Smyrna times., 1876-06-21


her much, and there she grew more and
more silent; her veil gradually lowered
and lowered till it shielded her face and as
long as her unaccountable tears could fall
quietly, and only blister the leaves of her
testament unperceived, she staid; and
when hysterical burst became inevitable,
without a word of warning she would rush
away, as IT in danger of her life. Nobody
else dreamed what it meant. Mr.. Beck
with thought he knew. Poor little Bessie
II ever young falcon out of the forest
objected to the clipping of her wings, she
was one, for she felt the band tightening
around her. Evidently she was in the
mood OF those who mean to have their fling
out because they know an end is coming.
And yet if you could have seen Besses
lace sometimes as she sat in tho twilight,
there was such serene content in its half
hidden smile, you would have said to your
self that here, if anywhere, was there
supreme happiness. But the child did not
know herself, for, close upon any such
brief experience of content, there would
follow such a restive rebellion against all
chains that even Mr.. Beckwith was startled,
II lie happened to be in the house on some
parochlal GRAND, and saw her dancing
down the stairs and through the halls,
vouchsating him neither word nor look.
answering neither father nor mother,
Ringing down her hat if anybody called to
her to put it on, whistling to her dogs, and
making off for tramp that was to tire out
with its fatigue some of the refractory
spirit
Most men would have hositated a while
after one or two such scenes; would have
toreseen the plucking of little termagant
from this nettle would have anticipated
trouble in the flesh after the fight was
won. Not so Mr.. Beckwith. If so good a
man could be piqued, he was perhaps
piqued into the resolve for conquest: he
was determined to teach the tantalizing thing
that it was happiness she was flying from,
and not torment, as she seemed to believe
he was all the more fixed in his intention
to win her-to win her and to tame her
But not one chance for his winning and
tanning did he get, that is to say, not one
chance after the abrupt end of the single
opportunity he had contriyed to seize and
lose.
lie had been called that day-almost
three months since he first saw Bessie-tC
visit dying person across the hills; fol
many Of those who did not exactly belong
to Mr.. Beckwiths parish used to beg fol
his ministrations; and in the little time O
his residence among them, more than onC
soul had seemed to wing away the easiel
on their eternal path for the rapt prayer
with which his presence had upbuoyed thei
fight.
The roads being roundabout and til,
! bridle-path direct, he had borrowed
saddle horse-a valuable one as it chanceC
-. and was returning now in the twilgh
lost in thought, and coming slowly, hi
: horses feet falling SO softly on the turf,
way that one could hardly hear them
when sudden, scared cry, as he turned
;, curve of the winding lane, told him VIII
was wandering there before him with he
! light garments luttering in the wind, a
sight of which his horse had reared ant
swerved aside; and he cast himself from
the saddle and caught Bessie Allan's hand
= begging her not to be alarmed.
" But have been T. cried Bessie.
81 was thinking" said Mr.. Beckwitl
"and | forgot myself; and when sa,
your white dress it seemed like a continue
;, ton of my thought"
= - Were you thinking of my white dres,
= then p asked Bessie, aptly.
:, . No, of another, a whittier DRESS" sal
p" NJ. Beckwith, gravely-" of a white dres
. that saw a soul put on to-day, winginl
its heavenly way"
y" A little Overawed, Bessie was silent.
{ 81 have just come from death.beC
. Bessie" said Mr.. Beckwith, taking adval
- tage of the mood. $50 peaceful and beat
- tiful it was that it makes the things of tn
y life seem too poor and small for though
q beside that everlasting one"
- "Is Miss Barton dead, then ?" she ask
i' though no one knows how she learne
- where the minister had been. eyes, 81
WIS a SdiIJs hOulul likC 10 DC
d, good"
e. BessieI''
e, al mean it would be so stupidr p
ut "But at the last ?' he queried, patientl
ed "I-T don't like to hear about death
to said Bessie, with half pout, half fling
ne "Few of us do when we are young" sa
sh the minister. "Yet we are all drifting {
re the tide that takes US there"
ne "Don't ~ she cried.
he "Ah, l have felt it myself" said Il
a minister "Youth is so full of vita lity Il
A 1t is antipathetic to death. There are on
he two things that quite reconcile us with t
to- inevitable fact-one, WEAKNESS of life, al
to the other, that exceeding love which max
he the hours seem long. hope the first W
en- never come to you, my"
th "No, indeed, cried Bessie. "How cou
bit I be weary of life-how could any one be
"If such an hour as this were perpetua
or. said the minister, taking off his hat, bett
4