The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-07-24

"How do you knowme9" she cried,
taking her hands away, and gazing
at him in frightful manner.
"From what you say Of yourself"
''But, I'm al"
"Hush | Perhaps that is all past
now. The good Christ will forgive
you, and" b.
"No. He wouldn't, and couldn't.
He'd spurn such e. me-"
"He did not. He died for them,
for he loved them. He loves us all,
and you
"Are you sure ?" said she, looking
up at the wall. His eyes followed
hers, and saw that they rested onthe
Holy Mother and Child. For sever
al moments she gazed earnestly at
the picture in silence, while the
brooding organ seemed to fill the air
with divinest peace.
Then she said, in an absent man
ner:
"But, is it really true---what you
say, and---why--why should you, say
this to meH Why do you sit with meS
Good men, always shun mel
don't understand.
"It is true and if I stay with you
it is because 1 wish to help you, be-
cause I wish to do just as the Christ
would do were he in my place"
''Is ii very long since he died r
"WhoY
"Jesus---Christ."
eyes. Many years."
"Couldn't he have forgotten me /;
and.--how would he ever know how it
wasP 1t was not my fault-at first.
He-that s-the man who was--mar-
ried--curse himP
"Hush | Let US not speak OF him
more. Let lis start now and begin
| q new life.
~ wish / could-but-"
"But-what p.
Chow can 1 live? / must live"
1T will arrange all that. I know
q good woman who will give YOU q
fhome."
"But I cannot take it, unless s-"
"UnlessP"
"I can do something. I'll not take
charity from any man."
"It will not be that. The woman
| has a hospital. 1t is her own. You
can aid her in it, aud it will be asafe
and real home for you. Will you goG"
She gazed long and earnestly at
| the picture, as if deciding in her
mind what to do. He. .tookher hand
She surrendered it willinglyu
"My child, trust me- None will
know Of your past. A new life will
begin. The good Father sent his
Son to you. Stand up and. leave the
paths Of darkness. Come" ain.
For q few moments she seemed,nn-
decided. The sweet, soft murmur Of
the organ seemed to sing of a new
life and of fairer days to come. A
smile-the first one for years-over-
spread her face
"I will trust you, sir"
"Thank God |" said he, fervently.
"'Twas the picturs-sir--and the
music"
And he led her away to . new life,
n & u u #
Years passed away. In the quiet
wards Of St. Mary's Hospital, slip
ped on the untroubled life Of one who
had known sorrow. The loved and
respected nurse seemed m angel
clothed upon with flesh. Her splen'
did glory Of hair seemed an aureolf
round her sad, sweet face. The pa
tients called her Saint ChriAte. 9th
ers said she was a Madonna, sh,
} cooked so like the picture in thu
church. Perhaps she did. She saw
it every day and, like the monk whC
gazed oD the stone face of Christ, he.
> face came to resemble the portrait.
The memory of the past was u seal
ed book She never spoke Of it, ant
! none questioned her. Suddenly tn,
8 past returned. and the circle Of he
, life was made complete.
A drunken wretch, run overin th
s street, arrived in the hospital ambu
l lance. Defiled, repulsive and horri
Y BILE. The hired nurses put the worl
of receiving him from one to th
0 other. Not SO Saint Christie. Wit
Y her own handsshe washed his brlise,
face and bound up his wounds. TIL
e face seemed somehow familiar, an,
when at last it was laid on the whit
u pillow, she gazed at it earnestly, an
e in the wreck of the man recognize
her lover. He had come TO her. Hi
r life was in her hands. Seeing tina
l he slept, she left him, and going I
d the church, she paced the dim aisle
u 10 silence, till the war in her heal
" was stilled. She gazed at the pit
ture Of the Holy Mother, and listene
/; once more to the brooding organ.
It No patient in the hospital ever rt
!! oeived such attention as this poe
creature. She hardly left him day {
70 night. Still, in spite Of her exel
% tons, he sank hour by hour. H
It could not live long, He was dolil
% i6us most Of the time. But in hi
|. Randerings nothing Of the past n
ri turned. Night fell on the city. Th
!, house surgeon said he could pot lii
d ger until morning. Then sh
70 would not leave him.
The lamp burned low in the val
t. client ward. Far away she hear
a the clock strike midnight. Som
sr feverish sleeper stirred, and she 81
n up TO listen, The patient by her sid
d moved slightly, and then opened b
"a eyes.
O. She leaned over him, There WI
70 faint light Of intelligence in his fac
le She smiled. With feeble gestui