Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-07-16
! LIGHT IN THE CLOUD,
RYs RUTH IIATHERLEIGH,
CHAPTERI.


er! Meet me in heaven!' The blue
eyes closed softly; the. little golden
head fell back-hack upon the pillow
and Annie was dead! sss
The evening shadowsgsthered round,
and il the:gray twilight the little ones
stolegentlysto the bedside for fare
well kfss, and a last look at the sleeping
form of their angel sister, A blank and
darkness fell upon everything, for
Annie. thel,ght and Joy of the house,
wasgone. ii
She was buried beneath the cool sod.
with on1ya few pure dropping snow
drops to show where they had laid her.
The father went about his work
mournfully, and the mother seldom
spoke, and'never smiled
Dear little lamb" said James one
night, as he stood by the tiny grave,
:" how shall I meet her there God
knows lam not fit for the blessed place
where her angel spirit has gone, but
with His help I mean to try for it.
Many 2 time has she begged mo to stay
away from the ale house. Why didn't
l do it? God forgive me. I'll mover
enter one again"
It was Saturday night, and James
turned his'face lomewards with fixed
determination to visit his old haunts no
more, for his little Annie's sake. He
fingered moment by the churchyard
gate, and gazed upon the sacred spot
where her dear form lay, then, with
strengthened resolution, he pursued
his walk.
Mary gazed in mute astonishment at
seeing her husband returning so unusu-
ally earl and hustled about to prepare
his tea. The little ones clustered round
him, but be. pushed them aside, and
strobe up Is his bedroom and locked the
door. A choking sensation kept rising
in his throat. He threwhimself down
by the bedside and buried his face in
his hands. Great sobs came swelling
up from the depths 81. his agonized
heart, and with them was mingled the
ponitont prayer, "God be merciful to
mo a sinner!" -.
Sunday morning came, and James
prepared to accompany his wife and
little ones to church. Mary looked on
in astonislled silence, for something in
her husbands expression warned her
that she had better hold her peace.
Years had passed away since he last
entered within those wallis. His. heart
thrilled with u new and strange emotion
as he stood upon the doorstep and gave
one long ing glance at the grave of little
Annie The tiny mound. was covered
with snow, and q piercing north wind
blew keenly around. The children
seemed pinched with the cold, James
thought, rs he took his place among
them, and oh, how sad and care worn
Mary looked, and all through him. He
bowed his he and groaned inwardIy.
All his past. life came up in review be-
fore him whole days spent among his
boon companions in the ale-house,
whilst his wife and little ones were shiy-
ering for want of fire and clothing.
Mary was growing hard and cold; she
never smiled, and even the children
we're afraid Of her. He thought of the
time when she was bright, trusting
girl, full of life and love, and youthful
vigor. All she was sorrow. worn anu
weary now.
When night came, and Mary prepared
70 take the children to bed, jamcs
said, half hesitatingly, "Stop u minute,
wife; bring them here to me. Get the
Bible, Mary, and let us read together.
That holy book has of late been too
much neglected in this house. Our lit
lie child loved it.; it was my mothers
light to the skies, and, God, helping
me-, it shall be miner
Mary gazed at him in utter silence
but her face lost none of its hard, stern
That bitter stony look of
hers went right homo to james heart.
He took the Holy Book from her and
his hand tremblcd violently. All!
those well-worn pages, underlined and
What food of old recol-
lections came over him as he looked ut
them. cit was my mothers Bible,
wife" he sobbed, as his head fell upon
it. He thought of the time, long, long
ago, when she had taught him from the
sacred volume when he knelt Mt her
feet i'll prayer, and walked with her,
hand in hand, to tho house of God.
All! he was. old in the worlds wicked
ways now, and where was she? In the
Fathers home above, with his little
Annie in glory.
The children gathered round Mt the
sight of their fathers deep distress. but
Mary busted herself clearing the sup
per table. Then James read, in trem-
bling accents, q few words OF Psalm.
and then knelt down in the midst of his
little ones, and offered up such plead
ing prayer as had never been heard be-
fore within those walls. And the littlq
ones mingled their tears his, with bu-
Mary only hustled the more, and look
ed harder and sterner than ever. But
q chord was touched in her heart that
went vibrating through every fibre of
her being. james had prayed for her,
his poor ill-uscd Mary ay, had solemn
|y vowed before God to ill.treat her no
more. Words Of love and forgiveness
sprang to her lips, <but her pride and
The outraged woman-spirit within her
them back, and she appeared
whilst her heart was almost
And now James WIS left alone in m
agony of commingled emotions. No
light h,amcd on him. His iniquities,
black-dyed, rose up before him in