Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-03-19

ship. He was so much wiser than she
he knew ." much more of books and %
the world. He had bccn-why. every
where; and she had never beef farther
than Burlington in all her life. Wher
she came hons from her one year al Mrs
WorccStGr's school, which was Nil hel
t-thcr could afford, she had intended to
do So much, There were her French
hooks on the little shelf, and her Botany,
and Ancient History. and Literature. and
she meant 10 have gone on with them.-
She had come home with all girls
eager ambition-her desire TO 10 and 10
be. But she had washed dishes. and
tended baby, and skinned the milk, and
pat Tommy TO bed, and darned stockings,
and hemmed ruilling iol Janets aprons !;
and the French books were unopened,
and she was forgetting Who built ST.
/ Paurs, and in what year Shakespeare
/ died. That was the end OF it. Her time
was all irittered away. and there was
| nothing to show Tor 1t.
le! she had ihought-sho had really
| thought sometimes that kenpeth Marslon
/ loved her; and she had dreamed-she
was ashamed OF II now. but she nc.
Snowlrdge,l it brayely rs she communed
sllh her own heart sitting there with
her heal buried in her arms-she bad
dreamed of beautiful home with him.
where her innocent tastes and lancies
might find free indulgence, and where Il
gentle guiding hand would lead her in
The flower, paths she loved. And now
The dream Was over. She had awakened
the first time she saw him and Judith
Grant together, and she should never
dream again.
II she could only go away somewhere
and do something 1T teach. or make
bonnets, or go into shop, or keep books.
she did net care what anything that
would take her out OF herself, and open
new life for her. But there was no
escape. Sho must just stay there and
listen io her mothers complaints. and
lrll n."sie- to Tommy. and mend Janet's
doiI aud grow old and homsly aud lret.
iuI. may be That was the worst OF Ii.
" feel that she was growing down
rather than up, Dwariing herself, when
she had 50 lonk.d to grow to the full
stature Of perfect womanhood.
She stopped thinking for moment and
listened. There was strange, pre-.
tcrnntural hush abroad-a portsnlous 81.
lenco that startled her. She raised her
head. The soft, rosy tints had faded |
from the sky. and dense black clouds |
were gathering overhead. Presently
wndow-binds swung 10 with crash at
the other side OF the house. and the trees
swayed and bent before the courers of |
the approaching tempest
Faith went a"'~' s'airs 10 close the |
windows and tsstcn the doors. just no |
she did 80 heavy peal Of thunder rat.
n.d overhead, and lightning seemed 10 |
dart from every quarter of the heavens.
This little girl uI ours was physically
brave She did not know the meaning
OF ino lady tremors, or what it was TO
shrink from real or imaginary dangers
In her present mood she rather enjoyed
this fierce convulsion Of tho elements.
and deliberately seated herself upon the
door-ste to watch the progress of events.
Not drop of rain had fallen; but now
the rulnbling OF the thunder was inces-
SAINT, and the black clouds were rent and
yven by the fierce lorked lightning. At
ons moment the darkness was intense
the very blackness OF The denssst mid.
night; the next both earth and heaven
were lit with lsrid glare that seemed to
come straight from the regions OF ever
lasting tame.
She had forgotten KenReth Marston,
forgotten Judith Grant, forgotten Faith
Harris. Her thoughts had gone on the
wings OF the lightning TO the uttelm most
parts o, the earth Mans voice is so
small, SO weak. when God speaks. But
just then the sullry fires lit up the brow
OF he hill, and for one moment she be-
held vision.
A flying steed, white as the driven
snow against the background OF ebony
clouds. mass of tossing drapery.
CLEAN Of gol'ion hair streaming out upon
the night wind, white face fixed in
lerro. and despair. and two hands clutch
ing the silvery mano.
Faith took it all in ut glance. She
thought rs the drowning think. A lite.
time was condensed into one moments
space.
Straight down the hill came the
frightened horse At the bottom of it, it
he kept the road, there WAS short turn,
sharp and sudden as right angle. If he
did not keep it, there was deep ravine
straight ahead. and stones at the bottom.
Faith Harris knew that Judith Grant was
riding right into the jaws of death either
way For one instant she clasped her
hands over her eyes, as if to shut out
some fearful sight, then she darted across
the road as II borne on the wings OF the
wind.
She said afterward that she could not
account for it--that it was like an in
spiration; but during that one moment
of doubt or irresolution she seemed tc
see herself standing upon the smooth
stump of tree that had recently beer