're persuaded to remain tilI next day.
Winnie, tired out was glad to 60 to
bed at once, and 1 was relieved for /
felt thst our own homo would seem
1reary 10 Us all that night.
Efie,' said Hope, rather suddenly, |
papa cannot spend his Christmas night
without music, let us sing something
I could not understand Hope that
night-so pale was she, until she spoke
and then flashing so suddenly; nor
had / ever seen until then the little soft
hands trembling aud uncertain. She
ooked Withall so beautiful as she began
% play that / glanced involuntsrily
across to David, as we stood each side
# her, but be was looking only at the
music. Then We sang. For unto us
J child is born, We three-missing the
7oice that used to help, After that
We sang Pergolesi's 'Glory TO God in
he Highest Then Hope, looking up
1t David, said with strange thought
iulness, 60 and sit down, please, both
Of you, while l sing alone.
4 know that my Redeemer liveth.'
Sometimes even now hear the clear
notes ringing in my hear, with their
triumphant words! 1 did
hot look up until she had finished;
hen l saw that David had covered his