The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-05-29
LONG. LONG AGO.
A TRUE sreRr-Br ELIZABETH STUART

twas so long ag o.that yMrng people
who thought ofsmarrlaRe considered frs,
what the church militant would think.
was so long ago. that young mar
preparing for the Gospel Hainistry WIS al
object OF exceptionally persistent prayer
1t was SO long ago, that such ,ycung
man was held 10 have sacrificed this world
and the glory thereof upon the altar ot
b c"nsecrated youth to have wrestled
FIR Heavens blessing as Jacob wrestled
OF old till daybreak, With hidden, smil-
ing, fayoring Lord. aToaalu a.e 1oGT
1t was 90 lo7g ago, that such . young
man .exnected, sought and found a, life nl
mu, h self-cnnqurst and self-denial-ot
ipayerty, offs ,xlety, of patience, of prayer
of honor, OF peace. ~.e4.,~s9s ,.-,,
1t was go long ago, that such a young
man excited the supernatural respect OF
women, and induced in them a devotion
resem bling that In which Claude. a
| Bnssuet. a Savonarola lived sand moved
and had their being, and were not, for
G"d took them.
1t was go long ago. that the imagination
of u young woman fal cred before the con-
ception OF ioitier lot than that of pro
viding tor the temporal aAd lower Aeces.
stiles of So elevated and dedicated q being.
1t was SO long ago that when Azrasl
Craven asked Rachel Fross if she WOULD
jam him in the service to which he had
Egiven his life; If she would become his
comforter and assistant in the holy work;
il she thought it would insure her happi-
ness To unite with him in the bonds OF
matrlmony. which was OF God and blessed
l t,N, A.,H II \
ago, that Rachel felt as il the Archsngei
Michael had stepped from Heaven TO earth
because he had need of her.
Ia fact, it WAS 81 long ago, that peopl-
went to churchsuwi.h foot; stoves, j. and
Azrael Craven was carrying Rachel's foot
stove home for her, after the Thursday
evening conference meeting, 0 when be
brought the subject of Michael SO wildly
Tn her mind.
Il had not thought" said Rachel, trem
bling srvislbly-"ohl Dir Craven, had
never Thought of thst!''
ut has weighed upon my mind" said
the Angel Michael, "for q long while,
| Rachel. IL has seemed to me that the
Lord, for q long while has been leading
my thoughts in this direction; and have
allowed myself &C. hope that he would
lead Yours in the same"
"But, OF? Mr.. Craven" trembled Ra-
chel, once again, IL am not good enough.
can never be good enough to be a min
ster's wife. I never can indeedl"
Rachel Fross was tall and stately wo-
man, with pale hair,heavy upon her fore
head, and grave, great, reticent eyes She
turned herkhesd as she spoke,aHd looked
upward at the Angel Michael (who was
rather tall himselD with motion such as
Memnon might have made IN looking
east ward FOR the first flush OF dawn which
should unbind the marble of It's lips.
1t was not SO long ago but that the
Reverend Mr.. Craven observed the mo
ton and the look with keen-felt satisfac-
ton, albeit with dull sense that they
were both natural and appropriate. he
shifted the fo"t-stOve on his thin, 'ong
arm, and grsvely lifting Rachels baud,
pressed it gravely to his lips. re- t.-s,,-..
There Is none that doeth good" be
answered her; NO, not one. We can grow
IN grace together, Rachel"
"Ah! vel" said Rachel softly,"T can
try. | will try, you would like to have
me Mr. Craven .#t.a" ..
Il Lave come to feel" said the Rever-
end Mr.. Craven, speaking slowly, and
with some suppressed emotion upon his
thin, slckly, stracted face, that my work
could not De, could never be rounded and
complete without you, Rachel Fross."
Now 1t was so long ago that he atrocty
OF this love-scene was as simple and AS
serious to it's actors as one Of Mende!s.
sobn's "Lieder ohne Worte;" so long age
that, in spite OF it, Azrael Craven aud
Rachel Fross, joining hands across the
foot stove. set from that moment their
young feet in Eden, and heard the Lord
of Eternal Love walking in their hearts
that day.
In fact, it was so long ago that mans
relative estimate Of himself aud the W.,
man W hom he loved might be simply pre-.
posterous, and yet that he might love 9
woman very much, and that woman
nigh: be SO far gloritied for this life by
the one fact as never to discover the other
till death and Immortality had blurred ii
to faint, untroubling shade. ..
At all events, it remains, that Rache
Fross came home from Thursday confer.
encc promised" to Azrael Craven; and
that the fitness ofthis event was apparen,
~ onSO OIL" l"AONcL w tut CnuICu duu 81
ciety OF southampton, In which devout
dead deacon Fross had been "pil4r
for more than thirty years, and by whlcl
Azrael Craven was supported in the
Theological Seminary at Princeton, witt
faith, hope, Charity. and a quarterly al
lowance of one hundred and and five dol
: lars and fifty cents.
D A few grave calls, received in the sittins
room. with the mother knitting in tn,
rocking-chair beside the fire; few gray,
walks in the broad winter day, up anC
down the broad, driftcd watching streets
a little grave discu sion of the reviva
2 and the fresheta. q littla atra nna-- ..roa.