The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-02-24


all that were left of the bloom of her ext.
tence. Yet, no; her meek aud childliks rie
ty still fingered. Her God had not forsake
her; down in the dim chaos Of her spirit tn
smile Of His love yet cleaned faintly-ip tn
waste garden of her heart she still heard n
voice at erentde and she was not afraid
Her Bible went with her everywhere-a tori
and soiled yslumc, but holy still !; and it ma,
be, as dearly cherished my dear reader, =
the gorgeous copy now lying on your table
bound in purple aud in gold" and with gid
ing untarDishcd upon its delicate leaves.
Thirty years from the time of the commence
ment of this mournful history, on bleak a,l
tumnal evening, rough country wagon drove
into the town of c.. 1t stopped at the
aims house !; an attenuated form was lifted ur
and carried in and the wagon rumb!ed away
This was Lucy Dutton, brought to her native
town to die.
| She had been in decline for some months
| and the miraculous strength which had SC
i long sustained her in her weary wonderings
forsook her utterly Her sister had died some
time before, and the widowed husband had
soon after removed to the far West SO Lu-
cy had no friends, no home but the aims
house
"Something is the matter with my sigh"
she said smiling family, "for my hand is like
an old woman's'' ef
"And so it is" said the matron, gently
'sand SO are mine, yet We had fair plump hands
when we were young. Dear Lucy, do you
know me am Marie Allen-I was to have
been your b id, snaid" .a s','a
| cannot ay more; I will not make the
vain attempt to give in detail all that mourn
full remembrance, since the recreant and
traItorous lover TODD before her and made
that terrible announcement. ~"
The kind matron paused frequently in the
sad narrative of her poor friends madness
and wanderings, but The invalid would say,
with fearful calmness, ''Go on. go on, )" though
the drops of agony stood thick on her fore
eead. When she asked for her sister, the
matron replied
"shc has gone before you, and your father
also ef =. sye
And mother ?" said Lucy as her face lit
up with sckly ray of hoye. '~
ssYour mother has been dead twenty years"
II sFDead All gone Alone, old, dying. Oh 4
God, my cup Of bitterness is full"a and she
wept aloud. ssd sis 7Sd l3at
Her friend bent over her, and mingling
her tears with hers, said afectionately =
6 But you know who drank that cup before
you?" w Z b;c .ei-l.ail IL -i5aaes
Lucy looked with bewildered expression,
ard the matron added 1.-The Lord Jesus, you
remember" s5-,t s5a aeas
A look like a ray Of sunlight breaking
through cloud "a look which only saints
may wear irradiated the face of the dying
woman, as she replied af .vaa Q ec-is |
"Oh, yes, [ knew Him and loved Him be-
fore fell asleep" as 5s3si ee9ats
The man Of God was called A few who
had known Lucy in her earlier days came al
So There was much re7erential feeling and
some weeping round her death bed. Then
rose the voice of prayer At first her lips
moved as her weak spirit joined in that fer |
vent appeal. Then they grew still and peor
Lucy was dead-dcad in her gray haired
youth. Those who gszed on that placid face, |
and remembering her harmless life and pa
tent suffering, doubted not that the morn Of
eternal day had broken upon her "night of
years" er sef s@ ~2a3 1eT |
One day, about week from the time Of
her arrival, Lucy appeared to suffer greatly,
and those about her looked for her release al
ost impatienty but at night she was evi-
IDENTIFY better, and for the first time, she slept
till morning. The matron who
was at her bedside when she awoke was star
tied by the clear and earnest gaze which met
her own; but she smiled and babe the invalid
$ good morning" to reassure her, When she
exclaimed : s'Where am I, and yhs are you !?
l do not know you. s5
4 A wild surmise flashed across the mind of
the matron; the long lost reason of the wan
derer had returned. But tho good woman
replied, calmly aud soothingly: Hae
"Why,you are among your frieads, and
you will know me presently"
rejoined the invalid; they have come? O,
| had such terrible dream l dreamed that
they were married Only think. Ellen mar
ried to Edwin Strange It's that / should
dream that" shas ~;
My poor Lucy" said the matron, with
gush of tears, " that was no dream; twas all
true" er r5 sa
AN trucW cried the invalid; "then Ed
win must be untrue, and that cannot be, for
he loves me; we love each other well, and
Ellen is my sister. Let nae see them; will
90 to them.'
She endcavored 10 raise herself, but fell
back fainting on her pillow.
g What does this mean?' said she; "what
makes me SO weak Z"
Just then her eye fell on her hand-that
old and withered hand! She gaged on it in
blank astonishment.
The Golden Age Of Spain.