Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-06-12

1 ySm again came on. ana with return
ing reason came raving despair. He
soul was shrouded in midnight dark
ness, and her feet were wandering ii
the broad path Of perpetual death. Il
her rawlings she reached the blacl
waters and felt them creep higher anC
higher above above her. Crushing
darkness was upon her, and no ale
would come. The dying woman turned
to Horace Hays and besought him t.
pray for her. He sank down on hi
knees and bowed his noble head OF
the chair before him. Pride was ne
constituent OF his religion, and hs
plead as humbly for this wretched
forsaken beggar as hewould have done
for monied darling. Willis satstun,
ned and motionless. and her proud
form was held sternly erect. If she
could not bow her heart, she would
not impose the mockery of bowling her
head. This woman's death paralyzed
her with fear, and awoke her from her
fascinated dream Of ruin. Horace
Hays poured out from his Borrowing
heart an earnest supplication. He
prayed in this last hour that God would
shed the light of his glory upon her
and accept this remnant Of her life,
since the morning and noon had been
given to Decorating and disgracing wo-
manhood. He had scarcely finished
his petition, when in frenzy Of des-
pair she died.
Willis arose and walked up to the
bed. IF your God is just, DIR. Hays,
why did he not accept this woman's
soul, and at least give her a peaceful
exit"
Excuse, me, Willis, from answering
any such untimely questions. If this
does not warn you to turn aside from
the error of your life, l think your
case is indeed hopeless. -
He spoke severely. She did not an
swer, but moved gently around, and
with her white fingers she closed the
sunken eyes. He half repented the
severity of his tone a moment before,
and said kindly, shall call in some
one to assist you, Willis, while l visit
the undertaken ?"
IF you please" she answered
briefly, and moving to the side of the
orphaned boy she sat down and en-
deavored to comfort HIM. In one sense
there was a similitude between them i;
in another they vastly differed. They
were both parentless children of earth,
and a heritage of grief had fallen to
each. Ones sorrow was gilded by OPP
ulence and wealth, and the other was
a pauper and alone. Willis fortune
led to avenues of pleasure that this
forsaken child would never know. She
had friends to love and protect her,
while he was alone among cold hearted,
unfriendly mortals. She had friends
and luxury. and yet the sting of the
orphan rent her heart as mercilessly
as it now crushed his in childish grief.
Horace Hays left and again went out
into the bowling street. As he went
on he thought of Willis. and loye mag
nifed her deeds of charity on this
night into great and noble works. How
she had come down from her warm,
glowing apartments, into the bleak,
bare abcdes of poverty and closed with
her dainty fingers the eyes of an aban.
doned woman. She was not the proud
ariStocrat he had once thought her
and her pride, by all considered SC
grievous, was counterbalanced by wo-
monty charity.
When he returned she had, with the
assistance of a neighbor, shrouded the
pale sleeper for the tomb. The wo-
man returned to her home and child
rem, aud all through the long hours Of
the morning they watched over the
dead. They talked of the past, the
present and the misty future, and
when morning dawned there was q
glad light in Willis eye and q happy
feeling at heart that for once in her
life she had done her duty. All! duty
is truly the siepping-stone to felicity
TO BE CONTINUED.