American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-01

| Shcp-peOple say tney WERE oruercu Wy
tall, dark gentleman, very pale. l wis
mamma would let us believe in ghost
and then we could understand it easily
for that description is like dear papa. Bu
never did hear of any ghost that ha
money. l wonder what Aunt Mary wi
say when she comes tomorrow ~
The stranger went back to the Fou
Swans. Next morning he went to tn
cathedral, and stole into shady corne
to take part in the service. The sharp lii
tie widow came in, looking sweeter an
happier than would have seemed possibl
the night before. Beside Margery an
Tom, she had lady with her-an elderly
fragile-loOking lady, with one OF thOs
pale, fair faces, that look as if perfect Re
pose was their only remaining atmoS
phere of life, and any jarring element
even of Joy, would shake and rend tn
| tender spirit from its feeble dwelling. 4
face bright with spiritual joy, and pleas
ant 4ancies and sentiments. God Offer
sends pleasant f;incies to those pure bu
weakly souls that could never rise to ere
ate and grasp pleasant facts. What ar
such fancfes but the dainty aroma OF tn
royal feast awaiting them in their Father
mansion?-
Lowly kneeled the stranger through
the old familiar prayers. He sat leaning
forwards with his face in his hands, whil'
the white-stoled choir chanted the glOri
Gus anthem: .'GlOry be 70 God in thu
Highest, and on earth peace, good will to
wards men,
Then he came out, silently, among the
crowd of wOrshippers. People were eX.
changing good wishes with each other
actually Peter. the old waiter, saluted
even him with "a merry Christmas"
A merry Christmasi
The stranger stayed and wandered
among the graves. There was a world OF
silent memory seething in his heart. Be
side that vision of the little boy, listening
awe struck to the choir, there
were others of a young man,
vain, extravagant, selfish, counting
as of nought, or of little value, all
which looked so very fair from this point
of view, this lonely wandering among
the dead! More pictures still. Of a
young man, reckless and cruel in his sins,
full of that bravado which dares God and
good men out of fear of the devil and his
minions of the CHASTITY horrors of a con-
Wet ship; of a Stunned man on a wild,
lawless shore-the prodigal feeding on the
swine's husks. Then of a little rough,
miscellaneous group, listening to simple
mission sermon, which even 'sblack fell
lows" could understand, and which. per-
haps, was the more likely to touch the
white men. because it was SO like what
they had heard at their mothers knee,
or in their Sabbath-schOOls; of hard
heart broken, of a sinner seeking saliva
ton, as men dying with thirst seek for
water-springs. And then the sweet
household instincts. dric, and dead under
the forgetfulness of God. stirring again
in the remembrance of Him, and the re-
turn to his ways. o God! such lOngings
for comforting word in the old familiar
dreams of atonement and re-
All these memories between that little
boy and this strange, silent man, whom
nobody knew.
Was there any long-tried servant of
God in Norham that afternoon, poor,
stricken, and tempted to think
that God in his mercy forgets his justice,
and tears the moral from the page which
He purifies with his pardoning blood?
Or was there any needless young sinner,
Ilattering himself that he will repent i'm
time, and that then all will be as if he had
secrets of that silent wanderer, each
would have got lesson never to be for
gotten.
How can I bear it he said to himself
g wanted to hear the divine love and for
giveness in a dear human voice; but
must not tear open old wounds, that are
healed as much as such wounds can ever
heal. 1t is just. They cannot forget.
My life lies among theirs like a waste
field, whence noxious weeds creep into
other peoples gardens. VIII God
Himself forget? How can 1 bear even
his pardon, if his eye is fixel on the sins
hat hang about my neck? And yet, OIL
jOd, though Thou slayest me, yet will
rust in Thee
And so he made his way among the
ong grass to a square, old-fashioned
oil I
Except one, which, with its remarkable
'pitaph, had only been written the very
To the memory OF
BARBARA HERON,
Aged47,
Who expressly desired that hese words of God
hould be written on her grave for the comfort of
Uncover should come here, repentant and sorrow
tricken.
"Who is a God like unto Thee I? Thou wilt
asst all their sins into the depth of the sea.
''For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will
er wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the
arden of tie Lord: joy and gladness shall be
onnd therein: thanksgiving and the voice of mel
dy."
And the stranger bowed himself to the
round, as if he had heard an angels
dice. Perhaps he did. Here was the |
Ove-tvpe of that heavenly love that he
vas wildly clutching in faith that was
alf despair the love that survived sin
and to save and soothe from the very |
rave itself. |
Oh, Barbara, Barbara, your tenderness
ad taught you to lay sweet snares for |
very possible opportunity! Oh, Barba-
a. Barbara! surely God must have COM |
orted you in your lonely walkings in |
hose green avenues by the ruined abbey. |
lie did not empty your pure heart of its |
arthly love, but he dropped into it a
rrrl,f 4, aha
estiaI nectar. Up in heaven, where you
re, Barbara, there is only Joy over the |
sinneri
And still the stranger sat on the damp |
inter sod, with his face between his
ands. He was not wishing her back, the
ear love of his youth. Better where she
vas, where no mortal soil could ever
ing enough, and strong enough, to
.retch from heaven to earth. Only there
e sat, shutting out from his eyes the
veet, peaceful scenes around him, even
5 they must be shut from his life, and
icing far beyond the s. waste places" and
wilderness" that his own sins had made,
ito that joyful country where s. the ran
,med of the Lord shall RETURN" where
they shall obtain Joy and gladness, and
PROV and signing shall flee away"
That night the stranger walked again in
ont of that lowly house in the quiet by
ay. Christmas savOrs came through
he Kitchen window, bright light CLEANED
tween the curtains, even sounds of glad
Dung laughter and merry song reached
he lonely watcher without. And he
Duld thank God for them now. He
'uld even smile in sympathy with the
~ he might not share. He had his own.
In that lowly house, after supper, when
lie young ones were quiet round the fire
-acking nuts and asking riddles, Aunt
-arY fell into q soft slcen ON the sofa |