The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-07

The fact was, her promise was so easy that she
had scarcely thought of it after, not suspecting
laid any stress upon lit
She had managed to buy bit OF something OF
the shoddy species, and while Stephen was look
ing. for her n Nthe chapel. she was making
chiefly, / do believe. that she had not kept her
word, Stephen went In the afternoon to call upon
her. c 11'--- .-l =
! He found her working away. as before and
saving time BY taking her dinner while she
worked, for q piece Of bread lay on the table by
her elbow, and beside IL little brown sugar to
make the bread 60 down. The sight went to Ste.
phen's heart. for he had just made BIZ. dinner of
bis half pint of stout .fr.l.-,l.,
Ssra!" he said solemnly, "you promised
to come TO our chapel, and you have NOS kept
your word" He never thought that "our
40, Mr.. Archer" abe answered, al didn't
know 90 you cared about IL. But" she went on,
rising and pushing her bread on one side 70
nss Then ss shs cheled On and
added: 30, l beg your pardon, sir-rm SO
shabby! You couldn't be seen with the likes Of
deeper than chivslry. He had had no intention
There's no chapel In the afternoon he said
"but III come and fetch You IN the evening"
SSs ssps ai himself sss s sas In
phen felt strange pleasure unknown before, like
that Of the shepherd who, having brought the stray
back to the fold Gauss little that its wool Il torn by
sheep. It was only Sars's wool that might seem
disreputable, for abe was very good faced sheep
He found the hymns for her. and they shared The
The gathered people, the stiffness. the gssiRhts,
the solemn ascent Of the minister into the pulpit,
the hearty singing Of the congregation, doubtless
had their effect upon Sara, for she had never been
| to chapel and hardly to any place Of assembly
before. From ell amusements, the burden OF
back. ,...s Il. a.. - =,
But she could make nothing Of the sermon.
She confessed Afterwards that she did not know
she had anything to do with 1t. Like the North
ern Farmer, she took 1t all for the clergyman's
business, which she amongst the rest had 10 see
alone. She did not even wonder why stephen
should have wanted to bring her there. She sat
when other people sat, pretended TO kneel when
other people pretended to kneel, and stood up
when other people stood up-still brooding upon
But Archer's feelings were not those he had ex.
pected. He had brought her, intending her to be
done good too but before the sermon was over be
wished he had not brought her. BE resisted the
entirely; the object of bis solicitude all the while
conscious only Of the lighted stiffness and the
new barrier between Charley and Newgate. The
fact with regard to Stephen was that certain
hard pan, occasioned by continual plowings 10
the same depth, and no deeper, In the soil Of
his mind, began this night TO be broken up from
within, and that through the presence Of young
woman WHO did not for herself put together two
words OF the whole discourse.
The pastor was preaching upon the saying Of
st. Paul that he could wish himself accused from
Christ for his brethren. great part Of his ser.
have meant what his words implied for the
preachers mind was DO filed with the paramount
| duty Of saving bis own soul that the enthusiasm
of the Apostle was simply Incredible. Listening
first time grew doubtful of the wisdom of his pas.
tor. Nor could be endure that such should be
the first doctrine Sara heard from his lips. Thus
| was he already and grandly repaid for his kind.
| any conscious religion, was TO herself q law Of
| love, brought him SO far into sympathy with the
| mighty soul Of ST. Paul, that from that moment
the blessing OF doubt was at work in his, under
| He walked home with Sara almost in silence,
| for he found II impossible to impress upon her
| those parts Of the sermon with which he had no
fault to fnd lest she should retort upon that one
| point. The arrows which Sara escaped, however,
| could from her ignorance have struck her only
| with their feather end.
Things proceeded In much the same fashion for
while. Charley went home at night to his
after leaving the shop, but gave her no new
| ground of complaint. Every Sunday evening
Sara went TO the chapel, taking Charley with her
sas 80 4
| pew. He did not go home with her any more for
while, and indeed visited her but seldom, anxious
to avoid scandal, more especially as he was a
deacon. h.--
But now that Charley was 80 far safe, sars's
cheek began to generate little OF that celestial
rosy red which Is the blossom OF the womanpl
although after all II hardly equalled the heart of
the blush rose. She grew little rounder In form,
too, for she lived rather better now-buying her.
| self rssher of bacon twice week. Hence she
began TO be In more danger, O. any one acquainted
| with her surroundings win easily comprehend.
| But what seemed at first the ruin of her hopes
dissipsted this danger. L 80 - eHi y f
One evening when she returned from her work,
she found Stephen in her room. She made him
the submissive, grateful SANITATION, half courtesy,
half bow, with which she always greeted him, and
| awaited his will. r.-.-.s,r. - .r-s. r. 49,.
81 am very sorry to have to tell you. ssrs. that
your brother ~
She turned white as o shroud and Der great
black eyes grew greater and blacker as she stared
in sgonixed expectancy, while Stephen hesitsted
| in search OF better form of communication.
Finding none, he blurted out the fact gid
| a. has robbed me, and run away
r"Don't send him to prison Mr.. Archer!n shrieksd
Sara and laid herself on the floor ct his feet, with
grovelling motion, as II striving with her mother
earth for comfort. There was not Q film Of art In
ursl urging of life gave the truest shape to her en-.
| treaty. Her posture was the pesult Of the same
feeling which made the nations Of old bring their
| sacrifices to the altar Of Q diety who, possibly
| benevolent In the main, had yet csuse to be nim.
ical TO them. From the PROSTATE living sacrifice
| arose the one prayer, "Don't send him TO prison
| don't send him to prison ~ 80
Stephen gazed at her In bewildered admiration,
half divine and all human. A certain conscious
ness Of power had, confess, part Of bis silence,
but the only definite shape this consciousness took
was Of benefcence. Attributiug his silence to IN
willingness, Sara got hall way from the ground,
that Is to her knees and lifted face Of utter en-
treaty to the sight Of Stephen. win not say
words fail me to describe the intensity OF its
prayer, for words fall me 10 describe the COM
mopest phenomenon Of nature all can say Is,
that 1t made stephens heart too large for Its con-
fning walls. "Mr. Archer, }" she said, In a voice
hollow with emotion, al will do anything you
like. will be your slave. Don't send Charley
TO prison."
| dignity Of self. abnegation. II lie not alone the
| country people of Cumberland or of Scotland
who in their highest moments are capable Of
poetic utterance. ass
An indescribable thrill Of conscious delight shot