Litchfield enquirer., 1874-04-23

The waves sobbed gently and softly, tired of the passionate unrest of their long night and, gazing upon them with wide bewildered her, Alice stood again at that window from which she could see Owens cottage home. .,
 1t was quite late in the morning when, MT. Gwynne returned to tell of the scene upon the sea-shore last night.
 "After all, I'm thankful to tell you only one accident occurred, f" he said, wonder ing at the depth and sadness of Alice's sympathy, ''but it was a painful one in, deed. That young Vaughan, of whom my uncle told you so much, Miss Hope, happened to be at his mothers cottage came only yesterday or the day before and he volunteered to take one place in the ife-boat, begged for it indeed. Splen- dldly he handled his oar, so all the crew say, and was untiring in all he could do for the rescued. Strong and brave and ready, they said and if you knew them you would understand what that means. Whether it was only that he worked too hard, or whether he hurt himself in some way, IS not known, but when he tried to land he fell upon the beach. I helped to carry the poor fellow into his mothers cottage, and shall not soon forget her face as it met his. The doctors talk of paralysis of the heart, and they say he must nave known that such task as he under took last night would probably kill him. He had been warned in Germany, it seems. I'm glad to say they have not told the mother this, for they had before told her how he entreated my uncle to send him; aud how could she reconcile the two facts ?''
 Every word entered deeply into Alice's sore heart, and when all had been told, one thought and longing held her. Alone and unobserved she slipped away and hurried to the river. The old ferry-man was busy enough this morning; the boat had been ceaselessly plying it's way to and ITO since daybreak Eagerly Alice listen ed to the voices around her as she was pulled across. for all were talking of the storm, and all spoke Owens name.
 When she reached the opposite shore, she walked on rapidly among the spars of the lost vessel and over the dismal line of drifted sea-weed, to that cottage on the beach in whice she knew that Owen lay. For moment she felt she must be mis- taken, because no crowd had gathered here, but one glance around showed her a group of people whispering together at short distance, and unconsciously thank ing them In her heart for the silent respect thus shown, she knocked softly at the half-closed door.
 'sI am an old friend of MT. Vaughan's," said Alice very softly, as she looked ap- pealingly into the face of Owens sister. "M6y see him?'
 Duddgha's eyes, swollen and tir ed with weeping, fixed themselves for a moment wonderingly upon the lady who said this; lady with beautiful pale face and eyes as tired as her own, quietly and simply dressed, yet elegant as few visitors at the gloomy cottage had ever looked to the girl before. Without answering, she led Alice into the kitchen, and then stood in hesitation bside the window, where bunch of primroses and wild white voilets dropped as if they felt the sorrow of the house,
 ''My brother is very, very i'll, she whis- pered; every word uttered in keenest pain, Do you think you had better see him?" "Yes, oh yes, if may" replied Alice, her voice most earnest and entreatinx,
 Without another word, Duddgha walk ed on noiselessly to an inner room; gently drew her weeping mother from the bed side, and stood aside. for Alice to pass in.
 The end was very, very near. Alice saw that, even in her first yearning gaze.
 "Owen" she cried. But she could say no other word, and only fell upon her knees beside the bed, and looked at him with all her heart surging in her eyes.
 'Alice, once more together" he whis- pered, and the look upon his face was one of perfect peace, no agony and no regret. Together at the end. The distance that lay between us, dear, is all travelled now"
 Kneeling there in the presence of the great Leyeller, and looking back upon her life and his, Alice felt how slight had been this distance of which he spoke, yet how impossible to pass it now. The barrier which had stood between them when she felt herself above him had been raised by her own hand, she owned, with sobbing pain at her heart; Now, with that wonderful glory on his face, he stood lmmeasnrably above her; and this barrier was from the hand of God.
 And still she could not speak to him one word; only her eyes, 50 full of love and pain and penitence, told all.
 His two kind friends were with him at the end. Old Dr. Hope, who had only the day before received the short, sad letter in which Owen told his story and resigned his appointment in the Gram mer school, was in time to tell him, with dim eyes, how he had come himself on purpose to tempt him back to the place he had filled so we'll; and Sir Bulkley GWynne was their too, walking quietly in the outer room, and muttering that the sunshine on the water dazzled him. z The eyes upon the pillow, bright with unutterable happiness, read the yearning love upon those faces gathered in that silent room, ard read it in that highest light which made all clear.
 IL Softly, through the open doorway, came the soothing murmur of the sea. Away in the wide blue above the open windows, a lark's song faltered towards the unreach- ed heaven. The only shadow on the bright spring noon was the hushed shadow of the outspread wings.