Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-01-10

Sharply down on the hands that held his
own.
Not so. you are wrong 1t is the fault
OF others, who like to make cruel decis-
IONS"
Not cruel" certainly, "only consider
ate. The person who hurts you strives to
obey reason rather than impulse"
This person has neither. reason nor
impnlse-she is simply perverse.'
You are unjust"
''Why uniust9 She shows no impulse,
gives no reasons, makes hard decisions"
Yet you liked her once--a very little. y
No, / worship her even now
There was moments silence.
go on, Sibyl."
The woman fal.ered.
''She loves you in return.
No, she casts me from her
''She loves you, but she fears your
faults"
Pray, what may those faults be ?"
The eyes looked up from the palm on
which they had rested. They looked pitt
fully up from under the shaggy brows in
TO the mans face.
That is all"
NO, lis not ALI What are lie
faults p
"Why-why- thinks
What"
she thinks sou ara generous before
You are just. She thinks you are Splen-
didly selfish
Indeed VIVA, ne&;2 This Is i'toy
ssting =
she thinks yen selfish, partly through .
self-loye, partly through inadierenoe-
thoughtlessness.
ITO her?''
40 Il
mond upon her finger, and-ior instance I
neglect to pay your laundress.'
'And then ?'
You remember your business and
pleasure. You make large subscriptions
aud fine speeches. You forget to give
the cup OF cold water
go on
lyon have no deep tenderness for hui
manity-no great love, like The love OF
Christ" These words came slowly and
with q desperate effort.
.And that's my sentence. Has she not
one redeeming thought for me?'
''She thinks you have great, slumber
ing soul, that has never been awakened"
The man had a fine face. Now ii GRIM
soned over, and was full of emotion lie
stood silent. Suddenly he took the old
woman's hands (Which were small and
Whitley reverently between his own. and
put them to his lips, saying
Now, do not wonder she despises
me--she, the selfish woman. Sibyl, you
have awakened me-"
He hurriedly left the room, soon with
drew from the wild merriment of tue par
iors, went to his hotel, entered his room.
and locked the door. Then he sat down
- the table and put his face between his
Tho aic.ir Ct .ai-
he sat motionless. | cannot tell vou vhat
he thought. Some OF the greatest battles
are without 3 single witness There was
:. look Of great humiliation or his face.
He At length arose, and opening his desk
drew forth q small dust-coyered volume.
It opened ar these words -
Zone thing l know whereas ! va:
blind, now see
His compressed lips seemed to assent
His eyes rested G long time on the pages.
Suddenly Oor he was q resolute mani he
made great vow You could see It in
the lip and eye; in fact. the whole iace
and figure told it; besides. he eiacula-
ted
$50 God help me p
Meantime the old fortune-wolnan oil
ded from the room where the young man
left her; and in no infirm manner, sprang
up the long stairway, and shut herself in
her room. She removed the gray mask
revealing a pale, troubled face, out of
which all the merriment had died.
They are all hollow days" she said,
There are no holidays. l am an old,
old woman. thousand years old. | am
always biting my own nose of, Other
people do not question themselves or turn
censor to others; and they are happy, i
suppose l am very tired, my heart |
and"
So she YEARLY unbraided her hair, and
knelt down by the bedside, and asked Of
God New-year's gilt-for that other one
whom she had lost. and for herself She
asked piteously for the gift of peace, and
then she went to sleep.
The holiday-time passed away. Weeks
and weeks followed in its train. The |
young man was as "little child" mas |
much as he was learning the alphabet of
spiritual life He was learning the mas
terry of soul over SELF
At length one day u note passed |
through the mail. These were the words
'Dear Sorceress: If l come and lay n |
true purpose in your palm. will you tel |
my fortune for me ?'
The answer was this =
Come"
He went, aud the fortune was told
Just as many and many 4 fortune is told |
in this world. 1t was sweet but sa-
cred little scene. SO let Us not curious-
~ peer into it.
Just in the dusk of the next New-ycar's |
eve, again two persons stood by win |
dow looking out upon the night. The
snow-nakes were flaming, and one by one
the lamps were lighted. Now it was
man and woman side by side. Two hearts
had come together, and about them had
gathered the mysterious atmosphere we
call home.
She said after all, Charley. holidays
are not hollow days, are they ?"
NO darling" he replied 'ihcy are
rich-tull of love and peace; rich with
goodwill toward mem
$50 life is very much what the heart
makes ii g'-Hedrth and Home.
sTTnTTCr JJTENO DkETD