Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-10-01

gsred altsr de word 81 lose nSsver
came. Sometimes, goaded = = q -
oay b. the SLOW torture, - = -
eisuss bat The cool syss. The " -
ner. and that steady negative u
i her hnsbsnd -seifhsr repellsn lSVi-
ltint-only added q her soese<
| Her spirit \ not broken ~ m
lard saia. d himself. and 20 ~ sSs
his systsm of wifely training.
Il was a The time that : aounnoe6
came from Aliees sirlhood he1se. Ilsr
widowed mother. long IN inS -
rapidly falling; and the eide <>r-
good. kind. moshsrjy Hester---5 "a ~
presenoc. She departed ir 80
hastily thas shc train Vas ~ ~
- sa hoas afacs tisSg fecefs N the 21lo-i
gram; sid she travelled alone, a Mr..
Maillard's basiness engagements were
Of that nature to detain him at that sea-
son.
| When the merchant. ut evening, re-
turned to his handsome house, deserted
save By the servants, he began TO grow
more dissatisfied with its cheerless aspect
than he thought could be possible, or
would have acknowledged to another
Once. entering the drawing so
dreary and empty looking. of an evening
after he had visited his club, he paused
before an exquisitely- -crayoned portrait on
the wal! and said. with more feeling than
nc bad shown for many month:
Home is lonely without ycu. Alice =
All = ha kaI rvlr L.. L.
to write such sentence to her.
The days went by. and in her eirlhood
home. the trio watched around the bed of
their dying mother. The summer vines
clsmbered up against the walls. the roses
reddened in the garden; the June grass
grew tall and waved in the warm south
winds; while the hectic dcepened on the
consump,ivc's cheek, aud the life.. tide eb-
bed more family through her heart.
At the close Of one Of those perfect
days, when the last rcd sunset arrows
slan'ed through the windows, the eud
camc; the carth-lile lapscd into the Bet
ter; and the meek eyes. closing here with
the maternal love lingering las. in their
gaze. opened again to look upon the glo-
rics Of the Beautiful Land where illness
never comes. nor Deaths dark piuior
droops.
On the day following the funeral, Mr..
MailIard bore his wife back to their home
again. At the parting. Alice wcpt unre-
strained!y upon the bosom of her twin
brother, then returned te receive her sis
ters farewell kiss.
Il must be mother to you now said
Hes.cr-faiihful. devoted women. ten
years older than the wceper she held in
her arms; and then she whispered In
your trial vii! come to you. Keep up
good heart. darling. and don't brood too
much on our grief. for the sake oe your
own health now
After the carriage had rolled away,
Horace stood by the window long time,
in deep thought; then he turned sudden
ly to his sister. and said, in o somewhat
restrained voice:
Hester, do you think William Maillarj
makes Alice happyT
'Certainly-why not, Horace What
a question 4! No one could fail to see how
attentive he IL; and l wonder that such
thought could enter your miud.'
Good Hes.cr's answer was quickly rem
dercd; but line that corrugated her own
betrayed what shc would not allow her
lips to utter, even to her brother.
They say that twins have a magnetic
sympathy for their mates. seem to feel
that Alice is not as light hearted as when
she left Us. Nineteen Tomorrow, and
she looks FIVE years older than when she
left US. year and half ago. If Mail
lard don't make her happy. I shall bate
him J! and a stern, bitter expression set |
tied on the youths handsome face.
why. Horace. how strangely you do |
talk :. persi.tcd Hester. 'Ofcourse Ally |
wouldn't seem as usual. Mothers death
you know and here the usually calm,
self-cen,ered woman's lip quivercd.
Horace's own deep hazel eyes filed
The boy had tender. womauly heart.
1t may be my fancy only. l hope so
Hester but he stood long in thought.
After their return home. Mr.. Maillard's
mein softened towards his wife. He could |
not see her. going about in her mourning,
with her pale. sad face, and quiet ways,
without relaxing from his old manuer.
But still bis pride. 50 long dominant, mas
tered him sufficiently to withhold him
from the manifestation Of his returning
tenderness. save by constant wa,chfulness
aud BY surrounding her with such luxu-
ries as wealth could procure. Books. pic
lures. the latest music. flowers. every
dainty of the season. these come to her.
All. if he had only known that a tender
word to hungry heart is better than any
gift gold can buy
Alice accepted all with sweetness that
never failed her now. Indeed. Mr.. Mail
lard marvelcd TO see how submissive she
had become. There vas no rebellinrs
now; no flaming up Of the old high spirit;
no passionate outbreaks-and. alas no
passionate ycarniugs for tenderness
Her lips we're never lifted now for kiss;
her eyes never sought bis with wistful ca
gerness for the fond. answering glance;
her slender hand no longer slid caressing-
II into his. That time with her was
past.
One evening. sitting in that same IL
brary where she had stolen upon him once,
the windows open is the warm air Of the
August night, Mr.. Maillard FELL to think
ing Of this.
How different Alice IS from uhat she