Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-03-19
5HiscellamY.
The Victory,
THROUGH THE FAITH WHICH OVER
CoMETH.


sweet, joyful bride, and so thought the
proud bridegroom, as in the triumph OF
perfect health and worldly success, tenn
pered by real Christian conservation, he
carried his darling wife to his elegant
home. i never thought / could be so
happy" they said to each other, over
and over, strolling through their beauti-
ful grounds, or walking up and down
the ample rooms of their new home =" |
never thought it was possible for any
body to be so happy"
Mrs Harkness had cousin, an old
maid they called her, though she was
only twenty-eight. She had lost her
love when she was young, buoyant, en-
thusiastic girl, and strong in soul, she
had stepped from the earthly love to the
heavenly. Cousin Clara was, thereafter,
available for everybody in need. In the
large circle Of her friends and relatives
she was constantly busy, helping, guild
ing, soothing, teaching. If there was a
family quarrel, or family loss, or a
long, painful sickness, Clara was the one
first thought of, first sent for. In joy
she was desired, as well as in grief, for
her quick, spiritual sympathy reflected
the happiness of those around her, and
made it seem doubly blessed.
| So it happened, that when Ellen Hark-
ness was established in her new home,
she very soon sent for cousin Clara to
spend few weeks with her and help her
appreciate her good fortune.
" You are puzzle to me, Clara" she
said one day if | should lose George
/ could not live; | know l could not |
live in him from the time he leaves me
in the morning, till he comes at night,
wait for him; have no separate life
how did you live after Henry died?"
"He is not dead, said Clara, in tone
so assured and earnest that Mrs. Hark-
mass started with surprise.
a. But he is what we call dead he
died and was buried"
His body, you mean"
"Of course you saw him no more
you have lived alone since then"
"No, Ellen | have never been one
moment alone. You asked me how
lived l will tell you; did not rebel
| but believed that God loved my darling
and could take care of him in one place
as well as another. There was great and
awful fear and dread, while / anticipated
the separation; but when the soul of my
love was free, God enabled me to fee
that He had only taken his child into
another room. | seemed to hear my
darling say: Wait patiently till you
can come all worlds belong to our Faith
er, and His love and care extend ovel
all in Christ our souls can meet; an(
while we serve Him, | in one place, you
in another, we shall never be separated" i"
In that moment of heavenly com
munion, dedicated my life to feeding
Christ's lambs all the needy, the erring
the straying, the sorrowing and in pro
portion as have kept near Christ,
have felt the spiritual presence of my
love-"
Was it Providence, this converse,
tion ? In less than week thereaftel
Ellen Hardness was a widow. Absenc,
on business-a railroad accident-a tel
egram-the horrible homecoming o
the soulless body the burial-the desc
lation that was the story, so common t,
the great public, so terrible to the strick
en-.
A merciful illness kept Ellen from re
alizing all at once her loss, and in tha
illness Clara was ministering angel in
, deed. The sick-room was a very HEAVIER
of consolation, and the invalid missed
no tenderness, no care, that love coult
give. At last she slowly rallied, an,
was able by and by to be lifted from he
! bed to the cosy chair, in the cosy littl
. sitting-room adjoining her chamber. A
she made this first movement toward
the life awaiting her, the past threatene
to overwhelm her with its lost joys, an
the future held up before her endles
procession of empty, miserable day.
40, | cannot live she exclaimed
, Why did not die and go to you, m
darling? 0, the dreadful, dreadful fl
ture
: Clara's tears were freely mingled wit
/. those of her despairing friend; and sh
: spared not sweet caresses and that 10y
! ing human contact which so comfort
!, the sorIowing. After Ellen had grow
i calm, she opened the Bible and read POI
tions of the fifteenth chapter of Firs
Corinthians. As she read that trump
/. letter of the apostle, Ellen's attentio
was irresistably attracted, and look {
pathetic yearning stole over her pa
face.
"What is written there you have fe
yourself" she said presently, interrup
n L =