New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-11

! Her thought followed this fancy 10 cons
| fused way. She could noe think about
| Azrael for moment: she could no: under
stand: the idea slipped away tron' ter
What did il mean
| She wondered how Tong her iroIher had
been talking, when at las: :hese words az
| tracted her attentions:
sAnd since lie is not your husband. Ia
| chei, and since II ID not becoming young
laGy to .hink Of that. DO not see. MY dear,
what can je GoIe. il the Lord should
| will
Rache! started and recc:ied. She could
not talk abou. tie Lords will just then. q!
| course. it Was right. and great, and good;
| but she could not talk about it then.
! She walked drearily and dizz!lv away:
| and. no: knowing what else 80 Go. wen'
| back and finished her bread-cahe by her
| self. Sh. noticed tina! she could not heal
| the bees alEung :Ee gec4!le. a: tie k:Ieheu
window.
Her mother had s:,o&en she :r;th. Ra'
| cLel realized this keeniv enough as wee ks
dragged Oh J: would no: have been
| madeniy.'' No one IL Southampton
would have though: ;: 80. Mr.. Giayen
| would no: think il SO.
A: times a querulous hatred Of the word
sprung up in RacEei's heart. 1t oue we're
unmaiieL!y. wnIid the earth spin on her
axi. still VIVA: would it be like: Nvul,:
u make 70 !E:cD uuS.eAeS a!.ts siA"ei
was dead
For Azrae! Illus; die. Rachel never qaes.
iiohe.i :ha:. Ike :e;s OF hope chat flashed
about her when people brought her news o.
ieverish. bright changes III HIS failing
strength: the cheerful messages he sent her
by her mother-that he enjoyed the GUS
tards which she SEM. that he had Qules
night the confident. calm, clinging which
he held himself 70 life. never touched the
steady undercurrenc OF the hnow!edge 81
her that AZrael would dice
1t seems 10 those of Us who have heard
something Of Rachel Fross' history, in that
summer, now so lar behind her troubled,
strong. goung lite. that that fiction would
fureurGain itself d suicide which should
make SO audacioUs an attempt upon the
courtesy OF our cTedence as Is made 10y this
plain, true tale.
That Azraei Craven should have been
suffered TO die. lying just across the street.
the windows OF his SICK room in sight from
Rachael's little chamber, without a sight Of
his promised wife, seems to us tact 90
smile at till We find our eyes have filed.
1t seemed to Rachael hard. Yet the stern.
ly nurtEred woman accepted her lot with q
certain calm. She felt it To be inherently
inevitable. suv the most part she did no:
question il.
The Puritan blood IN her veins gan witt.
2 powerful repression. w!lick Was not ur'
like reposeo
When ehe sat. az dead of night, siiverins
at her window, to watch the sick light burn.
ing and waning in Azrael's room: the black.
chill air. thinking weakly how Azraels life
was burning and waning with ;he tiny
epark: when she went down into tia gray
morning. waiting for chance word Of tie
dying uan's condition, watching cor y
chance Stir abou: the house which held
nh sptt k.,,, Il L. S1f,
fers," faint With frying 10 thank God when
they said. Tile rests compelled TO exhaust
the yearniny Of her exiiei heart toward his
in foolish jelly that she made him. il d
p tie, proper. useless flower that she SEM.
She did not think that the fate had treated
her unkindly. She said: lit is the sovereign
will Of Cod Rachel had heard grea:
deal abont the sovereignty Of God. not much
about His tenderness. If Hi. awful pres
encc held a rich compassion for d woman
who luuss be "maidenly.' fer Southamp.
ton. sake. though Azrael lay dying. it was
a DARN fancy: He had many things "a oc.
cupv HIS great, eterna! thought. HoS
could il be:
Once her young :,fe reheiie.i with ~! its
nigh! against This Thought.
i. was "A rainy nigh, and verv Clark.
Azraei Craven had been worse al! day. III
much distress and weakness. Her Mother
had given her 20 understand this with some
reluctance. and Sc: her some household
task. Rachel Thought. 20 avoid any further
comment cn the facts When this was
finished kache! slipped away and OF: g.
the back door into the little dripping YARD
She found the house too strait Tor her. Size
could 10. breathe. She felt benmmbtd.
The ache in her hear: ran an actual pain.
all up and down her teveris!t young limbs.
She threw ier shaw! over her head, ga
thered her i:ess.skiit wrong side out over
her shoulders tshe could not afford to spoi;
i: because Azratl was dying. and so ran
about for little while in a purpose!ess.
hal; way. ~ and fro over The wet
chips and rubbish. with the wind and sam
upon her face.
Tmidly and OH tiptoe she wandered our.
at last. into the black and deserted street.
and across to- Azraels aunt. The sick.
lamp was the only light the house held. and
that buried brightly, striking slender.
long shaft of gold across the Slated fence
tie pools of water in the road. To Rachel.
skulking like criminal n the shadow. i.
looked like the beautiful ladder on which
Of old angels assembled and descended OIL:
Of heaven. Her heart climbed up its shin.
ing height with a sudden. daring. witely
sense .: right 70 turn the whole world cut.
and administer to Azraers meanest wants.
SUc ltlt uul Oul-~utWu tUtTt 3I4 Tue 6ltsiN
and dalk~~like soul in hell.
\ soui In heil-or so TO Rachel. excite:
and unnatural fancy it seemed jus, then
fitted past Der down the street. while she
stood c1ouching there beside the Slated
fence. The light of the ,lden ladder which,
climbed TO azrae.s room struck full upon
its haggard face. Rachel knew the face.
and shrank: she went to school with the
poor girl once. She was gentle, pretty
girl. When her baby was born the people
that she lived with turned her off. Size Lad
worked in a shop since that, and lived d
decent life enough. some said; but no one
spoke to her. and the baby died. Rachel
had sometimes wondered, in shocked, dim
wav. What life was like 10 her.
Now. as IN" vision of her fitted bv. a
throb OF awl.:. envy fitted in Rachel's pure
young heart. The woman had dared to sin
for l.. YES sake. While She
She fed with her bead hanging, her
hands before her face. as if she had been a
der. where tie angels would not walk,
home, into dark. still goom. where she
dropped upon her knees.
1t Is said that when the early autumn
chiils came on, upon MINDLESS. moOnlit
night. a little after the village clock struck
three. Rachel Fross walked her mother.
sleeping by her side. with an exceeding
great and hitter cry:
Smother" she said. "Azraei Is dead.''
Something in that cry chilled all the !
placid. proper Bradford blood Of Patience
Fross. She sprang trembling ~. The
room was lighted with mellow light. like !
the opening of flowers in the sun: the |
shadows OF apartly ieatIess tree fell in and i!
lay fnolion!ess on the bed. Rachel was !
standing in the middle Of the .ocn,. in her |
white nighs-arsss. With the nocni:.h: en |
her full and solemn.
''You are dreaming Rachel
Mrs. Frss.. quite herself again. rcse IN !;
the stately Bradford way, and .:,-w her |
daughter back to bed. |;
"Mr. Craven was better this morning /!