The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-08-21
A Craven Image.

"A Craven Image.
"-\b-rner makes the heart grow fonuer
The doctor had finished reading The
chapter, and folding his gown around
him. sank back into his seat. casting at
the choir Il resigned glance, which seemed
To say, 'NoW DO YOUR worst The tenor
had Just began to acknowledge and praise
the Lord. in the style of Sir Leolme's
maStill >'With sixteen short howls;" Mrs.
llas~an hraced herself in the corner of her
| pew to endure that long disconnected
noise to which the choir was wont to wed
| the noble words of the .'Te Deum." when
| her attention was diverted from the week
| ly agony by an apparition which had at
! least the good effect Of closing her ears to
the hoWls. roar> and shricls which the
tour musicians above thought proper to
attribute to the prophets, apostles and
martyrs
This apparition was pretty woman in
| hai-mournin@, coming up the aisle with
Mrs. Vale and her daughters, who came
| late, as was their custom
A chill, and then glow Of anger, ran
over Mrs. llasSan, and her husband Won
dcrod what it was that brought such a
Sudden flash into his wifes eyes | am
afraid that Mrs llassan's mind during the
| prayers and sermon that morning was not
in a Christian frame Every one in Men
| ango was in the habit Of exchanging greet
| ing> going out OF church; but to-day Mrs
| lIas~an slipped away from her friends, and
went to her Bible class in the Sunday
| school room.
The girls wondered why She spoke so
emphatically about the duty and difficulty
Of torgiving those who, having injured US
never think Of needing OF asking forgive
| ness but Girls are creatures given to
| curiosity and conjecture. and | fear their
minds were rather more occupied with
| guessing at Mrs UasSan' personal expert
euce than in making practical applca-
tion Of the lesson
What the matter, Cassy?' said her
husband u@ they walked home together.
Mrs. Ilas>ans hand trembled on her
| husbands arm a5 She said in a low voice :
i've seen a ghost"
| That i, nothing Ghosts. as YOU know
rm in the family; but they do no harm. =
But i'> not that sort, James I'd
rather have seen every spirit that ever
walked in a churchyard, OF even Il wehr-
| wolf, than that woman who came into
| church thi- morning with the Nales7
she WAS a pretty woman enough, .
said Mr. lIa~~:m. What is the matter
| with her
',Nhc Is Mrs Amer She is widow
| NOW; She was Anna Clayton'
Mr. lla,~an looked as if he was going
to whistle. But being in the street, he
rcllaned, and only said:
the Iurcc She is, which was perhaps
no Improvement on his first intention.
| tt .n Sbn ln,,, Sy-1n
was here" said Mrs. IIassan, bitterly
''>he might be satisfied with the mischief
| She has done, and let him alone
DO YOU think he cares for her, yct2"
III, cares for her 50 much that he cam
not care for anything else She ruined
his litr | can't understand it; can't,
can't" said Mrs Ilassan quite passionate
| AS to that, can You understand what
makes persons care for any one else ?
| What made YOU care for me?' said Mr.
| llas~m irving to comfort his wife
| ~ on Your returned Mrs Hassan in
a most unWonted state Of excitement
''JameS .a> if there were any compari-
| son. She is cold hearted and coarse mind
| ed, and utterly selfish
! 'Ald sydney, being the exact reverse
of all this. devoted himself to her, and
| loved her with all his heart and soul"
lie didn't love her. He loved the I'M
are IN his mind which he somehow man
aged to pin 10 her personality; and now
| shouldn't Wonder if he married her after
all, and was utterly miserable and there
| is IL" war for him 10 60 away to now"
Mr. sydney Devme was Mrs Hassan's
only brother When quite 4 young man
| I,l lDI tI1s4Ntn Miss Anna
| CLAYTON a love rs sincere and intense as
amy man ever gave to Il woman. Why he
| did it cannot explain, for Anna was all
that Mr. lIas>m had pronounced her to
be; and at nineteen, was as worldly, as
| had not been blessed with pretty figure,
fine eyes, and pink and white skin.
| Sidney, 50 to speak, put all his eggs
into one basket but Miss Clayton, like Il
prudent Young woman, preferred to have
two strings to her bow While she had
been engaged to Sidney, she had been
carrying on a Irritation, by letter, with a
gentleman old enough to be her tather-a
good man who was no wiser in his love
than il he had been one-and-twentv
Matters went 50 far between Miss Clay
tom and Sidney, that the eXpectant bride
groom had ordered his wedding suit Miss
Clay ton went down to New York to make
her last purchases, married Mr. Armer,
and wrote the day before her wedding to
hreak oil her engagement with Mr. De
| vine
1t is to be supposed that Mr. Armer
never knew Of Mr. Devine's existence; and
Anna did not at all mind the talk which
She uccasioncd but rather enioyed her
not0rictN.
\ few weeks after the war broke out
and Sidney throwing aside his law prac-
tice, went into the rank and file He went
from one end of the struggle to the other
He was conspicuous for recklessness in
the field, and did his duty like a man
He was in sixteen pitched battles, and
never received scratch and fever and
disease passed him by unharmed.
$50 many are taken who have every
thing to live for" he said once; ''but
nothing happens to me- 1t was almost
the only allusion he ever made to the past
When peace came he went to NlenangO
where his sister had married, and resumed
his profession, but in Il very unambitious
way, occupying himself chiefly with the
business arising from his brother-in-law'
large property lie had talents, and hat
once been devoted to his work but now
ne seemed TO care for nothing but to make
Tor himself the modest income which suf
feed for his wants
There was a pleasant little society il
1 the university town of Manango, but Mr.
DeNlne went nowhere but to his sister
house. and seldom there if there was othe
! company. He busted himself with hi
books in his leisure moments, and tried t,