Richland beacon., 1872-09-07

AYE" cried the man. choking H. he
| spoke, " surely, surely" And he kuclt
down
TEL her at if il wcr bad cnow-this
hcrc--lt wOr not 50 bad aS Ii mGuyht ha'
bccn-fur ne. mought ma tUn Il w1r>-
cr. Tell her I'd like 20 ha said Il word if
| cuuld-but ! cOuldna. I'd like 20 In
heard her say one word % happen Sly"
would ha said if she'd recn here. an tell
he" n if She had ha' said it tn tide
mought ha' comm an wclcOrc-but she
didni. an thccr it stands And the sob
| that burst from his breast was like the
sob OF a dcath-srickcn child. "iIappen"
--hc said neXt-"happcn me q vo wo-
men foak say bit % a prayer-yo'rc not
80 fur fro safe sand but yo can reach it
happen one O yo ha' a word or two as yo
could Say-Such Ike ~ yo teach yo're
babbicS.''
Among these was one who had-thank
God. thank God and so. amid walls and
weeping. rough men and little children
alike knrlt with uncovered heads and hid
den eyes while this one woman falrrcd
the pral or that was prayer for DYING
man: and when it was ended. and ali rose
"lancing fcariulIv at the white line q
crrcpin" foam. this diving man. for whom
they had prayed. lay upon his dcarh-bcd
nf sand the quirtcSt Of them all-quict
with strange calm.
Bring me my Jacket" he said. an
! lay it DER my face. There's bit o po>ic
| in tn button-holc. | %ctten il out o tn
miSSllS's garden when CONN away. I'd
| like To hold il i my hand if it's thecr
vet.
And - the i0rp l'rn ct white came
cror.,in" onward they hurricdly diI aS he
| told them-lad the rough garment over
| his face and save him the hGmhlc dyin"
| iluwcrS to hold. aud having done This.
ana fingered 10 the .a>t moment.
! me after the other dropped away
with avc-strlckcn souls untii the last
| was gone. And under the arch of sunny
sky the little shining waves ran up the
| beach. chasing each Other over the glitter
| nw sand. catching ~ shell and SG:l-recd.
! towing with them for Il moment and then
leaving them. ripping and curling and
whispering. but creeping - creeping -
creeping.
They cave lis message to the woman
he had loved with all the desperate
| strength of his dull yet unchangir f" nature:
and when the man who gave it 10 her
saw her wild. whi;e face and harl-sct lips
/ iit Dit.E'Pitu upon >ptuc tliil euC-- ~ u
what that single word might have been
bur the SharpcSt of them never knew til,
stubborn anguish that. following and
| growing lay by day, crushed her iierc,
will and ShCoi her heart. She was Il,
hard Is ever they thotght; hut they were
J none OF them the men or women TO GUESS
al the long-dormant instinct of woman
| hoOd and rem0rSe that the tragedy OF thi,
one day of her life had awakened. Sht
had said she would never forgive him. and
perhaps her very strength made it long
| before she did; but surely some subtle
chord was touched by those heavy last
words. for when. months later, her nr1
| love came back. tait hfhi "n', tcnCtrr. WI
his old tale to tell. she would not listen.
Nay. lad" she said. Il ANNA feather
| to blow wi tn wind. I've had my shar,
% trouble wi men foak. an | ha' no mine
to try again. Him as lies i tn church
yard loved me i his way-men toak' : way
| iS apt to be Il poor un- an I'm wore ou
wi life Dunnot 60 ore here courlin'-
tax Il better woman. n."-Scrijne''s' for Sep
4 Il