The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-10-09

OlUcTW lSc 1luNt DecH. L nth Hc WOuiu
ask himself whether lie should be
able so to glorify the magic mantle
when the time for him to wear it ar
rived And often it would seem to
him he could no longer wait, he so
longed to cover himself with the
dark folds, and feel again the drowsy
influence of the spell, and look once
more upon bis mothers face But
whenever the longing was most ire
sistible the voice of his sister Rose
would come TO him, and something
in his heart would whisper that his
duty was not yet accomplished, and
the mysterious manlle must still re-
main hanging ou his mothers chair
SO the days went by, and the
months, and gradually the years, and
still the children lived together in the
cottage. In their outward guise, to
be sure, they were children no longer,
for Lionel was tall, strong and state
ly, with deep, tender eyes, and grave,
determined lips; and Rose was love
ly and graceful, with sweet, confd-
ing eyes and soft brown hair. But
all this was outside; there was moth
ing old about their hearts, and in
each others eyes they were children
still. Rose always looked up to and
trusted in her brother, as in the sum-
mer days so long ago; and Lionel
protected and cared for his little sis
ter just as lovingly and tenderly as
when they were first left alone to-
gether And because the time had
never once come, in all these years,
when he could say, "Now all is done
for her that | can do, and there is
nothing to prevent my giving myself
up to the spell of the enchanted man.
tle," therefore it still remained undis-
turbed in his mothers room, and
many years had passed since he had
even opened the door to look at it
But once in q while there would be a
whisper in his heart, "Thc time is
coming, Lionel, wait and be patient.n
1t seemed to him like his mothers
voice, and he would enter with re-
newed hope and courage upon anoth-
day and year.
Still the time went on and on; and
now the winter, which had seemed
so long, began to gradually pass
away. The winds grew warmer and
gentler the heavy clouds broke up
and 1oated about i Titanic forms :;
the sun came forth again, more glori-
Gus than of yore, and soon all the
snow had vanished, except that a lit
tie of the purest and whitest always
rested on the heads of the boy, Lilo
mel and his sister Rose, as a memento
of the long winter they had spent to-
gether in the cottage As the sum-
mer came on, the evenings grew long
er and more beautiful, and the chill
dren, instead of sitting indoors by
the fire, spent much of their time in
the porch of the cottage, looking out
to the sea. Every evening there was
q wonderful sunset, each more per-
feet than the last; every evening, al
so, appeared the vision of the golden
path, extending from the island shore
to the utmost brink of the sea; and
when the sun sank down and rested
amoment, all glowing, on the waters
edge, the children would gaze and
wonder whether they should not now
see their mothers face looking at
them.
At last, one evening, there had
been the most glorious sunset of all.
The loveliest clouds in the heavens
had collected together to see it, and
each reflected and multiplied the
splendor. The sea was calm, and
painted the wondrous picture on its
bosom so marvelously well that it
was hard to decide whether the reali-
ty or the copy were the better. The
souls of the children were filed with
joy and love, and for long time they
had been sitting beside each other,
very silent, but hand in hand as
ever
SO long did the silence last that fin
ally Lionel reused himself from his
reverie and pressed his sisters hand. |
When she did not return the pressure
or move, he thought she must be
asleep, and spoke to her gently, fear
ing to waken her too suddenly. But
she slept on, and did not answer him.
Nh, L. loal-o1 IA hnY Fooo. :, r,-a-
all rosy and glorifed with the part
ing splendor of the sun, and in the
shifting light a sweet and happy |
smile seemed to play about her mouth.
A great and solemn awe fell upon Iii |
onel's heart, for he knew that the
beautiful and reverend figure in the
chair was nothing but the image of
the sister he had loved so long and
faithfully But turning his head, he
gazed at the brightness across the
sea; and in the best of it he saw his
mothers face, and beside it another,
which was Roses, only fairer and
lovelier than it had ever been before.
They both smile dradiantly on him,
and so faded imperceptibly away
SO thereafter Lionel lived alone in
the cottage The hours passed slow
ly now, for he had no longer any sis
ter to labor for and protect, and the
purpose of his life seemed to have
departed with her. He sat often in
the shadow of the cottage porch,
where the sea-breeze lifted his long
white hair, and looked wistfully out
across the mighty sea.
One day as he was sitting, his
head resting on his hand, and lost in
thought, he was conscious once more
of the mysterious whisper in his
heart; but now instead of bidding
wait and be patient, it repeated soft
y, over and over again, ''The time
has come, Lionel! the time has
And he knew that now, at
last, it was permitted him to put on
the enchanted mantle. He felt, too,
hat never in all his life had he need
ed it so much as now. Faithfully |,
had he fulfilled the task. which had
been given him to do. He had re-
sisted to the end the selfish fascina-
lion of the spell he had grown weak
and weary with the lapse Of years
and what now remained but to wrap
The dark, inscrutable mantle around
him and satisfy the lifelong yearning