Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-08-07

christian, and had be welded her she
would have renounced iniquity and
turned aside into the narrow path o.
the disciples. She would have beer
wax in his hands to be nodded at his
will, but he rejected her love and
the pettsd heiress was piqued and
. offended.
Willis Waters was passionless and
staid. not woman to be won to belief
by loves persuasion, but alone by a
clear demonstration of right. She was
always actuated by principles ofjustice,
and every subject was veil balanced
in her scale of Judgment. Willis was
too proud to dissemble, too womanly
to affect. She held deception in ab-
ject banishment and spurned the
thought ofa lie. With all other faults,
she was strictly candid and accurately
upright. STEPPED in skepticism and
unbelief as she was, she still possessed
the sweet charm of truthfulness.
Twas her favorite attribute, cherished
and cultivated. Her escutcheon was
soilless, her conscience clear. She
had never sullied her past by an un-
truth the future must be as stainless.
With deliberate consideration she had
now come to the church and to the re-
ligion of the Lord. Having once taken
the stand. she was jealous and stead
fast, an earnest laborer, devoted dis
ciple. Prayer had unsealed the food
gates of her heart and flowed freely
forth in bitter repentance. Prayer
had entered her grieved soul and given
the perfume of peace so long denied.
Prayer, prayer, had touched her life
and sanctifed and redeemedit. Hence
forth it was to be her sceptre In lieu
of grim pyrrhonism. 1t was to be her
textbook, her guide. She marveled
at the placidity it brought atits touch,
the holy calm it had given her life.
She was at peace with all men. with
firm intent and unbeclouded faith.
Loves shining circle" was nothing,
nothing to this grand, glorious God
light. Evil vanished from her heart,
as darkness does before the early sum-
mer dawn.
Tie church was brilliantly lighted
and around the pool (from which our
Redeemer commanded us to arise and
walk in newness of life) was wreath
ed calla-lillies and crimson blossoms,
so beautifully typical. Tonight one
was to go down into the sacred waters
whose heart had been chilled by in
fidelity and polluted by ungodly dis
trust, one who had spurned sanctity
and broken faith as a green withe in
her hands. She who was sneering
rebeller, was at last to be folded home
in the great Shepherds embrace. This
impious queen of incredulity was safe
in the possession of perpetual hope.
No more crushing heart aches for the
young orphan, for she had found a
balm, healing and imperishable. No
more rackins visions of death, laugh
ing fends and cruel natures. because
in her peaceful bosom there nestlss a
prayer. She is wonderfully changed,
this sneering Willis Waters. Changed
from mocking denouncer Of the In
finite Being. to worshipping disciple
of His assailed creed. She had turned
aside from the thrOuged thoroughfare
OF sin into the neglected path of recti-
tude. She had deserted the plague
tainted realm where her very soul had
gasped and withered under the fearful
miasma of wickedness. turned away
from the death 0dOr 10 sn0 r
air of sweet deliverance; had taken
her eyes from the glittering will-o-the-
wisp which allured and tempted her to
eternal death, and fastened them on
the star celestial. And now she was
to be baptized, immersed in the fount
which cleanseth from all sin. She had
taken upon her young life the burden
of the cross and the vow of veracity, a |
willing slave to the gracious High
priest. The church was thronged to
overAowing when she entered. Having
signalized herselfin the literary circle, |
her baptism was attended by the re-
nowned and erudite. She came in
with Ruth and her minister. The |
slender form was draped in deep |
mourning for Mr.. Clifford, the sable |
robes of grief which she seemed DOOM
ed to wear forever. Her face was
colorless, but on the usually troubled |
features rested a smile of supreme |
peace. The wistful yearning express
sion had fed from the eyes, leaving a |
restful light. The silence of death |
reigned over the multitude, she was so
supremely peerless. In glittering
throngs, at the banquet, levee, decked
with fashions paraphernalia, she was
nver SO lovely. On the promenade, in her
brightest moments. no beauty like this
had ever been given her. The shaded |
light of the lamps stole lovingly down
on the shining hair, and kissed the !
pale features with its cleaning touch.
He took the proud, slen der form down
into the water, the form which had
stood above her mothers lifeless body
and cursed the precious promises of
future reunion. She descended like a |
queen into the lucid waters of the pool
and stood with sovereign grace among
the pale lilies and crimson blooms. |
She was proud of the privilege; proud
of the holiness of her mission. Stand
ing there, he buried her in the liquid
depths and brought her forth better
woman. The vail of black hair had
become unloosed and fell around her
shoulders, glistening with water drops.
Her eyes were radiant and star like,
and on the curling lashes hung the
tears of the pool. Willis Waters