The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1873-11-27
9s9L54st:ss Stories.
IFrOm Harper's Magazine for Novembsr.I
LIVING WITH A BROKEN
He ART


HE ART.
Anna Warner (author of ''Wide, Wide
Worldly has a beautiful love story in
Harper; her heroine is disappointed, her
lover deserting her and marrying another;
and this is the way she lived afterwards;
friend is relating her story to a circle of
young ladies:
"And, obi did she live? could she live?',
said little Bessie, whose blue eyes were all
quenched with tearp. Miss Coulter strok-
ed her head tenderly.
"Poor little one" she said, "you have
never learned yet that when we cannot
die because We want to, we live because
we must. Happy are they who can ac-
cept the Lords good pleasure, whether
for life or death. Slowly, slowly, the
brain-feVer ran its course, and my Mamie
crept back again to what we call life
And then l watched to see whether the
mind would revive as well as the
body; but for days after the fever left her
and she became quiet she spoke no word,
and the old doctor bade me give her time.
He alone was IN our secret, old Doctor
White, who had known Seth Guile before
we did. So again the days went by, and
my Mamie lay white and silent and still:
her eyes lifted to my face, or following me
about the room, or going IN long, wist
full gaze to the snowy world outside; for
autumn had passed, and winter had come,
and even that too was slipping away
Slowly, slowly, the light came back to her
eyes-a changing light, that was first SIM
pie consciousness, and then full agonlZed
recollection, and then-the shining of
Heaven dawned there, and never set
again. And looked on awe. struek, saw
defeat gTve-w way 20 NIcGory, and the Crow
even already laid upon the cross.
'sBut for days after she was herself so
far as to know Us all, she never volunta-
rlly spoke word If We asked her, she
answered, nothing more, and that most
seaIching looks with which at first she
scanned my face were quite given up; she
loo ked at no one. For hours, lying there
on her bed, she would gaze out of the
window, as if at some fixed point, not
moving, not saying word; but that her
thoughts were at work had no doubt
And slowly SO, as it seemed TO me, the
brow grew quieter, the look less stony,
the lines of the mouth were more unbent,
and gloW--hke the first faint hush ct
the morning-began to show itself in her
eyes. was wild to find out hew she felt,
and still dared not talk to her, and
break the quiet which tie doctor had en-
joined. 7.5.s ,.a-a..5 j. 5z57.- "a 5.t.5 Il
1--WE were in her room one evening, he
and 1.-The good old doctor, who had
watched my Mamie like his own child
and had been pouring out my grief and
llmpatience, and begging to be allowed to
break this weary silence. We had thought
her doing, or else, perhaps, the doeter
would have spoken mora softly.
ait is so hardP said, under my breath.
And he answered me aloud
Mot if you take it right, my dear
The Lord is good to all; His tender mer-
oies are over all His works" .f
"And then, like breath from the other
world-so sweet, so clear, so unearthly-
came the tones of my Nannie's voice.
Even mel she said; that was all.
'They set great store by hymn with
that refrain now" sold Miss Coulter, as
she,paused and wiped away q few tears;
''and people sing it for the sweet sound
/ pretty often. l guess, without knowing
whatl 1t means. But ifever there spoke a
child of Ged-aeeepting His will, &C
knowledging His love, and ready to do
His pleasure-there spoke one then Old
DR.. White broke right down, and cried
like baby. And as for me, l could al
most have died then and there, L was 80
happy. For when He giveth quietness.
who then can make troubie?" and I knew
that my Mamie was at last beyond the
reach of Seth Guile, with the Lords own
hand forever stretched out between her
and all evil" ,y---
"And do you think tnat can always be
| true for any body, Miss Coulter said
| Bessie, with grave face. .--1 o. ~ 20
Christ ls tn. captain of the Lords
/ host" said Miss Coulter ''Did ever any
OUT general Him? One thing nv Mamie
could not de-she could nettalk of what
had been. From that day Seth Guile's
name never passed her lips, nor mine. /
MAS sure she knew all; was sure she re-
membered all; but she. never spoke of it.
| Like fair, sWeeL shadow, -she left her bed
at last, and began to move softly about
the house, doing by degrees her old work.
Lake q heam flight from heaven she
went on shining from that time until the
| endP
@@Was 1t lOng?9 asked little Bessie, with
| a shiVer. .C-L1 .ZcTEA5
@Very long, as men count More than
| forty years Acattered their SHOWS and
| dropped their rose leaves; more thsn forty
times she saw the June light flush over
the world, &nd. the October orchards crim7
son WIN tnelT 1rQlGs DotO10r IuO 1OId Sdlus
1t is enough And when at last He took
her home, there were two glad hearts-my
Nannie's and mine"
"a Forty yearsl' said Myra. "0h. Miss
Coulter, how did she live through all that
time7" s--.------.-..-------
"By the will, Of God" said Miss Coal-
ter, solemnly. --'.i had almost said upon
His will. It seemed to be the one thing
life had left for her. And morning and
noon and night, day in and day out, it
l0Gs her life Working for Jesus-beafing
/ His message not only on her lips but in her
face; giving to every one her quickest
sympathy. the tenderest help; counselling,
comforting, drawing others 10 Christ-so
she lived. Most of all, her heart went
forth to the yonng things Of the viiiAge,
and they were net slow to find 1t out
They came to her with their troubles, they
told their joys first to her Even love-
stokes and iove-letters yielded up their Sc
.Crets before Il a. face of refined silver; and
no glrI thought hers'lf dressed foF her
Q 4 Nan,sa k,,t -