The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-03-27

What Whitecraigs and she Who lives
now In the house yonder were or are to you,
Scotland and my kindred were to me; bus
; lkhe house where vas born knows me not.
and the bsd and the cradle do not own me.
Alice Scott recogui sed me ~ fellow-crea-
, fnre, wastever moro fsay not; and even
} THAT, from one % good, and, even yet, no
/: beautiful--is something to live for. No
more. ! know oil. VIII you risk meeting. "
Mr.. Pringle will answer for me-" replied
~, - he turned, with q full heart, 20 the
! window.
And will answer for Mr.. PringIs," said
!, Wallace.
"But who win answer for her - rejoined
the other.
} sEtay there said Wallace. "I will re-
tnEn in fes q. inutss."
And, bending his steps to Whitecralgs
House, he was, for q time, engaged with
Alice and hsr mother. He again returned
70 Homestead; aud, in q few minutes after,
the three were walking towards the man.
slan. The eye Of the young man glanced
furss-siy from side to side, as II to catch
gbmPses Of old features which had become
Ange to him; but In the direction Of the
house he seemed TO have no power to look
i -Rgglng behind, and displaying an ankle
4 tE b be concealed, by the bodies Of the
Il o. sTs, from the view or the windows. On
affiving At the house, Wallace and PrIngle
vent into the apartment where the mother
was seated. Ii ector stood in the passage:
he feared that Alice was there, and would
not enter.
Think YOU" whispered Wallace, quickly
returning to him, "that I, whom you ac-
cpsed Of touching tender chords, am 90 lit
tle acquainted with human nature as TO ad-
nit Of witnesses to yoLr meeting with Alice
Scott There, the green psrloar in the
vest wing," he continued, pointing up the
inside stair to room well known to the
youth. IF you cannot effect it, who may
lF5? Go-gol''-
81 cannot-I cannot - he replied, in deep
tones my feet will not carry me. That
room was my mothers's favonrite parlor. A
thousand associations are busy with me.
And now, who sits lheref"
'Come, come r. said Pringle, as be came
forth, in consequence Of hearing Hayston's
irresolution. "What did you expect on
coming here? Aice TO come and fiY to You
with open arms?"
"No, sir; to reject me with wave of dis
daiDH replied the youth. 81 am smitteD
from within, and confidence has left me-
I
her has been mixed With kindness, and she
may give me some heart"
And he turned TO the apartment where the
mother sat
your confidence will nut be restored by
anything the mother can say I" rejoined
I Pringle, who was getting alarmed for tie
success Of his efforts. "AIice is nov mis-
tress here, and must be won by contritioD,
and prayer for forgiveness"
''Ho" interjected Wallace ITO what
tends this mummeryf Must take you BY
the hand, and lead you TO one who, for
years, has seen YOU 10 every fitting shade
Of the hills, and heard you ia every note Of
the sghing winds Of the valley -
ITO hate me as deserve TO be hated r.
replied Hayston, still irresolute. "None Of
you can give me any ground for hope, aud
seem to push me on to experience q rejec-
ton which may seal my misery forever"
Wallace smiled Ia silence, beckOned Prin-
gle into the room beside the mother, ana
taxing Hayston bv the arm, with show Of
Indifference that accorded but indifferently
Eith the real anguish of doubt and dismayS
by which the young mans mind was occu
faed forced him en- 60 the first step Of the
kinside STAIR. 4
s.You are now fairly committed" said BE-, |
smiling: "to retreat is ruin; to advance,
happiness, and love, and peace"
And he retreated to the room where Prin-
gle was, leaving the youth tothc strength
or weakness of his own resolution. His
tread was now heard, slow and hestating,
on the stair. Some time elapsed before the
sound Of the opening door was hearu and
that II renamed for . time open, held BY
dvubtfal hand, might also have been OBJ
served. At last it was shut, and quick steps
on the floor indlcs ted that the frst look had
not been fraught With rejection.
The party below were, meanwhile. specu-
lating on the result OF the meeting Even
the mother was not certain that 1t would. at
q st, he attended with success Alice had
yielded no consent; and il was only from
the mothers construction Of her looks, that
she had given her authority for the inter-
view.
"All is now decided, for good or evil,''
said Wallace. "Go up stairs, and bring US
q report Of the state Of affairs"
The mother obeyed; and, after q consiie-
rable time, returned, with her eyes swim
mirg in tears.
s"is it ." said her friend. "Is it really
so Has all my labor been fruidess f''
NO." replied she; "but could not stand
the sight found ber lying on the breast
of Hector, sobbing out the sorrows Of years.
Her eyes have been long dry. The heart is
AZ last opened"
| : Too coed sight for me to lose.o re-
piled her friend. 'For twenty years have
only known ths tears Of penitence will
new experience those that how from the
happiness Of others"
And, with these words. he hurried M
stairs. We would follow, but that we are
aware of the danger Of treading ground al
most forbid zen to inspiration. Within two
hours afterwards, II sctor Hayston and Alice
Scott were again among the glens Of White
craigs, seeking out those places where, Se-
fore, hey used to breathe the accents ci
first affection. The one had been true to
the end and the other had been false onl
to learn the beauty of truth. We have Civ
en- these details from true erecord, and have
derived pleasure from the rec ollections they
have awakeued but we fairly admit, that
W. would rield oRe-half Of what we have & a.
perlenced OF the good, to have iaarked that
tday the workings Of the retrieved spirit in
Ftheeye and speech, and manners Of Alice
! Scott. These are natures true magic. fhe
dropping flower that il all but dead in the
Dry, parched soil, raises its head, takes On
fresh colours, and gives forth fresh odours,
as the spring showers fall on its withered
leaves. Oh there is a magic there that es-
; capes not even the eye of dull labour, reti.
ring homo sick of all but the repose be
needs. But the process IN the frame that
is the temple of beauty, worth, intelligence,
, sensibility, rearing all in loneliness afresh,
out Of what was deemed the ruins only oi
what is the greatest aud best Of Gods
works--to see this, and to feel it, is to re-
joice that We are piaced In world that,
with all its elements Of -;ce ard sorrow, il
yet place where the good aud lhe virtuous
may ind something analogous to that fOl
. which The spirit pActs in other worlds.
Yet, though we saw it not, we have en-.
ough Of the soncePslos, Though fancy, t.